Mr. Bo

Born in Indianola, Mississippi on 7 April 1932, Louis Collins passed away on 19 September 1995. After relocating to Chicago in 1946, he established himself in Detroit by the early 1950s. His initial experience on the music circuit came through traditional house-party performances alongside Washboard Willie, John Lee Hooker, Vernon Harrison ‘Boogie Woogie Red’, Little Sonny and fellow musicians. Adopting the stage name Mr. Bo toward the end of the decade, he issued his earliest sides on Northern, Big D, Reel and Diamond Jim. Listeners responded strongly to his agile guitar lines and calm, economical singing, nowhere more so than on the debut recording of ‘If Trouble Was Money’, which he wrote with his brother; both Charlie Musselwhite and Albert Collins later recorded the composition. Although he maintained a steady presence on the local club circuit, his visibility declined during the 1970s and 1980s. Renewed attention to his vintage singles prompted a 1993 booking at the Blues Estafette in Holland—his first trip overseas. Returning to the studio in 1995 after a twenty-year absence, he also featured in a regional television commercial. Pneumonia claimed him later that year, cutting short the opportunities created by the fresh wave of recognition.