Former “Raider” for Paul Revere Dies

Drake Levin, former guitarist for Paul Revere & The Raiders, died from cancer July 4. He was 62.

Levin was already playing in the Raiders when the band was discovered in Portland, Oregon, in 1963. At that time the lineup included vocalist Mark Lindsay, bassist Phil “Fang” Volk, drummer Mike “Smitty” Smith and, of course on keyboards.

Photo: Gino Rossi

Nicknamed “The Kid,” Levin was there for many important moments of the band’s history, including when the group was the number 1 rock group on Columbia Records as well as when Revere, Lindsay and The Raiders hosted the Dick Clark-produced show “Where The Action Is” from 1965 through ’67.

Levin, along with Raiders members Volk and Smith, left Paul Revere in 1967 and formed The Brotherhood, which landed a contract with RCA. Known in the San Francisco area as a blues guitarist, Levin last appeared with the Raiders when he, along with Lindsay, Volk and Smith, appeared at a Raiders reunion in Portland in 1997.

Photo: Gino Rossi

Levin leaves behind his wife Sandra and two sons. Memorial arrangements are pending.