Larry Collins (born 4 October 1944, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA) and his older sister Lawrencine "Lorrie" Collins (May 7, 1942 – August 4, 2018) were an American rockabilly duo. Their hits in the 1950s as youngsters were geared towards children, but their infectious
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singing and playing crossed over generations. Larry, a lightning-fingered guitar whiz at age 10, was known for playing a double-neck Mosrite guitar like his mentor, Joe Maphis.
singing and playing crossed over generations. Larry, a lightning-fingered guitar whiz at age 10, was known for playing a double-neck Mosrite guitar like his mentor, Joe Maphis.They were raised on a dairy farm and attended a one-room school near Tahlequah, Oklahoma. At the age of eight Lorrie won a talent contest in Tulsa hosted by Western swing steel guitarist Leon McAuliffe. McAuliffe encouraged Lorrie's parents to relocate to California to develop her talents, which they did in 1953.
During their tenure with Columbia from 1955 to 1959 they were showcased in their "hopped-up hillbilly" style with such releases as "Whistle Bait,""Hot Rod,""Soda Poppin' Around," and "In My
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Teens," all of which spoke directly to the teen generation of the fifties. They appeared on Steve Allen’s TV program and others, and performed at the Grand Ole Opry. Lorrie and teen heartthrob Ricky Nelson dated during the 1950s. Lorrie appeared on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet as Ricky's girlfriend, and the couple sang the Collins Kids' version of "Just Because" on one episode. The romance cooled, however, and Lorrie eventually married Stu Carnall, road manager for Johnny Cash, with whom the Collins Kids toured.
The Collins Kids continued to perform together sporadically in the mid-1960s, appearing as regulars on the Canadian music program Star Route. When the Beatles ignited Beatlemania and the British Invasion in 1964, many American acts, especially country-leaning performers, saw their careers tail off dramatically.
They did make a guest appearance on the 8 September 1965, edition of Shindig!. Nevertheless, the Collins Kids continued touring, sometimes on country revues with Johnny Cash and others. They also tapped into the burgeoning lounge music scene in Las Vegas and Reno. By the 1970s, Larry had moved to Nashville and was focusing on songwriting, co-writing hits including “Delta Dawn” for Tanya Tucker in 1972, and “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma” for David Frizzell in 1981.
The duo reunited for a rockabilly revival concert in England in 1993 and performed together until Lorrie's death. They appeared at Deke Dickerson's Guitar Geek Festival in Anaheim, California, on January 19, 2008, with their nephew, Dakota Collins, playing upright bass as a new addition to the Collins band.
Lorrie Collins died 4 August 2018 in Reno at the age of 76. Larry Collins told the New York Times that his sister had died from injuries related to a fall.
(Compiled and edited from Wikipedia &bestclassicbands.com & the L.A. Times & okhistory.org)