HE has been described as one of the most important British folk-songwriters of the 20th century.

Nick Drake was only 26 when he died at his parents' Warwickshire home in 1974 - but his work left a lasting impression on the music world.

Now, Drake will be remembered at the Forest Arts Centre, New Milton, on November 1 and the Mash Tun, Winchester, on November 19.

Fellow musician Keith James has included the Hampshire venues in a nationwide tour that celebrates Drake's songs.

For the past two years James has been organising the tour and recording an album called The Songs of Nick Drake.

Drake was born in Rangoon, Burma, in 1948, but he and his parents moved to England in the early 1950s.

He recorded three albums but began to suffer from depression in 1970 and died four years later after taking an overdose of anti-depressants. The coroner recorded a verdict of suicide.

Since his death Drake's records have quadrupled in sales and his music is still very influential today with bands like REM.

The young singer-songwriter was the brother of actress Gabrielle Drake, who starred in The Brothers, Crossroads and the Gerry Anderson series UFO.