Albert Collins | Artist
Albert Gene Drewery aka Albert Collins and the Ice Man, was an American electric blues guitarist and singer born 1932 in Leona Texas. Collins had a distinctive guitar style and was noted for his powerful playing and his use of altered tunings and a capo. 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 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. Collins recorded his debut single, "Freeze", backed with "Collins Shuffle", for Kangaroo at Gold Star Studios Houston in the spring of 1958. His debut album, The Cool Sound of Albert Collins, coming seven years later 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 was playing at the Music Hall in Houston, and a friend mentioned that Collins was playing at the Ponderosa Club, which they duly attended. After his set they introduced themselves to Collins and offered to help secure an agent for him as well as an introduction to Imperial Records in California. With the offer of a record deal and regular live work Collins decided to move, relocating to Kansas City in July 1968. Collins went on to record 13 consistently excellent studio albums over the next 40 years, including standouts The Cool Sound of Albert Collins (1965), The Compleat Albert Collins (1970), Ice Pickin' (1978), and Showdown! (1985), the last mentioned being a three-way collaboration with fellow guitarists Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland. 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.
Artist Website: alligator.com/artists/Albert-Collins/
Featured Albums: Albert Collins
Related Artists: The Icebreakers, Robert Cray
