This Charleston native played saxophone and clarinet with bands led by Tommy Dorsey and Les Brown. His 1959 album Voodoo is a classic in the “exotica” music style.

Drasnin moved to California at age 10 and played music on the radio while still in high school. He later earned a master’s degree in music at UCLA and became a conductor and teacher there.

He wrote music for many TV shows and movies, including Lost in Space, The Wild, Wild West, and Mission: Impossible. He also scored more than 25 made-for-TV movies and a few Hollywood films.

Drasnin continued performing and teaching music into his 70s. He was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2008.