“Call me now!” It’s been more than twenty years since the days when “Miss Cleo” urged viewers to call the number on their screens during those camp, late-night psychic infomercials at the turn of the millennium. Before that it was Dionne Warwick. But in the years since, the psychic industry has become a booming, multi-billion-dollar industry in the United States and Canada, in part because of performers like Celebrity Psychic Medium Drake Lord. But while some psychic advisors of that bygone era were answering calls, struggling to make part-time incomes, Drake Lord was busy building an empire by attracting a celebrity clientele, advising heads of business and even heads of state. If you ever called a psychic hotline in those days, chances are it was his unmistakable, hypnotic voice on the other end of the phone.
He was the top ranked advisor on national networks such as AskNow, Psychic Elements, Keen, and Psychic Source for more than fifteen consecutive years and used his accuracy to leverage lucrative network deals that still attract a worldwide clientele even now; however, these days, Drake Lord is captivating a new generation and an even larger audience and, in the post-pandemic era, still shares an inspiring message of hope. “I believe the spirits reach everyone where they are, no matter who they are,” he says. But, even now, it can be difficult to know if the words are genuine humility or part of a carefully crafted persona. Some still aren’t sure which version of him they’ll get when connecting with him. A fiery, former evangelist from the south? A spiritual guru? The entertainer? But this persona is, in part, what continues to captivate and entertain audiences even now.
“Spirituality looks different for everyone,” Lord says. “I reach people where they are.” And this universal appeal is what contributed to his “Bad Boy” persona more than a decade ago, linking him as a personal psychic to the likes of both popular television preachers and porn stars, from successful artists and notable names in the entertainment industry to men and women from backgrounds of all faiths and religions. “At the end of the day, everyone wants happiness, and everyone wants to feel good.” Though he refuses to divulge the names of the celebrity clients he still advises, he recently hosted Hollywood actress Eileen Dietz to commemorate the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of The Exorcist and discussed horror and the paranormal with Michale Graves, the former lead vocalist of legendary punk band Misfits. This adaptability is part of the reason why even today there are heads of Fortune 500 Companies who won’t make a move without first calling him, why some popular paranormal television programs consult with him for accuracy, and why men and women from all walks of life still call regularly just to ask about their love lives and fortunes.
When Drake Lord joined me for this interview, via Zoom, I didn’t know fully what to expect. Would he share spiritual insight? Would I receive a “reading?” I was surprised to find just how relatable he really is – as well as how captivating he continues to be. Aside from noticing what appeared to be a very large diamond signet ring – one of his trademark pieces – one would struggle to realize just how successful and renowned he truly is in the psychic industry. His quick wit and humor, mixed with a bit of old-fashioned southern charm, is very, very disarming. And it’s part of the appeal. Underneath his signature black blazer, he wears a faded band tee. “The Cure.” “There’s nothing more spiritual to me than music,” he says. “It’s my meditation and how I pray, really.”
Drake Lord, whose real name is Kenneth Drake, went on to share how he feels the psychic industry has changed throughout the past twenty years. “Today everything in the psychic industry seems so dark. With popular programs today, it’s all about ghost hunters, ghosts, and demons. I’m a fan of all if it, but I miss the days when we could laugh about things. As dark as the paranormal can be, I’ll always keep it light-hearted.” He goes on to say, “It’s not the mid-nineties anymore, but we all still want to feel good. Feeling good is my only message. I’ll never apologize for it. People deserve that.” Before ending the call, he said he wanted to share a “message” from the spirits with me – something I didn’t really expect. Even now, when talking about “The Spirit,” his eyes still light up, and you can feel the energy in the room quickly shift. It’s not difficult to see why even all this time later, audiences are still captivated with him. His message is relatable.
To commemorate the upcoming twentieth anniversary of the events that began his career, Drake Lord will appear on stages on the east coast, ending a very limited tour in Boston, and in October his autobiography Branded by Spirits: A Life Between Worlds will be released worldwide.
