There are ghosts in R&B. Not the kind I imagine are even now dragging chains through your halls and moaning piteously (probably due to that music you make them listen to). No, I'm talking about the insubstantial kind. Maybe it's best to call them "phantoms" (which the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as "something apparent to sense but with no substantial existence").
A perfect example is Rena Collins. From 1943 to 1949, she was a band singer, a solo entertainer appearing at various clubs and theaters, and a recording artist; and then she totally disappeared. Even worse, there's not a trace of her prior to 1943 or after 1949. I can't tell you a single thing about her. When was she born? Where? Who were her parents? Was she ever married? Did she have children? When and where did she die? Not a single word was ever written about her personal life. In ads and write-ups, she was rarely more than a name.
I was surprised to find that "Rena Collins" was a fairly common name, but not one of them in the 1940 or 1950 censuses seems to be her.
[And, she's not the only R&B phantom. Joe Morris had a couple of singers with his band whom I tried to write about: Al Savage and Ursula Reed. In spite of their names not being as common as "Rena Collins", I can't prove that either one existed outside of the entertainment industry. Another Joe Morris mystery man was "Mr. Stringbean. His real name was Johnnie Williams, but researching a name like that would lead me to heavier drinking.]
The first time Rena appeared on the scene was in a review of the show at the Coral Gables night club in Lansing, Michigan. The Lansing State Journal of December 4, 1943 said, in part: "Another Negro entertainer, Miss Rena Collins, makes a hit with her singing." Others on the show were singer/MC Dick Worthington, dancer Lee Sims, acrobatic dancer Mitze Martin, the dance team of Tony & Estelle, and Benny Carew's Orchestra. It only ran for two days (December 4-5). She was back at Coral Gables from March 3-5, 1944 (but advertised as "Rita Collins").
Next, Rena was part of the show at Detroit's Paradise Theater, the week of March 31, 1944. Also on the bill were the Carolina Cotton Pickers, comedians Crackshot Hackley, Tim Moore, and Vivian Harris (who'd be called the "Voice Of The Apollo Theater", since she announced their acts for around 20 years), and Al Cowan's Tramp Band. (What's a "tramp band"? See my article on Doctor Sausage.)
On May 1, 1944, Rena opened at Detroit's Club Zombie, as part of James "Spizzy" Canfield's "Cavalcade Of Rhythm" show. The April 29 Detroit Tribune said:
Detroit's Club Zombie continues with the biggest in entertainment - Peg Leg Bates, celebrated tap star opens Monday night in Spizzy Canfield's Cavalcade Of Rhythm, which features such well known personalities as the team of Red and Curly [dancers and drummers], Rhythm Willie, the harmonica sensation, and lovely Rena Collins.
The May 13 Michigan Chronicle had this review of the wartime patriotic show:
Spizzy Canfield's production currently seen at Broad's Club Zombie features that versatile uniped dancer, Pegleg [sic] Bates in a variety of tap steps, amazing the patrons with his dexterity and dance routine.
Red and Curly, dance team, are great in their drum beating and dance step act for some goodly applause. "Bronze Beauty Parade" has lyrics sung by Rena Collins as the chorines show off to a lookable advantage in filmy costumes.
Rhythm Willie, ace of harmonica players, pleases your musical taste with such tunes as "Avalon", with "Stardust" for an encore.
Pegleg [sic] Bates, of nation-wide stage and theater fame, gives an imitation of an American dive bomber and sets a dizzy pace for himself while dancing on the peg. His reward was a hearty applause from the audience.
"Dig Down Deep", the chorus girls and emcee Spizzy Canfield sing to bring on the patriotic finale, highlighted by Rena Collins posing as Miss Statue Of Liberty, urging the buying of more war bonds in "44" [it's unclear if this is the title of a song she sang or if it simply refers to the year 1944]. Red and Curly carry the colors of the country, waving in the breeze, as the curtain falls on the show.
Harold Wallace and band furnish the music for the show and dancing.
The Club Zombie's next revue, starting on June 2, was called "Show Time". It starred the Peters Sisters, Rhythm Willie, and dancer Leon Collins. The June 3 Detroit Tribune told us: "Miss Rena Collins was held over from the last show to pinch-hit for Bing Williams, who failed to make this revue."
The June 10 Michigan Chronicle said: "The show opens with Canfield singing as the chorines come on for a song and dance to tune of 'Do It Now', for some applause. Rena Collins offers 'I'm Ridin' For A Fall', and other tunes for her share of the show."
But that was the last time we hear of Rena Collins in Michigan. By mid-December 1944, she had come to New York to appear at Kelly's Stable (137 West 52 Street) in a revue called "New Faces On Swing Lane". It mostly had acts I don't know, except for the Vivien Garry Trio (misspelled "Vivian Gary Trio" in the ad).
Probably in July 1945, the 3 Riffs, along with the orchestra of saxophonist Teddy McRae, had a session for Chicago Records, a New York label, whose president was the legendary J. Mayo Williams. The two songs recorded were "Pluggin' Jane" (a World War 2 song about a war worker who plugs away all day) and "To Satisfy You". Most of the vocal on the latter tune was done by Rena Collins, who wasn't a member of the group. I don't believe she was with McRae either; she was probably just thrown into the mix. [Note that, at this time, the 3 Riffs were known as the "3 Barons", although they reverted to the 3 Riffs name within a couple of months.]
