Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Collins.
Brian, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Born the son of an army sargeant’s daughter and a dairy farmer’s son (Patsy and Stan Collins), I was raised in a West Georgia town called Douglasville, GA. I had what some would call, a middle class up-bringing with a healthy dose of small town values.
In my early childhood, there wasn’t much to do where I lived so I found myself killing time by way of imagination; building forts, playing army, etc. You see, when you have your dad’s workshop full of dangerous tools, a railroad track and V.R. crane salvage yard behind your house, the world is full of possibilities.
When I was I five years old, my sister, Karen came along. She was born with Downs syndrome so my parents obviously had to spend more time focusing on her needs. As she grew older, my parents would take her to special needs classes where I would tag along and see other children who also had special needs. This is where I learned that I and my family were not alone and in fact, there were many families like ours in very similar situations. I grew to become very comfortable around these children, where others my age and even older, who had not quite been exposed to them might be nervous or scared. I learned that they were people too and had hearts full of love and without judgement. It is something that has stayed with me my whole life.
Just after Karen’s 4th birthday she fell very ill and was diagnosed with Leukemia. This was a huge blow to our family as we were just starting to get back on track and in a rhythm with life. Hospitals and doctors offices were our second home now. To this day, the sounds of a hospital and smell of isopropanol sends me to a dark time and place. Karen eventually lost her battle at the age of six. It would be the first time I ever saw my dad, the man who was invincible to me, break down in a million tears. It was a look of pain that I prayed and hoped I would never see again.
Through all of this, my parents were very strong and always took the best care they could for me given the circumstances. With that being said, I still had the feeling of being a lone in the world. Coping with disorders, disease and death at a very young age was a heavy load to bare back then. I never really knew how heavy until I was much older. I had mechanisms to help me pull through and disguise my pain. I used to carry a little radio with me and listen and sing along to my favorite songs to bypass the reality of what was happening in my life at the time. Music was my great escape.
It seemed I had a budding love for music and a knack for singing. My elementary school music teacher, Ms. Egerton, discovered that I had an “above average” singing voice and suggested I enter in the Atlanta Boy Choir, which is what I did from age 10-12. This was the first time I truly experienced a big stage; performing in front of a large audiences in churches, cathedrals and events.
In my mid/late teens, I started playing guitar and writing my own tunes as well as covering some of my favorite songs to impress my friends and the girls, of course. I worked in a coffee shop that eventually became a micro-brewery and blues bar (Peckerhead Brewery). I would serve tables there by day and play by night. This is also where my love for playing the harmonica was born. Night after night, I would play until my fingers would bleed, my throat was sore and my mouth was raw and still want to play “one more song!” The fire was lit and in full rage.
In my late teens/early 20’s, I eventually started playing more college gigs at West Georgia University, which is where I met other like-minded musicians with stars in their eyes. It was a great time to be playing music in Georgia and especially in Atlanta and the Atlanta area! So many venues in the Atlanta area were hitting their stride. (Eddies Attic, Smiths Ole Bar, Vinyl, Center Stage, Park Bench, Peachtree Tavern, Tin Roof, etc. I was in hog heaven and loving every musical minute of it.
After a few years of playing and touring, I decided to start my own recording studio called “Blue Light Studio” where I would go on to record, mix, engineer many national and local acts. It was definitely an eye opening experience to be on the other side of the console and turning the knobs. It’s a perspective that gave me the appreciation for all of the folks who make the musical vision of the artist sound great!
The studio was a great time that I will never forget but I truly missed that stage. I had recorded 3 albums and 2 EP’s of my own that I never really gave a chance or pushed to a large audience. I just recorded for the love of making the music. This was the point, I knew I needed to move and finally take everything I had learned to go and prove myself. So, I picked up, packed up and headed to north to Nashville. Rolling up in a 5th wheel trailer behind the Grand Ole Opry, I found a nice cozy space in lot C-5 at the KOA for the next 2 1/2 years. It was an amazingly creative time for me. I knew it was all on the line and I couldn’t quit. Nothing to lose and everything to win was my attitude and born out of that was my latest Album “Healing Highway.” In just a year and a half span of moving to Nashville, writing my album and recording it, I had a top 10 on country radio, a CMT #1 video and I was named artist to watch by MusicRow, CMT and CMA as well as walking the red carpet at the CMA awards. These accolades eventually helped me to become a nationally endorsed artist of Taylor Guitars and Lee Oskar Harmonicas.
So many other great things have come out of this “Healing Highway” album. In 2015, started festival called “Shine A Little Love Fest” (www.sallfest.com) that was born from my single of the same name. Also, I just made it back from my other festival in Cozumel, Mexico called “Brian Collins Presents: Meet Me In Mexico” (www.bcinmexico.com).
I am finally on a path to do some great things and it has been quite a journey so far as I continue to write, perform and chase this impossible dream. Strength and adversity is a main component of what it takes to make it out there but it is never done alone. It takes a team of people to believe and support your vision to get it where it needs to go. I continue to move forward to writing for the next album and have a lot of great things ahead this year that I am excited about.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not always been smooth. The sudden death of my dad during the process of making my last album was a very difficult time in my life. It is why I titled the album “Healing Highway” as music was the path that pulled me through such a difficult time.
For me, “This life is a long and winding road. It gives and it takes but it’s mostly what you make of it. There will be hazards, forks and detours along the way but it’s all a part of finding YOUR healing highway.”
Please tell us about Brian Collins.
I feel what sets me apart from others is my sheer will to overcome and make things happen through my positive outlook, my passion for music and the persistence to be heard.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I had a lot of great childhood memories but, I think my most favorite was camping out by the lake with my dad and a few of my friends. I would bring out my guitar and clumsily pluck away, singing old campfire tunes to the smell of the crackling hickory and baked beans in the crock pot.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.briancollinsmusic.com
- Email: brian@briancollinsmusic.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialbcb
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/officialbriancollinsband
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/officialbcb
- Other: www.youtube.com/OfficialBrianCollins
Image Credit:
Dennis Tudor Photography, Annette McNamara Photography, Rebecca Ward Photography, Southern Reel
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