Ray Collins (rock musician)
Ray Collins ( * November 19, 1936; † 24 December 2012) was an American singer, best known for his work with The Mothers of Invention.
Life and work
Ray Collins grew up in Pomona, California, on the son of a police officer. He left high school to get married. He began his musical career as a singer in doo-wop groups in the Los Angeles area, such as the Little Julian Herrera & the Tigers in the late 1950s and early 1960s. With Frank Zappa Collins wrote for the band The Penguins song Memories of El Monte.
In 1964 he founded with drummer Jimmy Carl Black, bass player Roy Estrada and Frank Zappa, the band The Soul Giants, which passed under Zappa's line in the Mothers of Invention. Ray Collins was the lead singer on the early Mothers of Invention albums such as Freak Out!, Absolutely Free and Cruising with Ruben & the Jets. He also contributed to other projects with Zappa until the mid- 1970s. Collins lived until his death at the age of 76 years in Claremont ( California). In 1992, he put under his own name, the Compact Cassette Love songs before.
Discography
With The Mothers Of Invention
With Frank Zappa
With Geronimo Black
Using The Grandmothers
Solo
With Fraternity Of Man
With Jimmy Carl Black
- 2010: Where's My Waitress?
Others
- 2010: Paul Buff Presents The Pal And Original Sound Studio Archives, Vol.1
- 2011: Paul Buff Presents The Pal And Original Sound Studio Archives: The Collection
- 2012: Paul Buff Presents Highlights From The Pal And Original Sound Studio Archives