Singer-songwriter Rusty Draper, 80, died Friday (March 28) at a Seattle-area hospital following a lengthy battle with heart
disease, strokes and throat cancer. The Missouri native scored a Top 10 hit in 1953 with the Mercury single, "Gambler's Guitar."
After beginning his career in Oklahoma, Iowa and Illinois, Draper made his way to California in the 1940s and hosted his own
radio shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco. In the late '60s, Draper recorded for Monument Records. He charted his last
single in 1980 with a cover of the Platters' pop hit, "Harbor Lights." 04/01/03
Rusty Draper Dies in Washington State
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