Who was/is Lyn Collins ? - CDs, Vinyl LPs, DVD and more
Lyn Collins
Think (About It)
Lyn Collins (The Female Preacher)
Think (About It)
James Brown had quite a talent for working with lovely young female soul belters. He gave Tammy Montgomery (aka Tammi Terrell), Yvonne Fair, Anna King, Vicki Anderson, Marva Whitney, and Lyn Collins crucial early breaks, producing their output and guiding their careers. Like the rest, Lyn could really deliver the goods. She was sub-billed ‘The Female Preacher’ due to her intense soul testifying. Of course, it didn’t hurt to have the Hardest Working Man in Show Business in her corner as writer, arranger, and producer.
Born Gloria Lavern Collins on June 12, 1948 in tiny Dime Box, Texas, Lyn began singing as a teenager. Johnny Terry, an original member of Brown’s Famous Flames, found Collins at a JB concert in Abilene and brought her to his ex-boss’ attention. She was poised to replace Whitney in his revue in 1970 until Anderson opted to rejoin the troupe. James took Lyn down to Macon, Georgia in early ’71 to produce her insistent Wheel Of Life (Terry co-wrote it) and overdub her vocal on a ’68 backing track he’d made of one of his own oldies, Just Won’t Do Right. After slated releases on King and People were canceled, the pairing finally saw light of day on Polydor in December of ‘71. When Vicki split the organization again, Lyn joined James’ revue in 1972.
Brown wrote, arranged, and produced Lyn’s Think (About It), out on his Polydor-affiliated People imprint in 1972. With Brown’s JB’s providing skin-tight backing, Collins breathes fire on the funk grinder, its dramatic extended intro adding to the suspense. It was a #9 R&B seller that summer, but way too sweaty and uncompromising to make it past #66 pop (samplers have appropriated its breaks unmercifully). Before the year was over, Lyn charted again on a duet with her boss, What My Baby Needs Now Is A Little More Lovin’. Her own Mama Feel Good was another torrid funk workout that made a #37 R&B impression in the spring of ’73. Collins continued to post R&B charters on People through 1975.
Even after she parted company with Soul Brother Number One, Lyn continued to exercise her fiery pipes in a variety of settings. She died of cardiac arrhythmia at age 56 on March 13, 2005 while visiting Pasadena, California after suffering a seizure while choking on some food 10 days earlier.
- Bill Dahl -
Various - Sweet Soul Music 25 Scorching Classics From 1972
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