Career
Born in Kirksville, Missouri and nicknamed "Rusty" for his red hair, he began performing on his uncle"s radio show in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the mid-1930s. Draper moved on to work at radio stations in Des Moines, Iowa—sometimes filling in for sports announcer Ronald Reagan—and in Illinois before settling in California. There he began to sing in local clubs, becoming resident singer at the Rumpus Room in San Francisco.
By the early 1950s he had begun appearing on national television shows including The Editor Sullivan Show (Columbia Broadcasting System) and Ozark Jubilee (American Broadcasting Company).
In 1952, Draper signed to Mercury Records and issued his debut single, "How Could You (Blue Eyes)". The following year, after a national club tour, his cover version of Jim Lowe"s "Gambler"s Guitar” made Number.
6 on both the country and popular charts, and sold a million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. After a series of less successful follow-ups, he made the national charts again in 1955 with "Seventeen" (Number 18), "The Shifting, Whispering Sands" (Number 3) (another million-seller), and "Are You Satisfied?" (Number 11), becoming one of the biggest popular and country crossover stars of the period.
In 1956, he returned to the Top 20 with "In The Middle Of The House" (Number 20), followed up by his version of Chas McDevitt’s United Kingdom skiffle hit, "Freight Train" (Number 3).
Draper also reached the United Kingdom Chart with a rendition of "Mule Skinner Blues." In 1962, he left Mercury to sign with Monument Records, with diminishing chart success as his style became more old-fashioned. However, he continued to have minor hits in the country charts through the 1960s. He remained a steady concert draw in years to follow, and also appeared in stage musicals and on television, including his duties as one of the hosts of National Broadcasting Company"s short-lived 1966 daytime television series Swingin" Country.
Draper died of pneumonia, in Bellevue, Washington, at the age of 80.
A " Mule Skinner Blues " also peaked at #39 on United Kingdom Charts.