Collins, Sam

Collins, Sam 11 August 1887; LA – 20 October 1949; Chicago, IL Aka “Cryin’ Sam,” “Salty Dog Sam,” and Jim Foster. Collins was raised in the McComb area of Mississippi and became a wandering musician playing at local barrelhouses. He traveled with King Solomon Hill and recorded for Gennett in 1927 and ARC in 1931, playing a badly tuned guitar with a knife, which forms a surprisingly effective accompaniment to his eerie falsetto singing on spirituals, hokum numbers, and deep blues. He died from…