| Tommy Collins | |
| Birth Name: | Leonard Raymond Sipes |
| Alias: | Tommy Collins |
| Birth Date: | 1930 9, mf=yes |
| Birth Place: | Bethany, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Ashland City, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Instruments: | Vocals, guitar |
| Genre: | Country, Bakersfield sound |
| Occupation: | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Years Active: | 1950s - 2000 |
| Label: | Capitol, Columbia |
Leonard Raymond Sipes[1] (September 28, 1930[1] – March 14, 2000), better known as Tommy Collins, was an American country music singer and songwriter.[1]
Active primarily during the 1950s through the 1970s, Collins was instrumental in helping create the Bakersfield sound of the country music genre. He enjoyed a string of hits during the mid-1950s including "It Tickles" and "Watcha Gonna Do Now".[1]
Many of the songs he wrote were recorded by other artists. His song "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" was a top 10 hit for Faron Young in 1954 and, decades later, hit No. 1 on the chart for George Strait in 1988. In late 1963, Buck Owens released an LP consisting entirely of songs written or co-written by Collins, Buck Owens Sings Tommy Collins, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in January 1964, holding the top spot for two weeks.[2]
After several years in the ministry, Collins returned to recording.[1] In 1965, he had a comeback hit with "If You Can't Bite, Don't Growl".[1] In the 1970s, he wrote several hits for Merle Haggard and The Strangers, including the No. 1 hits "Carolyn" and "The Roots of My Raising". In June 1980, Haggard recorded a biographical tribute to Collins called "Leonard".
Collins was the inspiration and character talked about in Craig Morgan's song, "I Wish I Could See Bakersfield".
Collins remained active in the songwriting business. In 1999, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, in a class of inductees that also included Wayne Kemp, A.L. "Doodle" Owens, and Glenn Sutton.[3] He died March 14, 2000, at his home in Ashland City, Tennessee.[4]
| Year | Album | US Country | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Words and Music Country Style | — | Capitol | |
| 1958 | Light of the Lord | — | ||
| 1959 | This Is Tommy Collins | — | ||
| 1960 | Songs I Love to Sing | — | ||
| 1966 | Let's Live a Little | — | Tower | |
| The Dynamic Tommy Collins | — | Columbia | ||
| 1968 | Shindig | — | Tower | |
| Tommy Collins on Tour (His Most Requested Songs) | 44 | Columbia | ||
| 1971 | Callin | — | Starday | |
| 1980 | Country Souvenir | — | Greenwood | |
| Cowboys Get Lucky Some of the Time | — | |||
| 1986 | New Patches | — | Password |
| Year | Single | US Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | "You Better Not Do That" | 2 | |
| "Whatcha Gonna Do Now" | 4 | ||
| 1955 | "Untied" | 10 | |
| "It Tickles" | 5 | ||
| "I Guess I'm Crazy" | 13 | ||
| "You Oughta See Pickles Now" | 15 | ||
| 1964 | "I Can Do That" (with Wanda Collins) | 47 | |
| 1966 | "If You Can't Bite, Don't Growl"A | 7 | |
| "Shindig in the Barn" | 47 | ||
| 1967 | "Don't Wipe the Tears That You Cry for Him (On My Good White Shirt)" | 62 | |
| "Birmingham" | 60 | ||
| "Big Dummy" | 52 | ||
| 1968 | "I Made the Prison Band" | 64 |