Sam Collins (musician)

Sam Collins (August 11, 1887 – October 20, 1949)^[1] who was sometimes known as Crying Sam Collins and also, according to one authoritative website,^[2] as Jim Foster, Jelly Roll Hunter, Big Boy Woods, Bunny Carter, and Salty Dog Sam, was an early American blues singer and guitarist.^[1]

Biography

He was born in Louisiana, United States,^[1] and grew up just across the state border in McComb, Mississippi. By 1924 he was performing in local barrelhouses, often with King Solomon Hill with whom he shared the use of falsetto singing and slide guitar. He was first recorded by Gennett Records, on "Yellow Dog Blues", in 1927, and recorded again in 1931, some of his later recordings appearing under different pseudonyms. His rural bottleneck guitar pieces were among the first to be compiled on LP. His best known recording was "The Jail House Blues".^[1]

He relocated to Chicago, Illinois, in the late 1930s, and died there from the effects of heart disease in October 1949, at the age of 62.^[1]

Discography

Compilations

• 14 Rare Country Blues by Sam Collins & 2 Surprises by King Solomon Hill (Origin Jazz Library, 1965)
• Jailhouse Blues (Yazoo, 1990)
• King of the Blues Vol. 11 (P-Vine, 1992)
• Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order 1927-1931 (Document, 1992)

Songs

1927, Richmond, Indiana

• "The Jailhouse Blues"
• "I Want To Be Like Jesus In My Heart"
• "Yellow Dog Blues"
• "Loving Lady Blues"
• "Riverside Blues"
• "Devil In The Lion's Den"
• "Dark Cloudy Blues"
• "Pork Chop Blues"
• "Lead Me All The Way"
• "Midnight Special Blues"
• "Do That Thing"
• "Hesitation Blues"
• "It Won't Be Long Now"
• "The Worried Man Blues"
• "The Moanin' Blues"

1931, New York

• "Lonesome Road Blues"
• "Slow Mama Slow"
• "My Road Is Rough And Rocky"
• "New Salty Dog"
• "Graveyard Digger's Blues"
• "Signifying Blues"
• "I'm Still Sitting On Top Of The World"

References

1. Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed July 2010
2. Wirz.de