Tommy Collins (singer)

Tommy Collins
200px Tommy Collins in 1966
Background information
Birth name	Leonard Raymond Sipes
Also known as	Tommy Collins
Born	(1930-09-28)September 28, 1930 Bethany, Oklahoma, US
Died	Ashland City, Tennessee, US
Genres	Country, Bakersfield sound
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	1950s – 2000
Labels	Capitol, Columbia

Leonard Raymond Sipes (September 28, 1930 – March 14, 2000), better known as Tommy Collins, was an American country music singer and songwriter.

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". He also wrote several songs for other artists, including "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')", which was a top 10 hit for Faron Young in 1954 and a No. 1 hit by George Strait in 1988.

After several years in the ministry, Collins returned to recording. In 1965, he had a comeback hit with "If You Can't Bite, Don't Growl". In the 1970s, he wrote several hits for Merle Haggard, including the No. 1 hits "Carolyn" and "The Roots of My Raising". In 1981, 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. He died March 14, 2000, in Ashland City, Tennessee.

Discography

Albums

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
	Dynamic	—	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

Singles

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

• ^A"If You Can't Bite, Don't Growl" also peaked at number 5 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

External links

• Tommy Collins at Allmusic.
• Tommy Collins at CMT.com