Albert Collins (1932-1993)

Born in Leona, Texas, Albert Collins grew up in Houston and learned to play guitar from his cousin Lightnin' Hopkins (listen). He was listening to T-Bone Walker and Guitar Slim and he led his first band in his late teens but didn't record until 1958 with the instrumental "Freeze" followed in the early Sixties by "Frosty" and "Snow-Cone". Like Freddie King he made his initial reputation with instrumental 45s, and the titles mostly had something to do with ice -"The Freeze", "Frosty", "Frost-Bite" etc. They didn't sell quite like Freddie King's instrumental 45s did.

Albert Collins moved to California in 1968 working in rock venues like the Fillmore West. This move was encouraged by Bob Hite of Canned Heat (listen) who also helped Albert get a record deal with Imperial in 1967 which made him a national name and touring the country regularly from that point on. His style from that time can be heard on "Love can be found anywhere" (listen) (Imperial) a mostly instrumental album with psychedelic cover.

With "There's gotta be a change" (listen) (Tumbleweed 1971) Albert Collins was now in rock company under producer Bill Szymcyzk, but was still barely known outside the U.S.A. though Jimi Hendrix (listen) put in a good word. The seventies were tough and Collins made his living in the building industry and actually worked on Niel Dimonds mansion.

However in 1978 he cut the album "Ice Pickin'"(listen) for Alligator Records with cold titles like "Avalanche", "Ice Pick" and T-Bone Walker's "Cold, Cold Feeling". This album was followed by albums with titles like "Frostbite"(listen), "Frozen Alive"(listen), "Don't lose your cool"(listen), "Live in Japan" (listen) and "Cold Snap"(listen). His use of minor key-tunings and high capo positions gave his guitar playing a cold edge to the blues tunes and the jagged instrumentals were now carefully balanced with fervent slow blues like Freddie King's "When The Welfare Turns Its Back On You" and the song about shopaholic wives "Master Charge" (listen) written by his wife Gwendolyn.

Albert Collins was a leading name on the international blues scene by the early Eighties and he made a guest appearance with slide guitarist George Thorogood (listen) in the globally televised "Live Aid" concert's as the only black blues artist. Following in 1985 the "Showdown" (listen) album featuring Albert Collins along with Johnny Copeland (listen) and Robert Cray (listen) would become a milestone in the modern-day blues revival and won a Grammy award.
He also took part in various recording projects with David Bowie (listen), John Lee Hooker (listen), B.B. King, Gary Moore (listen) and composer John Zorn, who wrote "Two Line Highway" (listen) as a concerto for "The greatest living bluesman". Albert's last recording was a set of concert recordings called "Live '92/'93" (listen) at that point he was at the very peak of the profession when he died in 1993. (Albert Collins Photo courtesy of Alligator records)

Important recordings:

•The Complete Imperial Sessions
•Ice Pickin'
•Collins Mix
•Live '92/'93

Here is a taste of Albert Collins: