Albert Gene Drewery, known as Albert Collins and the Ice Man (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993),Skeely, Richard. "Albert Collins: Biography" Allmusic.com. was an American

electric blues Electric blues refers to any type of blues music distinguished by the use of electric amplifier, amplification for musical instruments. The guitar was the first instrument to be popularly amplified and used by early pioneers T-Bone Walker in the ...

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 The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bo ...

led to the title "The Master of the Telecaster".

Early life

Collins was born in

Leona Leona is a female given name derived from the Latin word ''leo'' for "lion". People and fictional characters named Leona include: People *Leona (wrestler) (born 1980), Japanese professional wrestler *Leona Aglukkaq, Canadian politician *Leona B ...

, Texas, on October 1, 1932. He was introduced to the guitar at an early age by his cousin

Lightnin' Hopkins Samuel John "Lightnin" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas. In 2010, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked him No. 71 on its list o ...

, also a Leona resident, who played at family gatherings. The Collins family relocated to Marquez, Texas, in 1938 and to

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

in 1941,Obrecht, Jas, ed. (1993). ''Blues Guitar: The Men Who Made the Music''. 2nd ed. Miller Freeman Books. pp. 246–259. . where he attended

Jack Yates High School Jack Yates Senior High School is a public high school located at 3650 Alabama Street, very near Texas Southern University, in the historic Third Ward in Houston, Texas, United States. Yates High School handles grades nine through twelve and is par ...

.''Albert Collins''. Vital Blues Guitar Series. Transcriptions by Richard DeVinck. Creative Concepts Publishing (California), 1994. . 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. Collins tuned his guitar to an open F-minor chord (FCFA♭CF), with a capo at the 5th, 6th or 7th fret. At the age of sixteen, he decided to concentrate on learning the guitar after hearing "

Boogie Chillen' "Boogie Chillen'" or "Boogie Chillun" is a blues song first recorded by John Lee Hooker in 1948. It is a solo performance featuring Hooker's vocal, electric guitar, and rhythmic foot stomps. The lyrics are partly autobiographical and alternate ...

" by

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...

Career

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. Collins played an

Epiphone Epiphone is an American musical instrument brand that traces its roots to a musical instrument manufacturing business founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, and moved to New York City in 1908. After taking over his f ...

guitar during his first two years with the Rhythm Rockers, but in 1952, after seeing

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (April 18, 1924 – September 10, 2005) was an American singer and multi-instrumentalist from Louisiana. He won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1983 for his album, ''Alright Again!''. Early life Br ...

playing a

Fender Esquire The Fender Esquire is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Fender. The Esquire was the first solid-body guitar sold by Fender, debuting in 1950.. Shortly after its introduction, a two- pickup version was built. It was soon renamed the ''B ...

, 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 pickup. 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". 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 A humbucking pickup, humbucker, or double coil, is a type of guitar pickup that uses two wire coils to cancel out the noisy interference picked up by coil pickups. In addition to electric guitar pickups, humbucking coils are sometimes used in ...

retrofitted into the neck position, which became the basis for a Fender Custom Artist signature model 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 John Clyde Copeland (March 27, 1937 – July 3, 1997) was an American Texas blues guitarist and singer. In 1983, he was named Blues Entertainer of the Year by the Blues Foundation. He is the father of blues singer Shemekia Copeland. In 2017, Co ...

, who had just left the Dukes of Rhythm (a band he had started with the Houston blues musician Joe "Guitar" Hughes). 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. 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. 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. Collins recorded his debut single, "Freeze", backed with "Collins Shuffle", for Kangaroo at

Gold Star Studios Gold Star Studios was an independent recording studio located in Los Angeles, California, United States. For more than thirty years, from 1950 to 1984, Gold Star was one of the most successful commercial recording studios in the world. Founded ...

, in Houston, in the spring of 1958, with Hayes on saxophone. Texas blues bands of this period incorporated a horn section, and Collins later credited Hayes with teaching him how to arrange for horns.

1960s

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 Jack Henderson Clement (April 5, 1931 – August 8, 2013) was an American singer, songwriter, and record and film producer. Biography Early life Raised and educated in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, Clement was performing at an early age, ...

, a songwriter and producer who had engineered sessions for

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

and

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

Sun Records Sun Records is an American independent record label founded by producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee in February 1952. Sun was the first label to record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny C ...

. His debut album, ''The Cool Sound of Albert Collins'', released in 1965 on the TCF Hall label, consisted of previously released instrumentals, including "Thaw-Out", "Sno-Cone", and "Don't Lose Your Cool". On 19 June 1968, the group

Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. The group is noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists and rock music. It was founded by two blues enthusiasts Alan Wilson and Bob ...

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. 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 Imperial Records is an American record company and label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd. The label was reactivated in 2006 by EMI, which owned the label and back catalogue at the time. Imperial is owned by Universal Music Group. Early years to ...

in California. 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. 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. In the spring of 1969 Collins was hired by Bob Krasnow to play on the

Ike and Tina Turner Ike or IKE may refer to: People * Ike (given name), a list of people with the name or nickname * Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II and President of the United States Surname ...

album ''The Hunter'', which was released by Krasnow's

Blue Thumb Records Blue Thumb Records was an American record label founded in 1968 by Bob Krasnow and former A&M Records executives Tommy LiPuma and Don Graham. Blue Thumb's last record was released in 1978. In 1995, the label was revived and remained active un ...

. 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 The Fillmore West was a historic rock and roll music venue in San Francisco, California, US which became famous under the direction of concert promoter Bill Graham from 1968 to 1971. Named after The Fillmore at the intersection of Fillmore Str ...

and the

Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed "the Whisky") is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boul ...

and at the "Newport 69" festival in Northridge, California, in June 1969 and the Gold Rush Festival at Lake Amador, California, in October. In December 1969, his debut album, ''The Cool Sound of Albert Collins'', was reissued as ''Truckin’ with Albert Collins'' by Blue Thumb.

1970s

In November 1971, the Denver label Tumbleweed Records, which had been newly created by Larry Ray and

Bill Szymczyk William Frank Szymczyk (; born February 13, 1943) is an American music producer and technical engineer best known for working with rock and blues musicians, most notably the Eagles in the 1970s. He produced many top albums and singles of th ...

, released Collins's album ''There's Gotta Be a Change''; it was the label's first official release. The single "Get Your Business Straight", backed with "Frog Jumpin'", was released by Tumbleweed in February 1972. In 1973 Tumbleweed closed because of financial problems, leaving Collins without a record label. He was signed by

Bruce Iglauer Bruce Iglauer (born July 10, 1947) is an American businessman and record producer who founded Alligator Records as an independent record label featuring blues music. Early life and career Iglauer was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States ...

, the owner of

Alligator Records Alligator Records is an American, Chicago-based independent blues record label founded by Bruce Iglauer in 1971. Iglauer was also one of the founders of the '' Living Blues'' magazine in Chicago in 1970. History Iglauer started the label using ...

, in 1978 on the recommendation of

Dick Shurman Richard L. Shurman (born May 23, 1950) is an American record producer, sound engineer, music journalist, music historian, and backing vocalist. He has produced numerous recordings by notable musicians including Johnny Winter, Lurrie Bell, Eddi ...

, whom Collins had met in Seattle. His first release for the label was ''

Ice Pickin' ''Ice Pickin is a studio album by Albert Collins, released in 1978. It was Collins's breakthrough album. ''Ice Pickin was nominated for a 1979 Grammy Award. Production The album was recorded at Curtom Studios, in Chicago. ''The Guardian'' wrote o ...

'' (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 with The Barrelhouse Live''.

1980s

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 1984 Collins did a two-tape instructional lesson for

Arlen Roth Arlen Roth (born October 30, 1952) is an American guitarist, teacher, and author. From 1982 to 1992, he was a columnist for ''Guitar Player'' magazine. Those ten years of columns became a book, ''Hot Guitar''. His father Al Ross (Abraham Roth) ...

and his company, Hot Licks. On 13 July 1985, Collins performed with

George Thorogood and the Destroyers George Lawrence Thorogood (born February 24, 1950) is an American musician, singer and songwriter from Wilmington, Delaware. His "high-energy boogie-blues" sound became a staple of 1980s rock radio, with hits like his original songs " Bad to th ...

at ''

Live Aid Live Aid was a multi-venue benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985, as well as a music-based fundraising initiative. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 fami ...

'', 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. In December 1986, Collins appeared in concert with

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

and

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has been a member of three successful rock bands: the James Gang, Eagles, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr B ...

at the Wiltern Theater, in Los Angeles; the concert was subsequently released on video under the title '' Jazzvisions: Jump the Blues Away''. The backing musicians for the concert were Rick Rosas (bass),

Michael Huey J. Michael Huey (born October 24, 1950) is an American drummer and producer, earning 18 Gold / Platinum Top Ten Awards. He has played with a diverse group of artists in genres including Rock/Pop/Country/R&B such as Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Juice ...

