Albert Collins

Albert Collins

Collins in 1990
Background information
Also known as The Ice Man
Born (1932-10-01)October 1, 1932
Leona, Texas, U.S.
Died November 24, 1993(1993-11-24) (aged 61)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Genres Blues, blues rock, jump blues
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter
Instruments Guitar, vocals, harmonica
Years active 1952–1993
Labels Imperial, Alligator
Notable instruments
Fender Telecaster

Albert Gene Drewery, known as Albert Collins and the Ice Man (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993),[1] was an American electric blues guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. He was noted for his powerful playing and his use of altered tunings and a capo. His long association with the Fender Telecaster led to the title "The Master of the Telecaster".[2]

Early life

Collins was born in Leona, Texas, on October 1, 1932.[3] He was introduced to the guitar at an early age by his cousin Lightnin' Hopkins, also a Leona resident, who played at family gatherings. The Collins family relocated to Marquez, Texas, in 1938 and to Houston in 1941,[4] where he attended Jack Yates High School.[5] Collins took piano lessons when he was young, but when his piano tutor was unavailable his cousin Willow Young would lend Albert his guitar and taught him the altered tuning that he used throughout his career.[4] Collins tuned his guitar to an open F-minor chord (FCFAbCF), with a capo at the 5th, 6th or 7th fret.[6] At the age of twelve, he decided to concentrate on learning the guitar after hearing "Boogie Chillen'" by John Lee Hooker. At eighteen Collins started his own group, the Rhythm Rockers, in which he honed his craft. During this time he was employed for four years at a ranch in Normangee, Texas; he then worked as a truck driver for various companies for twelve years.[4][5]

Collins played an Epiphone guitar during his first two years with the Rhythm Rockers, but in 1952, after seeing Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown playing a Fender Esquire, he decided to purchase a Fender. He wanted a Telecaster, but because of the cost he chose to buy an Esquire, which he took to the Parker Music Company in Houston to be fitted with a Telecaster neck. This was his main guitar until he moved to California, and it was the guitar that he used on his earliest recordings, including his signature song, "Frosty".[4] For the rest of his career he played a "maple cap"–necked natural ash body Fender 1966 Custom Telecaster with a Gibson PAF humbucking pickup retrofitted into the neck position, which became the basis for a Fender Custom Artist signature model[7] in 1990.

In 1954 Collins, then aged 22 and without a record release, was joined in the Rhythm Rockers by 17-year-old Johnny Copeland, who had just left the Dukes of Rhythm (a band he had started with the Houston blues musician Joe "Guitar" Hughes).[8]

Career

Collins started to play regularly in Houston, notably at Shady's Playhouse, where James "Widemouth" Brown (brother of Gatemouth Brown) and other well-known Houston blues musicians would meet for "Blue Monday" jams.[9][10] By the mid-1950s he had established his reputation as a local guitarist of note and had started to appear regularly at a Fifth Ward club, Walter's Lounge, with the group Big Tiny and the Thunderbirds.[11][12]

The saxophonist and music teacher Henry Hayes heard about Collins from Joe "Guitar" Hughes. After seeing him perform live, Hayes encouraged Collins to record a single for Kangaroo Records, a label he had started with his friend M. L. Young.[13] Collins recorded his debut single, "The Freeze", backed with "Collins Shuffle", for Kangaroo at Gold Star Studios, in Houston, in the spring of 1958, with Hayes on saxophone.[14] Texas blues bands of this period incorporated a horn section, and Collins later credited Hayes with teaching him how to arrange for horns.[4] In 1964 he recorded "Frosty" at Gulf Coast Recording Studio, in Beaumont, Texas, for Hall Records, owned by Bill Hall, who had signed Collins on the recommendation of Cowboy Jack Clement, a songwriter and producer who had engineered sessions for Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash at Sun Records.[15] His debut album, The Cool Sounds of Albert Collins, released in 1965 on the TCF label, consisted of previously released instrumentals, including "Thaw Out" and "Don't Lose Your Cool".[16]

