Drevchenko was born in 1863 in the Poltava Governorate of the Russian Empire (in present-day Ukraine) to a family of servants.

Of the kobzars of the early 20th century he made public significant sections of the Ustynski books.

According to Heorhy Tkachenko Drevchenko's performance in 1922 at the opening of the Artem museum to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Hryhory Skovoroda aided significantly in raising his popularity.

Drevchenko's playing technique was admired by Mykola Lysenko who at one time considered him for a position to teach bandura at his music school in Kiev.

Together with the kobzars Pavlo Hashchenko, Stepan Pasiuha, H. Tsybko they created the duma “About the Red Army.” Heorhy Tkachenko regarded Drevchenko to be his teacher.