Thompson | Droukas

About

Joe Droukas was the other Springsteen. They came up together, Bruce in Jersey, Joe on the doo-wop streets of the Bronx. With a whole lotta soul for a white kid, he built a following and got a record deal and cut a slew of albums in the late 60s and early 70s, creating songs that still resonate today, even more so today. He came to college in New Hampshire during the war years and then made it home, but he never stopped rocking. He was part of my writers group and I’d watch and listen to his creative process and always be amazed by his singular raw talent. A lot of Joe’s songs got covered by other people – Wet Willie and Genya Ravan and Tracie Hunter – but his own voice was unlike anybody else’s. He took my simple lyric for CHRISTMAS IS A STATE OF MIND and made it epic. He was a true original and a good friend. We lost Joe too damn early, but the music plays on forever.

Joe Droukas
Joe Droukas | photo by Anarita Droukas
Christmas is a state of mind

CHRISTMAS IS A STATE OF MIND*

Lyrics by Ernest Thompson
Music by Joe Droukas and Peter Salomon
Performed by Joe Droukas

From the album Christmas is a State of Mind by Joe Droukas

*Licensing rights must be obtained. For contact information, click here.

MAMA AT MIDNIGHT

La Mama, New York, NY
A staged reading of Karen Black’s powerful play, starring Ms. Black, Gail Brown, Barbara Haas, Eric Sutton and Kat Yew