Career
His longest association was with National King Cole, 1951-1965. Known for his rhythm work, Collins soloed infrequently. He later taught music in the Los Angeles area.
He appears on the classic 1983 recording Jackson, Johnson, Brown & Company featuring Milt Jackson on vibes, J. J. Johnson on trombone, Ray Brown on bass, Tom Ranier on piano, drummer Roy McCurdy and Collins.
Collins was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1993. Collins died of cancer on October 4, 2001 at the age of 88.