Milton Drake was born on August 3, 1912, in New York City and passed away on November 13, 2006, in Palm Beach, Florida. Known by the nickname "Milt," he was a composer, songwriter, lyricist, author, and market researcher. Drake was educated at the Baruch School of Business Administration and studied violin under Ernst Greenberger. As a child, he performed in vaudeville, films, and radio. He later wrote special material for theater and nightclub revues, including "Cotton Club Parade," "Riviera Follies," "Paradise Parade," and "Latin Quarter Revue."

Drake was a former vice president and council chairman of AGAC and a member of ASCAP from 1934. He also served as the director of Market and Media Research for Hayden Publications Company and as a research manager for McGraw-Hill. His musical collaborators included Oscar Levant, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston, Louis Alter, Con Conrad, Ben Oakland, Milton Berle, Fred Spielman, Al Frisch, Artie Shaw, and Morris Charlap.

Some of his popular song compositions include "Mairzy Doats," "Nina Never Knew," "She Broke My Heart in Three Places," "Great Guns" (the official Coast Artillery song), "Don't Change Horses" (the 1944 Roosevelt campaign song), "My Dreams Have Gone With the Wind," "Champagne Waltz," "Java Jive," "I'm a Big Girl Now," "Kiss Me Sweet," "Bless Your Heart," "Fuzzy Wuzzy," "Hotta Chocolotta," "Felicia," "Heaven Only Knows," "Li'l Abner," "Pu-Leeze! Mr. Hemingway," "If Wishes Were Kisses," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "The Man With the Weird Beard," "The Town Crier," and "Instant Love." He was also an avid amateur "ham" radio operator with the call sign W2JPN.