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Albert Collins

Albert Collins reached the screen by way of the blues. Born in Leona, Texas, on October 1, 1932, he was introduced to guitar through his cousin Lightnin' Hopkins and later learned the altered tuning that remained part of his playing throughout his career. After hearing John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen'," Collins decided at sixteen to concentrate on the instrument. By eighteen, he had formed the Rhythm Rockers and begun honing his craft around Houston. His approach was unusually specific: an open F-minor tuning, a capo placed high on the neck and, eventually, a modified Fender guitar. His early recordings included "Freeze" and "Collins Shuffle," while the instrumental "Frosty" became his signature song. The 1965 album The Cool Sound of Albert Collins gathered instrumentals such as "Thaw-Out," "Sno-Cone" and "Don't Lose Your Cool," titles that reflected the cool-running theme threaded through his work. A move west in 1968 opened a wider circuit. Collins played venues including the Fillmore West and the Whisky a Go Go, recorded Love Can Be Found Anywhere (Even in a Guitar), and later found an important home at Alligator Records. Ice Pickin' arrived in 1978, followed by releases including Don't Lose Your Cool and Cold Snap. In 1986, Collins shared a Grammy Award with Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland for Showdown! Film was a small but notable part of that larger musical career. Collins made a cameo appearance in the 1987 comedy Adventures in Babysitting, bringing an established blues identity into a movie rather than building a separate acting career. His television appearances also included Late Night with David Letterman and Austin City Limits, while filmed concerts preserved the directness of his live work. Collins continued recording and performing into 1993. He died on November 24 of that year, leaving behind a body of work defined by a highly individual guitar setup, decades of live playing and a sound developed far beyond the confines of a conventional screen career.