Birth of the Blues: Albert Collins

Birth of the Blues: Albert Collins
By Hunter60

Although his recordings are his legacy, it was the strength and reach of his influence that is his true testament. Many blues superstars list Albert as an influence on their playing. Everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughn to Robert Cray.

His signature 'icy' tone is tough to replicate for even the most seasoned blues guitarists. Early on, he developed tuning his guitar to an Fminor and playing exclusively with a capo. Collins claimed that this was a trick he learned from Lightning Hopkins. He would place the capo high on the neck and then usually only play his leads in one position. He also would not use a pick claiming that it never felt 'right' to him, opting instead to pluck and pull the strings in such a way to deliver that sparse, cold tone that was pure Collins.

Sadly, Albert Collins simply ran out of time. At the time of his death, he was on the edge of superstardom and although already well known and respected in blues circles, he was poised for crossover success. But he left behind a heavy imprint on the very soul of the blues. Blues can be scorching and white-hot and they can be bone chilling cold but when they are 'ice' covered, they're Albert Collins' blues.