Ray Collins

Who was Ray Collins?

Ray Collins was an American musician.

Collins grew up in Pomona, California singing in his school choir, the son of a local police officer. He quit high school to get married.

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 1964, Collins, drummer Jimmy Carl Black, bassist Roy Estrada, saxophonist Dave Coronado, and guitarist Ray Hunt formed The Soul Giants. Hunt was eventually replaced by Frank Zappa, and the group evolved into the Mothers of Invention. Ray was the lead vocalist on their early albums, including Freak Out!, Absolutely Free, and Cruising with Ruben & the Jets. In 1968 Ray quit The Mothers of Invention, but continued to contribute to other Zappa projects through the mid-1970s.

Collins resided in Claremont California, until his death on December 24, 2012. He was 76 years old.