Sometime in early October, she opened at the Elks Rendezvous in New York, along with Little Miss Cornshucks.
The October 20 Billboard told us that she'd gotten a manager:
Arthur Bryson has taken under exclusive management Little Miss Cornshucks, blues singer; Shim Sham Shimmy, tapper and comic; and Rene [sic] Collins, vocalist. Two last named opened October 4 at the Terrace [Club] nitery, Richmond [Virginia].
A few weeks later, on November 10, 1945, she performed at the Fireman's Dinner Club (in the Prince George Hotel) in Norfolk, Virginia. This, the prior item, and the next one, are her only known appearances outside of Michigan and New York.
Nothing more for a year, until the December 16, 1946 Down Beat said that "[pianist/bandleader Eddie] Heywood recently discovered a new gal vocalist, Rena Collins, and will feature her with his new combo." They were due to open at an unspecified Baltimore club the following week.
After that, it was back to New York. Said the March 20, 1947 Washington Afro-American: "Rena Collins, vocalizing beauty with Eddie Heywood's band at New York's new Zanzibar, formerly chirped with Benny Carter's outfit." She and Heywood had started at the Zanzibar on February 20, the night the club opened at its new Broadway location, on the site of the old Cotton Club. In spite of what the blurb said, there's nothing that ties her to Benny Carter.
The February 20 Zanzibar ad mentions the Mills Brothers, Ida James, Apus & Estrellita, Eddie Heywood & His Orchestra, and Doel [sic; should be Doles] Dickens & His Orchestra, but not Rena. Actually, no review of the show even mentioned that Heywood had a singer. It wasn't until the club's April 1 ad that her name appeared in their ad. (By that time, Dickens had become "Doels".)
However, by late April 1947, she'd become the vocalist for the Claude Hopkins Quartet, which appeared at the Zebra Lounge of the Hotel Sheraton in Boston. After that, in mid-May, it was The Barn in the Hotel Ausable Chasm (in Ausable Chasm, New York - note that I've been there and it's a smaller version of the Grand Canyon - definitely worth a trip). They also did a radio broadcast from the hotel, so she must have been heard over the airwaves.
The quartet originally consisted of Claude Hopkins (piano), Scoville "Toby" Browne (sax and clarinet), Eddie Gibbs (guitar), and John Brown (bass), as well as Rena on vocals. Scoville Browne didn't stay all that long, being replaced by Prince Robinson. However, Browne is in the only photo of the group that included Rena. One of the Ausable Chasm ads had "Claude Hopkins And His Quintette", so either there was another musician that I'm not aware of, or they counted Rena.
The September 27, 1947 Pittsburgh Courier had an article titled "Claude Hopkins To Unveil New Quartet":
Harlemites, known as the toughest critics, whose stamp of approval on a musical combination carries plenty of weight, will get their first close-up of the new Claude Hopkins Quartet on Oct. 10, at the Renaissance Ballroom, when the Goodhearts Welfare Association, Inc., presents its annual benefit dance. The Hopkins combination is one of the featured guest acts slated to appear during the evening's festivities.
Organized early this year and filling engagements in and near Canada throughout the summer, the Quartet had provoked plenty of enthusiastic comment. In addition to Hopkins, who holds forth at the piano with all of the skill and dexterity which made his orchestra of some years back one of the best known outfits, the combination includes John Brown on bass, Prince Robinson on clarinet, and Eddie Gibbs on the electric guitar. Renee [sic] Collins provides fem appeal and dulcet vocals.
I assume that those engagements near Canada had to do with the Ausable Chasm Hotel, which is less than 50 miles from the Canadian border. There are no ads or write-ups to indicate that they ever played in Canada itself. What the blurb didn't mention was that all the members also sang. This will now become important.
Sometime in the fall of 1947, probably in September, the Claude Hopkins Quartet recorded at least eight sides for Eddie Heller's Rainbow Records in New York. In those days, Rainbow didn't put master numbers on the records, so I don't know if these were all done in one session or in what order. Note that they all have a male group on them: the members of the Hopkins Quartet. The bass voice, who gets some solo parts, is guitarist Eddie Gibbs (identified as "Deep Voice Gibbs" on one of the labels).
Suffice it to say that, in October 1947, Rainbow released four of the sides:
10035 It's Too Big, Poppa / Low Gravy
10036 Put Yourself In My Place Baby / Two Loves Have I
The second of these was reviewed in the November 15 Cash Box:
Pair of sides which ops may find of excellent advantage are these offered by the Claude Hopkins Quartet and done up in low, splendid moods that count. With chirp Rena Collins to wail the pleasing wordage to "Put Yourself In My Place Baby" and "Two Loves Have I", the platter stacks up as one which ops can use as exceptional filler material. Top deck spins in slow mellow tones, with the thrush piping pretty throughout. For the flip, Rena offers easy listening time with the pleasant "Two Loves Have I". The subdued instrumental tones of the Hopkins four round out the side in merry fashion.
