Page 33 - BiTS_08_AUGUST_2024

There followed a stream of excellent, and highly acclaimed Alligator albums through
the 1980s, such as “Don’t Lose Your Cool”, “Cold Snap”, “Frostbite”, and the two fine

live albums, “Live In Japan” and “Frozen Alive”. In 1985 he got together with Robert
Cray, who was now the ‘new kid on the blues block’, and Texas contemporary Johnny
Copeland, to record

“Showdown”. Cray had
been a disciple of

Collins for many years,
and had even managed

to book him for his high
school graduation

concert—an evening
that changed his life—
he decided to give up

playing pop covers and

rock and roll, and
become a blues player,
mentored by Collins

himself.

In 1985 George

Thorogood arranged

for Collins to sit in with
his band at the Live Aid
concert, which brought

him to the attention of
a huge international

audience. It was a busy
day for him - he flew in

after playing a concert
the previous night,

appeared at Live Aid,
and flew straight out for
the next gig! He had

also undertaken two
successful tours of

Europe, and a tour of Australia and Japan, played to a 50,000 audience from the steps
of the Texas State House in Austin, and received the keys to the city of Houston.

In 1987 Albert Collins was given a very humorous musical cameo appearance in the
film ‘Adventures In Babysitting’, which is well worth seeking out, but probably not

worth buying the dvd for - the relevant bit is on you tube!