Albert Collins

Albert Gene Collins, known as 'The Ice Man' and 'The Master of the Telecaster,' was a Texas blues guitarist whose biting, staccato attack on the Fender Telecaster produced one of the most distinctive sounds in modern blues. His use of minor-key tunings (notably an open F-minor) and a capo, combined with a razor-sharp tone, created an immediately identifiable style. His early instrumentals for Kangaroo Records, particularly 'Frosty' and 'Sno-Cone,' were regional hits in Texas. His career reached its peak with a series of acclaimed albums for Alligator Records in the 1980s and early 1990s, and he won a Grammy for 'Showdown!' with Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland. He died of liver cancer in 1993.