Sam Collins | |
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Also known as |
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Born | possibly possibly Louisiana, or possibly Kentucky, U.S. [1] | August 11, 1887
Died | possibly possibly Chicago [1] | October 20, 1949
Genres | Blues |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | |
Labels | Gennett |
Sam Collins (possibly August 11, 1887 – possibly October 20, 1949), [1] sometimes known as Crying Sam Collins, [2] was an early American blues singer and guitarist. [3] His style has been described as "South Mississippi", rather than Delta blues and "The Jail House Blues" is his best-known recording. [3]
Collins was born in Louisiana and grew up in McComb, Mississippi, just across the state line. [4] By 1924, he was performing in local barrelhouses, often with King Solomon Hill; both of them sang falsetto parts and played slide guitar. [4] Collins's first recording in 1927 was "Yellow Dog Blues", made for Gennett Records and recorded in Richmond, Indiana. His bottleneck guitar was referred to as a "git-fiddle" on record labels of the time, and blues historian Robert Palmer noted that his guitar "seemed to literally weep". [2]
Collins recorded again in 1931; some of his later recordings appeared under different pseudonyms, such as Jim Foster, [3] Jelly Roll Hunter, Big Boy Woods, Bunny Carter, and Salty Dog Sam. His rural bottleneck guitar pieces were among the first to be compiled on LP. [3]
In the late 1930s, Collins relocated to Chicago, where he died from heart disease in October 1949, at the age of 62. [4]
1927, Richmond, Indiana
1931, New York City