Larry Collins was a West Coast musician and songwriter known for his aggressive rockabilly style and for co-penning songs like “Delta Dawn” and “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma.”
- Died: January 5, 2024 (Who else died on January 5?)
- Details of death: Died in Santa Clarita, California, at the age of 79.
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Larry Collins’ legacy
The Tulsa, Oklahoma-born Collins made a musical name for himself at a young age. As one half of The Collins Kids, with his sister, Lorrie, Collins was already making television appearances at just 10 years old and developed a reputation for fast, frantic playing on the guitar. The duo had continued success at the dawn of the rock ‘n’ roll era, with Collins becoming an early luminary in rockabilly style.
The Collins Kids broke up in 1961 when Lorrie eloped with Stu Carnall, Johnny Cash’s (1932–2003) manager at the time. Collins focused on his solo career, building his strengths as a songwriter. His song “Delta Dawn” (written with Alex Harvey) became a hit for both Tanya Tucker and Helen Reddy (1941–2020), going to No. 1 on the pop charts for the latter. His work went to No. 1 again with “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma,” performed by David Frizzell and Shelly West and co-written with Sandy Pickard. Glen Campbell (1936– 2017) also had a hit with Collins’ song, “Any Which Way You Can,” written for the Clint Eastwood movie of the same name.
Tributes to Larry Collins
Full obituary: MusicRow
