Eherene Patricia Drew-Reed, known to all as Patti, passed away on June 16, 2025, at the age of 80. Services took place on July 10 at Ebenezer AME Church, 1109 Emerson St., in Evanston. Survivors include her son Eric.
Drew was born on Dec. 29, 1944, in Charleston, South Carolina. She grew up in Nashville, the eldest of six daughters born to Bernice and Rufus Drew. Her sisters were Erma, Lorraine, Mickey, Cynthia, Tina and Rosalind (Roslyn). When she was 12, the family moved to Evanston so the children could also receive good educations. Drew attended Nichols Middle School and Evanston Township High School.
Drew and sisters Erma and Lorraine sang in church choirs, first at Mount Carmel Baptist and later Bethel African Methodist Episcopal, as well as around the neighborhood. Soul Publications wrote Drew was known “as the girl who traded two-stepping for soaring soul riffs.”
Her mother worked as a nanny and domestic for Maurice Lathouwers, a Capitol Records executive. In 1963 Bernice invited Lathouwers to her church to hear her daughters sing. Lathowers, who would go on to work with the Beatles, Michael Jackson, the Steve Miller Band and the Go-Go’s, invited them to his home to audition. He introduced them to producer Peter Wright who signed them to Carone Productions. Carone Productions made the deal with Capitol Records, although they were renamed as “The Drew-vels.” An Evanston friend, Carlton Black, a bass vocalist and songwriter, also joined the group. Black would go on to marry Erma Drew.
Their debut single in October 1963 was Tell Him. Black wrote it and also sings in his distinctive bass. The R&B tune made it to the No. 90 on the R&B chart and was popular in the Chicago area. The group broke up later that year. In 1965, they worked briefly with Quill Records and released a few singles but none got much air time. Drew signed with Quill as a solo artist and released two singles, but again, they didn’t get much traction.
In 1967, Drew signed a solo deal with Capitol. According to Allmusic.com, Her first single, a re-recording of Tell Him hit No. 22 on the R&B charts in fall of 1967, although some publications have the song hitting No. 13.
A Capitol LP, Tell Him, followed. This version of Tell Him is featured on the soundtrack of The Butler, the 2013 movie starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.
One year later, her recording of the Neil Sedaka/Roger Atkins song Workin’ on a Groovy Thing made it to No. 34 on the R&B chart. Next, the company issued three LPs: Workin’ on a Groovy Thing (1968), I‘ve Been Here All the Time (1969) and Wild Is Love (January 1970). Drew’s other singles were Hundreds and Thousands of Guys, Keep on Movin’ and My Lover’s Prayer.
During this time she toured extensively throughout the U.S. and South America. She left the music business in 1971.
During the 1980s, she got back together with Black as part of the group Front Line, where they performed around Evanston.
In an Oct. 21, 1968 interview with SOUL Newspaper, Drew explained her goal was very simple. She said, “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.”
SOURCE: evanstonroundtable.com