Legacy

ALBERT COLLINS, BLUESMAN

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''If trouble was money,'' Albert Collins declared in his song of that name, ''I swear I'd be a millionaire.'' The Texas-born guitarist-vocalist,who died of lung cancer Nov.24 at age 61, might have sung songs with hard-luck themes, but from the late '60s onward, he enjoyed unusually widespread success for a blues artist. The reason: Collins' startlingly passionate playing, with its restless improvisational flights that reminded you he had originally aspired to be a / jazz musician. Using instrumental phrases that mimicked the cadences of human speech, and a minor-key tuning that yielded an often shrill, astringent sound, he played guitar loud,wild,and angry enough to fire up rock musicians like Jimi Hendrix. His music was heartfelt and imaginative enough to inspire two generations of blues artists, including Jimmy Witherspoon and Robert Cray. The best of Collins (all available on Alligator): Don't Lose You Cool, Cold Snap, and the Grammy-winning Showdown (with Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland).-Chip Deffaa

Posted Dec 10, 1993 | Published in issue #200 Dec 10, 1993 | Order Article Reprints