Ray Collins

Ray Collins (November 19, 1936 – December 24, 2012) was an American musician. He is best known for being an original member of the Mothers of Invention and the primary lead vocalist on their earliest albums.

Collins grew up in Pomona, California singing in his school choir, the son of a local police officer. He dropped out of high school just before graduation to marry his girlfriend, who became pregnant.

Collins started his musical career singing falsetto backup vocals for various doo-wop groups in the Los Angeles area in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including Little Julian Herrera and the Tigers. In 1963 Collins co-wrote "Memories of El Monte" with Frank Zappa. In 1964, Collins formed the Soul Giants with drummer Jimmy Carl Black, bassist Roy Estrada, saxophonist Dave Coronado, and guitarist Ray Hunt.

Hunt was eventually replaced by Zappa, and the group evolved into the Mothers of Invention. Ray was the lead vocalist on most songs for their early albums, including Freak Out!, Absolutely Free, Cruising with Ruben & the Jets and Uncle Meat. He additionally provided harmonica on Freak Out!. In 1968 Ray quit The Mothers of Invention because of tension in the group, citing that the band was "too much comedy and making fun of stuff" and was replaced by Lowell George, but continued to contribute to other Zappa projects through the mid-1970s. Collins later said in 2009 that he "wanted to make beautiful music. I was raised on Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole."

Collins's performances appeared on a few archival and live recordings released after he dropped out of music.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.