R&B Singer Patti Drew Dies at 80 (1944–2025): 'Tell Him' Star and Soul Pioneer
Patti Drew interviewed by SOUL Newspaper 1968. Photo by Eric Whitaker
Legendary R&B vocalist and 'Tell Him' hitmaker Patti Drew passed away on June 16, 2025, but her music and spirit will never fade.
Hey Soul family—today we lost one of the voices that carved out R&B history. Patti Drew, best known for her silky take on the 60s classic “Tell Him,” died on June 16, 2025, at the age of 80. I did not see a lot of information about this legend online so I looked through the SOUL Newspaper files to pull some information to celebrate her legacy.
Born December 29, 1944, in Charleston, South Carolina, Patti Drew moved north with her family in 1956 to Chicago—landing smack in the middle of a vibrant Black music scene (SOUL Newspaper, Oct. 21, 1968). As one of six Drew sisters, she cut her teeth singing in church choirs and neighborhood get-togethers, always standing out as the girl who traded two-stepping for soaring soul riffs.
The Original ‘Tell Him’ Crew
In the early 60s, Patti and sisters Lorraine and Erma formed The Drew-Vels. Their claim to fame? The first-ever charting R&B version of “Tell Him.” Patti later told SOUL that after their Capitol Records deal expired, they decided to re-record it—nobody expected it to hit again, but hit it did (SOUL Newspaper, Oct. 21, 1968). “I didn’t think it would make it,” Patti laughed, “but it came roaring back.”
By 1967 the group had gone their separate ways—some sisters off to new adventures, one even joining the Playboy crew—leaving Patti as the torchbearer. Her solo ‘Tell Him’ climbed to #13 on Billboard’s R&B chart, proving that Patti Drew was more than a family act; she was a star in her own right (SOUL Newspaper, Oct. 21, 1968).
Finding Her Groove
At just 22, Patti was honest about her quest for the perfect sound: “We haven’t really found a direction… We’re kind of fumbling around…trying a little bit of everything,” she admitted in June ’68 (SOUL Newspaper, June 3, 1968). R&B? Jazz? A little of both? Patti wasn’t sure—but she always knew she’d keep singing.
Patti was unapologetically a “night person.” Club life? Sure. But come noon, she was hittin’ the pillow. “When I’m not working I spend my time sleeping…noon, one, two o’clock is not late at all to me,” she quipped (SOUL Newspaper, June 3, 1968). And don’t we all understand that? Her downtime was sacred: classic horror flicks, cartoon marathons, and the occasional quiet moment.
Inspirations That Shaped Her
After catching Nancy Wilson live, Patti’s mission got real: “She told me, ‘Don’t get into it—it’s a frustrating business.’ But I looked at her and said, ‘That’s exactly where I want to be,’” she reminisced (SOUL Newspaper, Oct. 21, 1968). She also dug Lou Rawls, Bill Cosby’s comedy turns, and Joe Tex’s fire—yet always kept her eyes on her own prize: authentic, heart-led singing.
Before the decade turned, Patti was eyeing songwriting for Motown, writing artist bios for SOUL, and dropping more singles into the late 60s (SOUL Newspaper, Oct. 21, 1968; Wikipedia). But her real goal? “To be the biggest singer I can be. I don’t really have any interest in acting…I just want to be a singer—a good singer.”
Her music taught us love and struggle, confidence and compassion. So, today—spin “Tell Him,” cue up Dream of a Lifetime, and let Patti Drew’s voice remind you why soul matters. Her sound may have been born decades ago, but her message is timeless.
Rest in harmony, Patti. You gave us your heart—and it’s still singing.
Sources:
SOUL Newspaper, October 21, 1968 & June 3, 1968
Wikipedia: “Patti Drew”
The following is the Patti Drew Article by Patti Drew that ran in SOUL Newspaper June 3, 1968:
PATTI DREW TELLS HER STORY
by Patti Drew for SOUL Newspaper
“I was born in Charleston, South Carolina and moved to Chicago in 1956. I have five sisters – Lorraine, Mickey, Cynthia, Tina and Rosalind. I come from a family of girls, nothing but girls.
I started out with the Drew-Vels four years ago, three girls, my sisters, and a boy, the guy who wrote ‘Tell Him.’ We did the original ‘Tell Him.’ We were signed to Capitol for two years and when the contract expired, we decided to try some single things with me.
We didn’t have any material so we decided, ‘Hey, let’s do “Tell Him” over again.’ I didn’t think it would make it, but…the second time around it’s really doing it all over again.
The girls are jealous of course. I know they are. They want very much to get back into it. And I hope as I get more and more into it I can bring them back into it.
It’s all so new to me ’cause it didn’t happen—this big for us—when we recorded ‘Tell Him’ before. But I like being solo ’cause it cuts down the problem of clothes. I can wear what I want. I don’t have to worry about finding things that everyone likes.
No Direction
We haven’t really found a direction in which to take me yet. I don’t know if I want to go straight R&B, or straight jazz, or what. So we’re kind of fumbling around with it now, trying a little bit of everything.
I do a little bit of songwriting myself. In fact, the next album will have a couple of my songs on it. I play piano a bit too, but I never really wanted to play. I’ve always wanted to sing.
My other sisters are at home now raising kids, except Mickey who’s a Playboy Bunny in Chicago. She’s really a beautiful girl.
I’m only 22 now and not married—don’t want to get married. I think maybe when I get to be about 26 or 27 I’ll think about it. Right now I think it would be a very bad thing for me to get married.
Cartoon Nut
I love to watch TV, particularly old movies about vampires; and I’m a nut about cartoons. I sometimes get up early on Saturdays and watch cartoons all day.
My goal is just to be the biggest singer I can be. I don’t really have any interest in acting. I just want to be a singer—a good singer.
When it comes to my favorite singers, I don’t like to listen to my competition, women. So I’m madly in love with Lou Rawls. I know he’s married and the whole bit, but I still just love him.
I’m crazy about Bill Cosby too, and Joe Tex, but I don’t like to listen to many women. Nancy Wilson is very, very good, and Aretha—like, what can you say but she’s great?
There really hasn’t been one great influence on my career, you know—everyone wants to be responsible for making a star. The only person I could really give credit to is Nancy Wilson.
I saw her at the Birdhouse in Chicago—she was not even known then. And I had an opportunity to meet her and talk with her and she told me, ‘Hey, don’t get into it—it’s a frustrating business.’ But I looked at her and said, ‘But that’s what I want to do.’ So she said, ‘Well, grow up a little bit before you do.’ And we talked a bit and I think I can say Nancy was the one who really inspired me to want to do it. I looked at her on that stage and I thought, that’s exactly where I want to be.”
