For fans of the blues, Drink Small is synonymous with South Carolina. Drink rose from the cotton fields of Bishopville to become a music legend in the Palmetto State and beyond. The self-taught guitarist has written hundreds of songs and recorded dozens of albums spanning the genres of country, blues, folk, gospel and shag. The success of that music allowed him countless honors, such as playing the stages of the Apollo and Howard Theaters, touring with legendary R&B singer Sam Cooke and playing the best blues festivals in the world. He even developed his own philosophy: Drinkism. Author Gail Wilson-Giarratano details the dream, the music and the life that created the Blues Doctor.
Gail Wilson-Giarratano is the executive director and vice-president of the education-focused nonprofit City Year, in Columbia, South Carolina. She began her nonprofit career with the Lancaster Arts Council in Lancaster, South Carolina, and the Museum of York County in Rock Hill, South Carolina. As a former performing and teaching artist she has worked for the South Carolina Arts Commission, the Caribbean Cultural Center in New York City and the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn.