Drake Milligan Ahead Of His CMC Rocks Debut: ‘The Greatest Songwriters In The World Are In Nashville’

Lives often have some kind of pivotal moment. But for most people, they don’t happen at age seven.

Texan singer and songwriter Drake Milligan had that moment during a visit to a ’50s-themed burger bar as a child.

“It was a total accident,” Milligan explains. “We were at a restaurant, and an Elvis impersonator there. I thought, ‘What is this? This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.’ Then I went home, started watching all the videos, and became a huge fan.”

Milligan grew up in Fort Worth, the country-music-loving city that neighbours bustling Dallas.

“I grew up loving my dad’s music, traditional country music, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, those kinds of singers,” Milligan says. “But when I was watching Elvis, it was something a little different. That’s when it clicked for me: that’s something I want to do. I want to be an entertainer like Elvis.”

Making music as a career was the goal. But Milligan’s exploration of Presley’s music and the story of the man who discovered him, Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, provided some unexpected opportunities.