Albert Collins
Albert Collins
Albert Collins (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993) was an American electric blues guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. Collins was noted for his powerful playing and his use of altered tunings and capo. His long association with the Fender Telecaster led to the title "The Master of the Telecaster".
Born in Leona, Texas, he was introduced to the guitar at an early age through his cousin Lightnin' Hopkins. Collins initially took piano lessons when he was young but at the age of twelve, he made the decision to concentrate on learning the guitar after hearing "Boogie Chillen'" by John Lee Hooker. At eighteen Collins started his group called the Rhythm Rockers in which he honed his craft while remaining in employment including four years working on a ranch in Normangee, Texas, followed by twelve years of driving a truck for various companies
Collins started to play regularly in Houston and by the mid-1950s he had established his reputation as a local guitarist of note and eventually recorded a single for Kangaroo Records. In 1964 he recorded "Frosty" at Gulf Coast Recording Studio, in Beaumont, Texas. His debut album "The Cool Sounds Of Albert Collins" was released in 1965 on the TCF label.
On 19 June 1968, the group Canned Heat introduced themselves and offered to help secure an agent for him as well as an introduction to Imperial Records in California. Collins chose "Love Can Be Found Anywhere (Even In A Guitar)" from the lyrics of Canned Heat's "Fried Hockey Boogie" as the title for his 1968 Imperial album in honor of Canned Heat In the spring of 1969 he was hired to play on the Ike and Tina Turner album, "The Hunter".
In November 1971, the Denver label Tumbleweed, released the Collins album, "There's Gotta Be A Change". In 1973 Tumbleweed closed due to financial problems leaving Collins without a record label. He was signed by Alligator Records, in 1978. His first release for the label was "Ice Pickin'" (1978). 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".
In 1986 Collins won a Grammy Award with Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland for their album "Showdown!". Collins had finished working on his seventh Alligator album "Cold Snap" by October 1986, which received a Grammy nomination for 'Best Traditional Blues Recording' of 1987.
Collins was signed to Pointblank Records, a subsidiary of Virgin Records, in 1991. Collins was performing at the Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, in July 1993 when he was taken ill. He was diagnosed in mid-August with lung cancer which had metastasized to his liver, with an expected survival time of four months. Tracks from his last album "Live '92/'93" were recorded at shows that September.
Albert Collins died on 24 November 1993 at the age of 61. There was a posthumous nomination for his final album "Live '92/'93" at the 38th Grammy Awards of 1996 in the category of 'Best Blues Contemporary Album'.
(Albert Collins at River Blues Festival, Philadelphia 1992)