On 19 June 1968 the group Canned Heat was playing at the Music Hall in Houston, and a friend of theirs mentioned that Collins was playing at the Ponderosa Club, which they duly attended.[17] After Collins had finished playing they introduced themselves and offered to help secure an agent for him as well as an introduction to Imperial Records in California.[18] With the offer of a record deal and regular live work Collins decided to move, relocating to Kansas City in July 1968, where he played in the organ trio of the keyboardist Lawrence Wright, and then in November moving to Palo Alto, California.[4] For his 1968 Imperial album, Collins chose the title Love Can Be Found Anywhere (Even in a Guitar), from the lyrics of Canned Heat's "Fried Hockey Boogie", in honor of Canned Heat and their lead singer Bob Hite, who wrote the liner notes for the album.[4] In the spring of 1969 Collins was hired by Bob Krasnow to play on the Ike and Tina Turner album The Hunter, which was released by Krasnow's Blue Thumb Records.[19][20] The move to California was proving to be the right decision, with Collins establishing himself as a regular act on the West Coast circuit, playing at the Fillmore West and the Whisky a Go Go[4] and at the "Newport 69" festival in Northridge, California, in June 1969 and the Gold Rush Festival at Lake Amador, California, in October.[21][22] In December 1970 his debut album, The Cool Sounds of Albert Collins, was reissued as Truckin’ with Albert Collins by Blue Thumb Records.[23]

In November 1971 the Denver label Tumbleweed, which had been newly created by Larry Ray and Bill Szymczyk, released Collins's album There's Gotta Be a Change; it was the label's first official release.[24][25] The single "Get Your Business Straight", backed with "Frog Jumpin'", was released by Tumbleweed in February 1972.[26][27] In 1973 Tumbleweed closed because of financial problems, leaving Collins without a record label.[28] He was signed by Bruce Iglauer, the owner of Alligator Records, in 1978 on the recommendation of Dick Shurman, whom Collins had met in Seattle.[5] His first release for the label was Ice Pickin' (1978), which was recorded at Curtom Studios, in Chicago, and produced by Iglauer, Shurman and Richard McLeese. On 2 February 1978 Collins appeared in concert with the Dutch band Barrelhouse, which was his first live appearance outside the United States. The concert was filmed for the Dutch TV show Tros Sesjun and was subsequently released on vinyl in 1979 by Munich Records as Albert Collins & Barrelhouse Live.[29] Collins won a W. C. Handy Award in the category Best Contemporary Blues Album in 1983 for his Alligator release Don't Lose Your Cool.[30]

On 13 July 1985 Collins performed with George Thorogood and the Destroyers at Live Aid, appearing as guest soloist on "Madison Blues"; the US part of the charity concert was held at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia and, with simultaneous broadcasts in other countries, was viewed by over 1.5 billion people.[31] In December 1986 Collins appeared in concert with Etta James and Joe Walsh at the Wiltern Theater, in Los Angeles; the concert was subsequently released on video under the title Jazzvisions: Jump the Blues Away.[32][33] The backing musicians for the concert were Rick Rosas (bass), Michael Huey (drums), Ed Sanford (Hammond B3 organ), Kip Noble (piano) and Josh Sklar (guitar). In 1986 Collins won a Grammy Award with Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland for their album Showdown![2] Collins finished working on his seventh Alligator album, Cold Snap, by October 1986. It was released shortly afterwards to good reviews and received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Recording of 1987.[34][35] Collins cited the album as personally important to him because of the involvement of the organist Jimmy McGriff, an early musical idol, with whom Collins had played in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1966.[4]

On 12 February 1987 he appeared as a musical guest on the NBC talk show Late Night with David Letterman.[36] Collins made a cameo appearance in the 1987 comedy film Adventures in Babysitting.[37] In 1987 the American composer John Zorn and Collins collaborated on a suite, "Two-Lane Highway", which was subsequently released on Zorn's album Spillane. On 22 April 1988 Collins appeared at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in a group consisting of B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan; the group played on the steamboat President as it cruised along the Mississippi River, in recognition of the musical heritage of New Orleans and artists such as Fate Marable, Louis Armstrong and Henry Red Allen, who had entertained passengers on the fleet of riverboats owned by the Streckfus brothers.[38][39][40]

Collins was signed to Pointblank Records, a subsidiary of Virgin Records, in 1991.[41] Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records expressed his disappointment at the departure of Collins while acknowledging that he had signed Collins on a record-to-record basis.[42] On 15 November 1991 Collins performed with Robert Cray, Steve Cropper and Dave Edmunds at the Guitar Legends event in Seville, a series of five concerts to promote the upcoming Seville Expo '92.[43] On 28 October 1991 Collins was filmed in concert for the television program Austin City Limits; the concert was broadcast on 21 February 1992 and released on DVD in April 2008 as Albert Collins Live from Austin, TX.[44] In 1993 Collins played at the Pointblank Borderline Blues Festival in London, which ran from 17 March to 27 March; this was his last appearance in the UK.[37]

Collins was performing at the Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, in July 1993 when he was taken ill.[45] He was diagnosed in mid-August with lung cancer, which had metastasized to his liver, with an expected survival time of four months. Tracks for his last album, Live '92/'93, were recorded at shows that September. Collins died on 24 November 1993 at the age of 61. He was interred at Davis Memorial Park, in Las Vegas, Nevada.[46][47] His final album, Live '92/'93, was posthumously nominated at the 38th Grammy Awards of 1996 in the category Best Blues Contemporary Album.[48]

Work outside of music

In his early days Collins worked as a paint mixer and truck driver to make ends meet.[49] In 1971, when he was 39 years old, he worked in construction, since he couldn't make a proper living from his music.[50] One of his construction jobs was a remodeling for Neil Diamond.[51] He continued with this type of work until the late 1970s,[52] when his wife, Gwen, talked him into returning to a career in music.[53]

Death and legacy

After a three-month battle with cancer, Collins died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 24, 1993. He was 61 years old. Surviving him were his wife, Gwendolyn, and his father, Andy Thomas.[54]

Collins was an inspiration to a generation of Texas guitar players, including Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan. He was among a small group of Texas blues players, along with Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Johnny Copeland, who shaped the legacy of T-Bone Walker into a modern blues template that was to have a major influence on many later players. In an interview with Guitar World magazine, Robert Cray said, "it was seeing Albert Collins at a rock festival in 1969 that really turned my head around." Two years later, Collins played at Cray's high-school graduation party in Tacoma, Washington, and the ice-pick sound sunk in deep: "That was it," Cray recalled. "That changed my whole life around. From that moment I started seriously studying the blues."[55]

Collins is remembered for his informal and audience-engaging live performances. He would frequently leave the stage while still playing to mingle with the audience.[56] The use of an extended guitar lead allowed Collins to go outside of clubs to the sidewalk; one anecdote stated that he left a club with the audience in tow to visit the store next door to buy a candy bar without once stopping his act.[57]

He is also remembered for his humorous stage presence, which is recounted in the documentary Antones: Austin's Home of the Blues: Collins was playing a lengthy solo one night at Antone's and left the building whilst still playing. He returned to the stage still playing the solo and resumed entertaining the audience in person. Shortly afterwards a man arrived at the club and gave Collins the pizza he had just ordered.[58]