Very nice, but most of Rainbow's advertising budget was spent on the raunchy "It's Too Big, Poppa", the one Rena Collins tune that most of you know (and which didn't even get reviewed).
On November 4, Hopkins and "Renee Collins" opened at The Spa, in Bayonne, New Jersey (they'd be advertised through November 22). The November 4 Bayonne Times said:
Claude Hopkins, great colored bandleader and song writer opens tonite at Spa with Renee Collins, his sensational vocalist, and 5 piece orchestra. First time ever to come here, and in keeping with Spa's latest big name policy. They are a show band and play exceptionally for dancing. Also do 2, 3 and 4 part harmony on many of their special arrangements.
In November, 1947, Rainbow issued the other four sides:
10040 If Dreams Come True / When My Dream Boat Comes Home
10041 Baby Have You Got A Little Love To Spare / You're Gonna Be Sorry
Once again, it was the second of the pair that was reviewed in Cash Box (on November 29):
More mellow music from the Rainbow plattery with thrush Rena Collins and the Claude Hopkins Quartet to charm and enchant phono fans. Rena's vocal chords spell coin play magic on the top deck ["Baby"], as the combo back the lass in fine style. The gal's voice makes for soothing, pleasurable moments. On the flip with some onion stuff [a song to make you cry], Rena steps out to wail "You're Gonna Be Sorry". Wordage weaves around the title, with the metro [?] spinning in the heavy mood. They're cute cookies - whirl 'em.
On December 1, 1947 - Claude Hopkins and "Rene Collins" opened at the Enduro Cafe in Brooklyn (the spot that, back in 1942, had launched the 4 Toppers on their way to becoming the Red Caps). It took several days for the ads to get her name correct.
They were mentioned in the December 2 Brooklyn Daily Eagle's Night Life column. It said, in part:
Along with Hopkins at the piano are John Brown, bass; Eddie Gibbs, electric guitar; and Prince Robinson, sax and clarinet. All the players sing and team in duets, trios, and quartets.
Featured vocalist is Rena Collins, a good looking girl with a pleasant, husky voice. She does oldies and new ones.
They were gone from the Enduro by year-end and there would be no recording in 1948, due to the musician's strike. Interestingly, with all the desperate recording that went on in December 1947 to prepare for the strike, it doesn't look like Rainbow brought back the Hopkins band for any further sessions.
On February 6, 1948, Claude and Rena appeared at The Place in Greenwich Village. Said the Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City):
Claude Hopkins opened Friday nite, Feb. 6, at "The Place" in midtown Manhattan . . . Hopkins has a nice quartet these days plus Rena Collins and that isn't bad.
Why an Oklahoma paper told you where Claude Hopkins was appearing in New York is beyond me. At least they can be excused for thinking Greenwich Village is in midtown Manhattan.
I don't know how long that engagement lasted, but it was the end of the association between Rena Collins and Claude Hopkins.
On April 6, 1948, "Rita [sic] Collins (Distinctive Song Stylist From Claude Hopkins Band") started at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo New York. The main act was Georgie Clark, with his vocalist Lynn Stevens. The other act was Dotty Saulters ("Formerly Featured with Cab Calloway's Band"). A week later, the ad had Rena's name before Dotty's (and spelled correctly). The engagement, the last ever recorded for Rena, was for at least three weeks.
Not another word for over a year, until this appeared in the July 24, 1949 Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Florida):
Apollo Records has come up with a new star, Rena Collins, and you're going to like her initial waxing, "Take It Easy, Arthur", a song that suggests one thing but means another as you'll discover in the surprise ending. The flip is called "Don't Stop", a fast-moving heavy boogie with some extraordinary ditties.
Released in June 1949, "Take It Easy, Arthur" was a cover of the Johnny Dee tune, which had been issued on Regent in May, with a vocal by thrush Randie Richards. Since both versions are somewhat rare, I'll ruin the "surprise" ending by telling you that Arthur came over to fix her television. "Don't Stop" is in the same category as "Sixty Minute Man" and "Don't Stop Dan", in that it could be interpreted as "Don't! Stop!" or "Don't stop!". The record wasn't reviewed.
And that was it, Rena Collins' name never again appeared in print.
I like Rena's recorded output, but who was she? We may never know.
Special thanks to Jay Bruder.
CHICAGO (3 Barons [3 Riffs], with Teddy McRae & His Orchestra)
106 To Satisfy You (vocal: Rena Collins) / [Pluggin' Jane - 3 Barons] - 7/45
RAINBOW (with Claude Hopkins Quartet)
10035 It's Too Big, Poppa / Low Gravy - 10/47
10036 Put Yourself In My Place Baby / Two Loves Have I - 10/47
10040 If Dreams Come True / When My Dream Boat Comes Home - 11/47
10041 Baby Have You Got A Little Love To Spare / You're Gonna Be Sorry - 11/47
APOLLO (Rena Collins)
1149 Don't Stop / Take It Easy, Arthur - 6/49