(drums), Ed Sanford (Hammond B3 organ), Kip Noble (piano) and Josh Sklar (guitar). Also in 1986, Collins won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

with

Robert Cray Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards. Early life Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was statione ...

and Johnny Copeland for their album ''Showdown!'' Collins finished working on his seventh Alligator album, ''

Cold Snap A cold wave (known in some regions as a cold snap, cold spell or Arctic Snap) is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in tem ...

'', by October 1986. It was released shortly afterwards to good reviews and received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Recording of 1987. Collins cited the album as personally important to him because of the involvement of the organist

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Germantown, Pennsylvania, Uni ...

, an early musical idol, with whom Collins had played in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1966. On 12 February 1987, Collins appeared as a musical guest on the NBC talk show ''Late Night with David Letterman''. He made a cameo appearance later that same year in the comedy film ''

Adventures in Babysitting ''Adventures in Babysitting'' (also known as ''A Night on the Town'' in certain countries) is a 1987 American teen comedy film written by David Simkins and directed by Chris Columbus in his directorial debut. It stars Elisabeth Shue, Keith Coo ...

''. Also in 1987, the American composer

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...

and Collins collaborated on a suite, "Two-Lane Highway", which was subsequently released on Zorn's album ''

Spillane Spillane is a family name derived from the Ireland, Irish (Gaelic) surname Ó Spealáin or Mac Spealáin. It has also been anglicised as Spellman, Spillan, Spilane and Spallon. It may refer to: People * Adrian Spillane (born 1994), Gaelic football ...

''. On 22 April 1988, Collins appeared at the

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...

in a group consisting of B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan; the group played on the steamboat ''

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

'' 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.

1990s

Collins was signed to

Point Blank Records Point Blank Records is a record label subsidiary of Virgin Records. Point Blank Records was founded in 1988 by John Wooler. Wooler served as Deputy Head of A&R at Virgin Records UK from 1984 to 1994 and Senior Vice President of Virgin Reco ...

, a subsidiary of

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...

, in 1991 and released the album '' Iceman'' the same year. 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. 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 The Seville Expo '92 was a universal exposition that took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992, on La Isla de La Cartuja (Charterhouse Island), Seville, Spain. The theme for the expo was "The Age of Discovery", celebrating the ...

. The preceding month, on 28 October, 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''. In 1993, Collins played at the Point Blank Borderline Blues Festival in London, which ran from 17 March to 27 March; this was his last appearance in the UK. 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 Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

, which had

metastasized Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spread from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, then, ...

to his

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

, 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. His final album, ''Live '92/'93'', was posthumously nominated at the 38th Grammy Awards of 1996 in the category Best Blues Contemporary Album.

Style

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. The use of an extended guitar cord allowed Collins to go outside 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. He is also remembered for his humorous stage presence, which can be seen in the comedy film ''

''. It is also prominent 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 while 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.

Personal life

In his early days, Collins worked as a paint mixer and truck driver to make ends meet. In 1971, when he was 39 years old, he worked in construction, since he could not make a proper living from his music. One of his construction jobs was a remodeling project for

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

. He continued with this type of work until the late 1970s, when his wife, Gwen, talked him into returning to a career in music. 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.

Legacy

Collins was an inspiration to a generation of Texas guitar players, including

Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Although his mainstream career spanned only seven years, ...

and

Jimmie Vaughan Jimmie Vaughan (born March 20, 1951) is an American blues rock guitarist and singer based in Austin, Texas. He is the older brother of the late Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Several notable blues guitarists have had a significant ...

. He was among a small group of Texas blues players, along with

Johnny "Guitar" Watson John Watson Jr. (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996), known professionally as Johnny "Guitar" Watson, was an American musician and singer-songwriter. A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of T-Bone Walker, his recording career ...

and Johnny Copeland, who shaped the legacy of

T-Bone Walker Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds. In 2018 ''Roll ...

into a modern blues template that was to have a major influence on many later players. In an interview with ''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...

'' 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." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' ranked Collins at number 56 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

Discography

Studio albums

* 1965: ''The Cool Sound of Albert Collins'' (TCF Hall TCF-8002) collection of singles, reissued in 1969 as ''Truckin' with Albert Collins'' (

Blue Thumb Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when o ...

BTS-8) * 1968: ''Love Can Be Found Anywhere (Even in a Guitar)'' (

Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...

LP-12428) * 1969: ''Trash Talkin (Imperial LP-12438) * 1970: ''The Compleat Albert Collins'' (Imperial LP-12449) * 1971: ''There's Gotta Be a Change'' (Tumbleweed TWS-103) * 1978: ''

'' (

Alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...

AL-4713) * 1980: ''

Frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occurs in the han ...

