Catfish Collins facts for kids

Phelps "Catfish" Collins (born October 17, 1943 – died August 6, 2010) was an American musician. He was a talented guitarist, known for playing both lead guitar and rhythm guitar. Catfish was famous for his work with the P-Funk group. Even though his younger brother, Bootsy Collins, was very famous, Catfish played on many important songs. He worked with famous artists like James Brown, Parliament, Funkadelic, and Bootsy's Rubber Band.

Early Life of Catfish Collins

Phelps Collins grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the older brother of William "Bootsy" Collins. Catfish helped Bootsy learn about music from a young age. Bootsy gave Phelps the nickname "Catfish" because he thought Phelps looked like a fish.

Catfish Collins' Music Career

Starting with The Pacemakers

In 1968, Catfish and Bootsy Collins, along with Kash Waddy and Philippé Wynne, formed a band. They called their group The Pacemakers.

Joining James Brown's Band

Later, James Brown hired The Pacemakers to play music for him. Their band became known as The J.B.'s. Some of James Brown's old band members had left because of money problems. By 1971, Catfish Collins and the rest of The J.B.'s had also left James Brown.

Working with Funkadelic

After leaving James Brown, the Collins brothers and Kash Waddy formed a group called House Guests. Soon after, they joined Funkadelic. They helped create the Funkadelic album America Eats Its Young. When Catfish played with James Brown and Funkadelic, he often used a special Vox Ultrasonic guitar. This guitar had cool built-in sound effects.

Famous Songs and Later Work

Some of Catfish's most famous guitar playing can be heard on the Parliament hit song "Flash Light". Four years later, Collins joined Bootsy's Rubber Band. This band included Kash Waddy, Joel "Razor Sharp" Johnson (who played keyboards), Gary "Muddbone" Cooper (vocals), and Robert "P-Nut" Johnson (vocals).

Catfish also played on albums by other musicians like Freekbass and H-Bomb. In 1990, he performed on Deee-Lite's biggest hit song, "Groove Is in the Heart". In 2007, he played guitar for the Superbad movie soundtrack.

Catfish Collins' Personal Life

Phelps "Catfish" Collins passed away on August 6, 2010, in Cincinnati after a long illness. He had two children.

A special concert was held to remember him, called the Catfish Nation Celebration. It took place near Cincinnati in Covington, Kentucky, at the Madison Theater. Many musicians and hundreds of fans came to honor him.