Discography

Studio albums

Collaborations

Live albums

Compilations

Guest work

Singles

Videography

Film and television

References

  1. ↑ Skeely, Richard. "Albert Collins: Biography". Allmusic.com.
  2. 1 2 Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music. Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 164. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
  3. ↑ Johnson, John G. "Albert CollIns". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Accessed July 17, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Obrecht, Jas, ed. (1993). Blues Guitar: The Men Who Made the Music. 2nd ed. Miller Freeman Books. pp. 246–259. ISBN 0-87930-292-5.
  5. 1 2 3 Albert Collins. Vital Blues Guitar Series. Transcriptions by Richard DeVinck. Creative Concepts Publishing (California), 1994. ISBN 1-56922-047-6.
  6. ↑ "Alt. Tunings: Who Uses What?". Gibson.com. 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  7. ↑ "Albert Collins Signature Telecaster". FenderCustomShop.com. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Hudson, Kathleen (2001). Telling Stories, Writing Songs: An Album of Texas Songwriters. University of Texas Press. pp. 221–. ISBN 978-0-292-78871-8. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  9. ↑ Wood, Roger (2003). Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues. University of Texas Press. pp. 59–. ISBN 978-0-292-79159-6. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "Come Go Home with Me: Tracing the Bayou City's Blues Legacy". Austin Chronicle, 30 May 2003. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  11. ↑ Kathleen Hudson (4 April 2013). Women in Texas Music: Stories and Songs. University of Texas Press. pp. 140–. ISBN 978-0-292-75286-3. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  12. ↑ Wood, Roger (1 April 2003). Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues. University of Texas Press. pp. 100–. ISBN 978-0-292-79159-6. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  13. ↑ Govenar, Alan B. (9 October 2008). Texas Blues: The Rise of a Contemporary Sound. Texas A&M University Press. pp. 223–. ISBN 978-1-58544-605-6. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  14. ↑ Bradley, Andy. House of Hits. University of Texas Press. pp. 83–. ISBN 978-0-292-78324-9. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  15. ↑ Cowboy Jack Clement Interview c.1977. CowboyJackClement.com. Retrieved 01 July 2013
  16. ↑ Bradley, Andy. House of Hits. University of Texas Press. pp. 129–. ISBN 978-0-292-78324-9. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  17. ↑ De La, Adolfo (21 February 2013). Living the Blues. eBookIt.com. pp. 78–. ISBN 978-1-4566-0332-8. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  18. ↑ Taylor, Skip; Lemke, Brett (2006). Canned Heat Biography. CannedHeatMusic.com. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  19. ↑ Danchin, Sebastian (1 January 2001). Earl Hooker, Blues Master. University Press of Mississippi. pp. 274–. ISBN 978-1-57806-307-9. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  20. ↑ Robert Cray Interview. GuitarInternational.com. Interviewer: Rick Landers. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  21. ↑ Hunter, Dave (15 October 2012). The Fender Telecaster: The Life and Times of the Electric Guitar That Changed the World. Voyageur Press. pp. 105–. ISBN 978-0-7603-4138-4. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  22. ↑ John Poultney; Amador County Archives (November 2006). Amador County, (CA). Arcadia Publishing. pp. 44–. ISBN 978-0-7385-4701-5. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  23. ↑ Billboard. 5 December 1970. pp. 59–. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  24. ↑ Billboard. 27 November 1971. pp. 53–. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  25. ↑ Billboard. 4 December 1971. pp. 13–. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  26. ↑ Billboard. 12 February 1972. pp. 24–. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  27. ↑ Billboard. 11 March 1972. pp. 70–. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  28. ↑ Brown, G. (2004). Colorado Rocks!: A Half-Century of Music in Colorado. Pruett Publishing. pp. 9–. ISBN 978-0-87108-930-4. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  29. ↑ Albert Collins. Barrelhouse.nl. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  30. ↑ Blues Music Award: Past Winners. Blues Foundation. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  31. ↑ Live Aid 1985: How it all happened BBC Article. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  32. ↑ Jazzvisions Wiltern Concerts. Los Angeles Times, 28 November 1986. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  33. ↑ Clear, Rebecca D. (1993). Jazz on Film and Video in the Library of Congress. Diane Publishing. pp. 77–. ISBN 978-0-7881-1436-6. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  34. ↑ Billboard. 25 October 1986. pp. 1–. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  35. ↑ Billboard. 20 December 1986. pp. 64–. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  36. ↑ Kart, Larry. Alligator Takes a Big Bite of Grammy Blues. Chicago Tribune, 29 January 1987. Retrieved 07 July 2013.
  37. 1 2 Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. pp. 82–83. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  38. ↑ Seymour, Gene. In New Orleans, a Musical Gumbo at Philly. Philly.com, 22 April 1988. Retrieved 16 July 2013
  39. ↑ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 22 April 1988. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  40. ↑ Stevie Ray Vaughan Interview. Guitar World, September 1988. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  41. ↑ Peter Buckley (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. pp. 226–. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  42. ↑ Beauchamp, Lincoln T., Jr. (2010). BluesSpeak: The Best of the Original Chicago Blues Annual. University of Illinois Press. pp. 60–. ISBN 978-0-252-07692-3. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  43. ↑ Elman, Peter. Guitar Legends. TonyHollingsworth.com. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  44. ↑ Austin City Limits: Albert Collins (season 17, episode 5, 1992). ACL.com. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  45. ↑ Paléo Festival, Switzerland. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  46. ↑ Watrous, Peter Albert Collins. New York Times, 25 November 1993. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  47. ↑ Albert Collins. FindaGrave.com. Record added to site on 06 December 1999. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  48. ↑ Billboard. 13 January 1996. pp. 74–. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  49. ↑ Gleason, Holly. "Cool Blues Put Albert Collins in the Pink". Sun Sentinel.
  50. ↑ Musician Guide. Albert Collins Biography
  51. ↑ Komara, Edward, and Lee, Peter, eds. The Blues Encyclopedia. Collins, Albert, p. 220.
  52. ↑ Hunter, Dave. The Fender Telecaster: The Life and Times of the Guitar That Changed the World. Albert Collins, p. 105.
  53. ↑ Davies, Phil. Black Cat Rockabilly. Albert Collins.
  54. ↑ "Albert Collins, Guitarist, Dies; Influential Blues Stylist Was 61". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  55. ↑ Robert Cray Interview. Guitar World, January 1989. Retrieved 01 July 2013.
  56. ↑ The Blues Audience Newsletter Editorial from the August/September 2007 issue. Publisher and Editor: Diana Shonk. Retrieved 03 July 2013.
  57. ↑ Dahl, Bill. Blues Fans in a Deep Freeze Over Loss of Albert Collins. Chicago Tribune, 10 December 1993. Retrieved 04 July 2013.
  58. ↑ Antone's Home of the Blues. TheWittliffCollections.txstate.edu. Texas State University. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
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