'' (Alligator AL-4719) * 1983: '' Don't Lose Your Cool'' (Alligator AL-4730) * 1986: ''

'' (Alligator AL-4752) - with

* 1991: '' Iceman'' (

Point Blank Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. If the bullet leaves the barrel paral ...

/Virgin VPBCD-3; 91583; 86197; 39194)

Collaborations

* 1985: '' Showdown!'' (Alligator AL-4743) - with

Live albums

* 1969: ''Alive & Cool'' (Red Lightnin' RL-004) - live at the Fillmore West, 1969 * 1976: "The Bicentennial Session" (Crossed Arrow Music 2008) * 1978: ''Albert Collins with The Barrelhouse Live'' (Munich Records BM 150225) * 1979: ''Jammin' with Albert'' (Blues Tune BT-008) - with

Champion Jack Dupree William Thomas "Champion Jack" Dupree (July 23, 1909 or July 4, 1910 – January 21, 1992) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. His nickname was derived from his early career as a boxer. Biography Dupree was a New Orleans ...

Rory Gallagher William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...

* 1981: ''Frozen Alive!'' (Alligator AL-4725) - live at the Union Bar, Minneapolis, MN * 1984: ''Live in Japan'' (Alligator AL-4733) - live at Kudan Kaikan, Tokyo, 1982 * 1989: ''Jazzvisions: Jump the Blues Away'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

841287) - with

* 1995: ''Live '92/'93'' (Point Blank/Virgin 40658) * 1995: '' Cold Tremours'' ( Blues Boulevard) 250186, Music Avenue – 250186 * 1995: ''Charly Blues Legends Live – Vol. 7'' (

Charly ''Charly'' (marketed and stylized as ''CHAЯLY'') is a 1968 American drama film directed and produced by Ralph Nelson and written by Stirling Silliphant. It is based on ''Flowers for Algernon'', a science-fiction short story (1958) and subseque ...

CBL-756) * 1998: ''Molten Ice'' (Cass Records CAS-70108) - live at the El Mocambo Club, 1973; also released as ''The Things He Used To Do'', ''The Iceman Cometh'', and ''The Hot 'Cool' Sound of Albert Collins'' * 2005: ''The Iceman at Mount Fuji'' (

Fuel 2000 Fuel 2000 is an independent record label, formed in 1994 as part of the Fuel Label Group. One of the biggest independent record labels, it has amassed a catalog with over 20,000 master recordings. Since its inception, the company has released ove ...

/Varese 061457) - live at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival, 1992 * 2008: ''Live at Montreux 1992'' (

Eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

ER-20124) * 2014: ''Funky Blues – Live 1973'' (Rockbeat ROC-3275) - live at Joe's Place, Cambridge, MA * 2016: ''Live at Rockpalast – Dortmund 1980'' (MIG Music 90632, 2-CD + DVD set) * 2017: ''At Onkel Pö's Carnegie Hall – Hamburg 1980'' (Delta Music N-77040, 2-CD set)

Compilations

* 1991: ''The Complete Imperial Recordings'' (

EMI America EMI America Records was started in 1978 by EMI as a second US label next to Capitol Records. It absorbed Liberty Records in 1984. In the late 1980s, EMI America was consolidated with Manhattan Records to form EMI Manhattan Records, which lat ...

96740, 2-CD set) * 1993: ''Collins Mix (The Best Of)'' (Point Blank/Virgin 39097) - re-recordings of his classic tracks * 1997: ''Albert Collins: Deluxe Edition'' (Alligator ALCD-5601) * 1999: ''The Ice Axe Cometh (The Collection 1978–1986)'' (Music Club MCCD-406)

Guest work

Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz ...

, "Too Tired" on '' Still Got the Blues'' * Gary Moore, "The Blues is Alright" on '' After Hours'' * Gary Moore, "Too Tired" on '' Blues Alive'' *

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

, "

Underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...

" on ''

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'' *

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disband ...

, "Blues You Can't Lose" on ''

A Question of Time "A Question of Time" is Depeche Mode's seventeenth UK single, released on 11 August 1986, following the similarly titled "A Question of Lust" single. The 7" remix of "A Question of Time" runs at a slightly faster tempo and pitch than the ori ...

'' *

, "You're Gonna Need Me" on '' Shame + A Sin'' *

, "Backstabbers" on '' Mr. Lucky'' * John Lee Hooker, "Boogie at Russian Hill" on '' Boom Boom'' *

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

, "Call It Stormy Monday" on ''

Blues Summit ''Blues Summit'' is the thirty-third studio album by B.B. King released in 1993 through the MCA label. The album reached peak positions of number 182 on the '' Billboard'' 200, and number 64 on ''Billboard'' R&B Albums chart. The album won a Gramm ...

