the Collins Kids
{{Short description|American rockabilly duo}}
{{For|the youth chess group|Collins Kids organization}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=August 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
The Collins Kids were an American rockabilly duo featuring Lawrencine "Lorrie" Collins (May 7, 1942 – August 4, 2018) and her younger brother Lawrence "Larry" Collins (October 4, 1944 – January 5, 2024). Their hits in the 1950s as youngsters, such as "Hop, Skip and Jump", "Beetle Bug Bop" and "Hoy Hoy", were geared towards children, but their infectious singing and playing crossed over generations. Larry, a lightning-fingered guitar whiz at age ten, was known for playing a double-neck Mosrite guitar like his mentor, Joe Maphis.
Career
In 1955, the Collins Kids signed to Columbia Records.{{Cite book |last=Morrison |first=Craig |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qAHvUO5GknMC&dq=%22collins+kids%22&pg=PA294 |title=Go Cat Go!: Rockabilly Music and Its Makers |date=1996 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-06538-5 |pages=174 |language=en}} The Collins Kids became regular performers on Town Hall Party in 1954 and on the syndicated for television version of the show, Tex Ritter's Ranch Party, which ran from 1957 to 1959.Billboard Jun 10, 1957 page 14 Screen Gems to syndicate "Ranch Party" for fall debut. Five half hours already completed, with 39 more scheduled.
It was on Town Hall Party that Ricky Nelson first saw Lorrie Collins, and soon after they began dating.{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/CollinsKids1.html|title=RAB Hall of Fame - Collins Kids|website=Rockabillyhall.com|accessdate=5 August 2018}} In a 1958 episode{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1651356/ |website=IMDb |title=Lorrie Collins}}{{better source needed|date=January 2024|reason=See WP:IMDBREF}} of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Lorrie played both Ricky's girlfriend and that girlfriend's sister. Ricky unsuccessfully lobbied to make Lorrie a part of the show.
In 1959, the Collins Kids were touring with Johnny Cash, when Lorrie met Cash's manager and future husband Stu Carnall.{{Cite book |last1=McCall |first1=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tLZz02EzmBYC&dq=%22collins+kids%22&pg=PA105 |title=The Encyclopedia of Country Music |last2=Rumble |first2=John |last3=Kingsbury |first3=Paul |date=2012-02-01 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-992083-9 |pages=105 |language=en}}
The Collins siblings continued to perform together in the mid-1960s, appearing as regulars on the Canadian music program Star Route and making a guest appearance on the 8 September 1965, edition of Shindig!.{{efn|{{As of|2010|09|06}}, clips of these performances were available on YouTube.}}
Larry wrote a number of well-known songs including "Delta Dawn" and "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma"; some in partnership with songwriter Alexander Harvey.{{efn|Harvey was originally listed as “Alex Harvey” in the song credits, but now goes by “Alexander” to avoid confusion with Scottish rocker Alex Harvey.}}
= Reunion =
The duo reunited for a rockabilly revival concert in England in 1993 and performed together until Lorrie's death in 2018.{{cite web|url=https://bestclassicbands.com/lorrie-collins-obituary-8-5-188/|title=Lorrie Collins, Rockabilly Singer (Collins Kids), Dies at 76 |date=13 June 2015|website=Bestclassicbands.com|accessdate=5 August 2018}} They appeared at Deke Dickerson's Guitar Geek Festival in Anaheim, California on January 19, 2008 with their nephew Dakota Collins, who played upright bass as an addition to the Collins band.
Selected discography
- Rockin' Rollin' Collins Kids [LP] (Bear Family BFX-15074, 1981)
- The Collins Kids, Vol. 2 [LP] (Bear Family BFX-15108, 1983)
- Introducing Larry And Lorrie: The Collins Kids [LP/CD] (Epic PE-38457, 1983)
- Hop, Skip & Jump [2CD] (Bear Family BCD-15537, 1991)
- The Rockin'est [CD] (Bear Family BCD-16250, 1997)
- Rockin' And Boppin' [CD] (Jasmine JASMCD-3709, 2018)
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web |title=Collins Kids |website=Oklahoma Historical Society |date=2018-08-04 | url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=CO028 |access-date=2024-01-10}}
- {{cite web |title=Collins Kids |website=RCS Artist Discography |url=http://rcs.law.emory.edu/rcs/artists/c/coll8200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20010307001115/http://rcs.law.emory.edu/rcs/artists/c/coll8200.htm |archive-date=2001-03-07}}
- {{cite web |title=The Collins Kids: Don't Miss a Lick |website=L.A. Record |date=2008-01-18 |url=http://larecord.com/interviews/2008/01/18/the-collins-kids-dont-miss-a-lick/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624190806/http://larecord.com/interviews/2008/01/18/the-collins-kids-dont-miss-a-lick/ |archive-date=2009-06-24 |url-status=dead}}
- {{cite web|url=http://www.classicmoviekids.com/collinskids.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060512141856/http://www.classicmoviekids.com/collinskids.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 May 2006|title=Collins Kids Lorrie Larry Collins page in Classic Movie Kids|date=12 May 2006|accessdate=5 August 2018}}
- {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000765722}}
- {{Discogs artist}}
- {{IMDb name}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:1950s establishments in Oklahoma
Category:2018 disestablishments in Oklahoma
Category:American country music groups
Category:Family musical groups
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2018
Category:Musical groups established in the 1950s
Category:People from Creek County, Oklahoma