In the course of doing what I do for your local fish wrap, I’ll sometimes meet someone who ends up treating me to very special moments or occasions.
Such was the case when Brian Collins spent the second half of last Thursday in Houston.
For the record, Collins is a 38-year-old Georgia resident and native who has toiled in the music industry for about 20 years in virtually every possible capacity. He has worked with some big-time household names, and has a pretty successful solo career going in the realm of country music (I’ll get to his music in just a bit).
My job led me to meet Collins and talk with him at length, and to witness him perform twice that day. I’m not exaggerating when I say I was extremely impressed.
I’m not going to pretend the list of national recording artists I know is long or that I have much knowledge of what the average well-known artist is like, but I feel like this guy is something different. Not only is his music top-notch, but I feel like he means it when he says who he is and what he does overall is important to him so who he is and what he does as a musician can truly “mean something.”
What Collins did last Thursday afternoon certainly meant something to a significant number of people gathered at Opportunity Sheltered Industries (OSI) in Houston – myself included. Through a special arrangement, he and two band members (guitarist and vocalist Rockwell Jacobs and keyboardist and vocalist Michael Magno) played three original songs in a surprise performance that was received by everyone present with unreserved glee.
As I took photos and shot video of the scene, I was enveloped in an environment of energized excitement, and I marveled at the way Collins, Jacobs and Magno immediately became an integral part of their surroundings and pretty much made friends with everyone in front of them.
The trio are in the midst of a lengthy tour of the Eastern and Midwestern U.S., and stopped in Houston because of relationship that began several years ago on a cruise ship that sailed out of Miami. Collins was one of several musical acts on board, and Houston residents Richard and Linda Wood were passengers.
They met, and the rest, as is said, is history.
As an encore to the successful cameo at OSI, Collins and Co. set up their gear later that day on a flatbed trailer in the parking lot of the Woods’ Pizza Express restaurant, and delivered up a fantastic (free) set lasting more than 90 minutes.
Before I go further, let me address Collins’ music. Simply put: It’s really, really good. I ought to know, I bought a copy of his album “Healing Highway” on CD, and there’s not a bad tune from beginning to end.
What I’m amazed by is the almost instant familiarity Collins’ songs are endowed with. I mean, it’s impossible not to begin singing along the second time you hear the chorus of “Shine a Little Love” or “Healing Highway,” and that was even going on among crowd members at OSI.
And Collins’ lyrics have everything going for them – they’re catchy, creative and thoughtful, and more often than not exude some form of positive message.
As I hung out with the rest of the crowd enjoying the outdoor show on a beautiful spring evening, I couldn’t help but wonder why Collins isn’t far more widely known. His voice is just right for his overall sound, and he certainly knows how to play his guitar.
Heck, it’s obvious that Jacobs and Magno are also dang good professionals, possessing fine, pitch-perfect voices and dominating their instruments with masterful dexterity and spot-on touch. The sum of their collaboration is – to say the least – pleasing to the ear.
To me, Collins has “it,” but I guess the music industry is so crowded these days, that someone as good and with as much intrinsic value as him can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. The reality is that levels of success often aren’t dictated by talent, but other factors (that aren’t always controllable) like who you know, how much you’re willing to compromise or dumb luck (in the form of who might happen to accidentally stumble into your music, whether live or recorded).
The good news is that Collins is a musician at heart and in practice, and he’s not likely to just turn in his six-string and hang up his flat cap any time soon. That means God’s plan for him might still include having him reach more people.
And I’m here to tell you that would not be a bad thing. In my estimation, Collins is for real – musically and personally.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.