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Ron Levy Ron Levy (born Reuvin Zev ben Yehoshua Ha Levi, May 29, 1951) is an American electric blues musician and composer. Levy was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. He primarily plays piano and organ. Levy grew up in Brookline, Massach ...

's Wild Kingdom, "Chillin' Out" and "Defrostin'" on ''B-3 Blues and Grooves'' *

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed inst ...

, ''Super Models in Deep Conversation'' * Buckshot LeFonque, "No Pain, No Gain" on '' Buckshot LeFonque'' *

John Mayall John Mayall, OBE (born 29 November 1933) is an English blues singer, musician and songwriter, whose musical career spans over sixty years. In the 1960s, he was the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that has counted among it ...

, "Light the Fuse" and "I'm a Sucker for Love" on '' Wake Up Call'' *

, "Two-Lane Highway" on ''

'' * "Blues for Stevie" on ''Guitar World Presents...'Guitars That Rule The World' '' (various artists 1991 sampler)

Singles

* "Freeze" / "Collins Shuffle" (Kangaroo KA-103/KA-104) * "Defrost" / "Albert's Alley" (Great Scott 0007; Hall-Way 1913; Hall-Way/ Smash 1795) * "Homesick" / "Sippin' Soda" (Hall-Way/Smash 1831) * "Frosty" / "Tremble" (Hall 1920) * "Thaw-out" / "Backstroke" (Hall 1925) * "Sno-Cone, Part I" / "Sno-Cone, Part II" (TCF Hall 104) * "Hot 'n' Cold" / "Dyin' Flu" (TCF Hall 116) * "Don't Lose Your Cool" / "Frost Bite" (TCF Hall 127) * "(What'd You Say) I Don't Know" / "Soulroad" (Tracie 2003) * "Cookin' Catfish" / "Taking My Time" (20th Century/

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

6708) * "Ain't Got Time" / "Got a Good Thing Goin'" (Imperial 66351) * "Do the Sissy" / "Turnin' On" (Imperial 66391) * "Conversation with Collins" / "And Then It Started Raining" (Imperial 66412) * "Coon 'n' Collards" / "Do What You Want to Do" (

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

56184) * "Get Your Business Straight" / "Frog Jumpin'" (Tumbleweed 1002) * "Eight Days on the Road" / "Stickin'" (Tumbleweed 1007)

Videography

* 1986 ''Further On Down the Road: Albert Collins,

Lonnie Mack Lonnie McIntosh (July 18, 1941 – April 21, 2016), known as Lonnie Mack, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was an influential trailblazer of blues rock music and rock guitar soloing. Mack emerged in 1963 with his breakthroug ...

Roy Buchanan Leroy "Roy" Buchanan (September 23, 1939 – August 14, 1988) was an American guitarist and blues musician. A pioneer of the Telecaster sound, Buchanan worked as a sideman and as a solo artist, with two gold albums early in his career and two lat ...

– Live at Carnegie Hall'' (Alligator) * 2003 ''The Iceman at Mount Fuji'' (Fuel 2000/Varese 061299) * 2003 ''In Concert: One Filter'' (Music Video Distributors 6526) * 2005 ''Albert Collins: Warner Bros. Classics'' (Warner Bros. 9086390) * 2006 ''Live Has Many Faces'' (Munich MRDVD-6004) * 2008 ''Live From Austin TX'' (New West NW-8051) * 2008 ''Live at Montreux 1992'' (Eagle Vision EREDV641) * 2016 ''Live at Rockpalast – Dortmund 1980'' (MIG Music 90632, 2-CD + DVD set)

Film and television

* 1978 ''Live Has Many Faces'' (Barrelhouse featuring Albert Collins, filmed for the Dutch television show ''Tros Sesjun'') * 1987 ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...

'' (television show musical guest) * 1987 ''

'' (motion picture film cameo with his band) * 1992 ''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show t ...

'' eason 17, episode 5(1991 studio concert)

References

External links

Albert Collins at Alligator Records

Adventures in Babysitting at IMDB - Albert Collins Cameo

Albert Collins Biography at Texas State Historical Association

Albert Collins Discography at MusicBrainz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Albert 1932 births 1993 deaths People from Leon County, Texas 20th-century African-American male singers American blues guitarists American male guitarists American blues singers Musicians from Houston Smash Records artists Texas blues musicians Deaths from lung cancer Grammy Award winners Contemporary blues musicians 20th-century American guitarists Guitarists from Texas Alligator Records artists Sonet Records artists Imperial Records artists African-American guitarists Blue Thumb Records artists