Nervous Norvus
b. Jimmy Drake, 1912, d. 1968. The Californian based ex-truck driver's first record was the country ballad Gambling Fury, which he recorded as Singing Jimmy Drake on the Indiana label, Claudra. He joined Dot Records in 1956 and had two of the biggest novelty hits of that year. His first hit Transfusion, concerned the thoughts of a drunk driver who is in need of a blood transfusion after a car crash. Despite the sick subject it was hilarious, though the British public were spared it when London Recordsrefused its release. The follow-up to this US Top 10 hit was Ape Call, a tale about cave men recorded in hip language, with jungle calls courtesy of Red Blanchard. After his few months in the spotlight he returned to obscurity, despite later unsuccessful recordings on Big Ben and Embee.