J.B. Collector no.1
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Phelps "Catfish" Collins
this guitarlegend has passed away.
i had the honor to meet him in person in 2008 during the jb tribute tour in holland and belgium. a very nice and also funny guy.
i never forget his answer to my question "what have you been doing the last thirty years ?" catfish: "fishing" and is there a chance that you will be
making some new music again after this tour ? "no i go back fishing"......
r.i.p. catfish thanks for the music !
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musicbox
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WOW,like everyone here,I'm saden with the demise of Mr. Catfish Collins.....
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Funky Yco
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Very sorry to hear another one of the great funk legends passed away
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MEMs funk
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Very sad a great player.
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mbjam88
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Registered: 30-5-2009
Location: PA USA
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 Were "Catfish" and "Bootsy" close at all?
If you hear any noise...
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J.B. Collector no.1
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Phelps "Catfish" Collins (1944 – August 6, 2010)[1] was a rhythm guitarist known mostly for his work in the P-Funk collective. Although frequently
overshadowed by his younger brother, Bootsy Collins, Catfish played on many important and influential records by Parliament, Funkadelic, and Bootsy's
Rubber Band.
In 1968, the Collins brothers, along with Kash Waddy and Philippe Wynne, formed a group called The Pacemakers. Later the Pacemakers were hired by
James Brown to accompany his vocals, at this they became known as The J.B.'s. Some of Brown's previous band members had walked out because of money
disputes. During their tenure in the J.B.'s, they recorded such classics as "Super Bad", "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine", "Soul Power", and
"Give It Up or Turnit a Loose". By 1971, Collins and the rest of the J.B.'s had quit James Brown. The Collins brothers and Kash Waddy formed House
Guests and shortly after joined Funkadelic and contributed to the Funkadelic album America Eats Its Young. Four years later, Collins joined Bootsy's
Rubber Band, which included Waddy, Joel "Razor Sharp" Johnson (keyboards), Gary "Muddbone" Cooper (drums), and Robert "P-Nut" Johnson (vocals), along
with The Horny Horns. Catfish is credited with playing the most widely known rhythm guitar part in R&B with his work on the 1978 Parliament
classic "Flash Light". Collins has also played on albums by Deee-Lite, Freekbass, and H-Bomb.
On his early work with James Brown and Funkadelic, Catfish played a Vox Ultrasonic guitar with built-in effects.
He died on August 6, 2010 after a long battle with cancer
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J.B. Collector no.1
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Before there was Bootsy, there was Catfish.
The older brother of Cincinnati’s legendary funk icon, Phelps “Catfish” Collins was a jovial guitar player with a huge smile, a mentor who helped
shape his brother’s musical career as well as his life.
“He was a father figure to my husband,” said Patti Collins, William “Bootsy” Collins’ wife. “He’s the reason why Bootsy is who he is.”
Phelps Collins died Friday after a long battle with cancer. He was 66.
Mr. Collins was a lifelong musician and Cincinnati resident. He was born eight years before Bootsy, who gave him the nickname “Catfish” because he
thought he looked like one. He was fiercely protective of his family, once threatening to kill his father with a butcher knife if he saw him hurt
their mother again, Bootsy told the Enquirer in an interview last year.
In 1968, Phelps and Bootsy Collins helped form local R&B band the Pacemakers, which became the rhythm section at the renowned King Records in
Evanston. They played with James Brown, backing him on such songs as “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” as part of a group that became known
as the J.B.’s.
In 1971, the brothers formed a flashy funk group called the House Guests with band mates including drummer Frankie “Kash” Waddy and former Pacemakers
singer Philippé Wynne. Wynne went on to lead a group called the Spinners, and the rest joined the free-wheeling Parliament-Funkadelic.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame keyboardist Bernie Worrell played with the Collins brothers in Parliament-Funkadelic. Worrell said he and Catfish were the
elders of the group.
“He was a loving, caring person, but at the same time, he wouldn’t take any bullcrap when it came to business,” Worrell said. “He was a hell of a
musician. He taught me a lot about rhythms. People seem to forget that the rhythm guitar behind James Brown was Catfish’s creative genius, and that
was the rhythm besides Bootsy’s bass.”
Phelps Collins later joined Bootsy’s Rubber Band and would go on to play rhythm guitar on albums by Deee-Lite, Freekbass and H-Bomb. He also performed
on the soundtrack to the 2007 Judd Apatow comedy “Superbad” with Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell and other original members of the J.B.’s.
“He was one of probably the most underrated musicians in R&B and funk history,” said Cincinnati bassist Chris “Freekbass” Sherman, who cites both
Collins brothers as influences. “He’s such an amazing guitar player. No one did it like him.”
Patti Collins said her brother-in-law, a father of two who lived in Kennedy Heights, made a life of music and continued to collaborate with Bootsy as
the brothers grew older.
About a month ago, local musicians gathered at Celebrities in Roselawn to perform a tribute to Catfish, said Lincoln Ware, who hosts a daily radio
show on WDBZ-1230 AM.
Ware said Mr. Collins, always a boisterous and smiling presence, clearly wasn’t feeling his best that night. But he sat back anyway, soaking in the
music that had always meant so much to him.
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doingittodeath
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r.i.p catfish.thanks for the funky guitar licks and you're contribution to the best concerts ever.
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J.B. Collector no.1
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BOOTSY
COLLINS..Hello everyone, We hope your in great spirit and health. I
wanted to reach out to you and let you all know that I just lost my
older brother, Phelps "Catfish" Collins. We are celebrating his life
on Sept 4th here in Covington Ky at the Madison Theater. Attached is
all the latest details on this historical event. If you can pass this
on to other's it would be greatly appreciated. Below is a link that a
friend is doing to honor the Catfish, click on and check it out: here
is the most recent joint enjoy and get funky wit it!
http://www.facebook.com/l/92cc7;www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcBT6t0jA8Y
fonk fonk fonk fonk it up.mov
This is the latest video from Stozo The Clown Presents The DigiDonz
"UPF" a Special Tribute to the Late Phelps "Catfish"Collins brother
of the legendary Bootsy Collins.Catfish was famous for his hits with
James Brown ,George Clinton and PFunk.The song is a remix of the toon
"Dance 2 The Fonk,Thanks...
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