1. Mel Collins's mother was Bebe Collins a singer while his father was Derek Collins a saxophonist and session musician who toured with Judy Garland and Shirley Bassey.
14 Facts About Mel Collins
1. 2.
Mel Collins was a member of progressive rock bands King Crimson, Camel, and sessioned with The Alan Parsons Project.
3.
Mel Collins left King Crimson in 1972, later contributing to the album Red as a session musician.
4.
Mel Collins played on the Crimson Jazz Trio's second album, The King Crimson Songbook, Volume Two, released in 2009.
5.
Mel Collins played the saxophone solo on The Rolling Stones 1978 hit single, "Miss You", and joined Dire Straits in 1983 on their eight month long Love over Gold Tour and their live album, Alchemy.
6.
Mel Collins was one of the members of Kokomo with Tony O'Malley, Neil Hubbard, Paddy McHugh, Frank Collins, Dyan Birch, and Alan Spenner, and is a frequent performer with Tony O'Malley.
7.
In 1983, Mel Collins played the saxophone solo on the hit single "Private Dancer", the title cut on Tina Turner's album by the same name.
8.
Mel Collins's solo was recorded in England at the Wessex Studios.
9.
In 1984 Mel Collins played saxophone in Pino Daniele's album Musicante, having previously toured with the Neapolitan blues man.
10.
In 1985 Mel Collins was part of the supergroup 'Willie and the Poor Boys' appearing in their video with Bill Wyman and Jimmy Page.
11.
Mel Collins toured again with Waters on a second leg of the 'Pros and Cons' tour.
12.
Mel Collins played woodwinds on the 2011 King Crimson ProjeKct 7, A Scarcity of Miracles, appearing on a King Crimson related album for the first time since 1974.
13.
In September 2013, Robert Fripp confirmed that Mel Collins would be a member of King Crimson again, the band being referred to as King Crimson VIII.
14.
Mel Collins was a member of Pete Haycock's reformation of the Climax Blues Band in 2013, prior to Haycock's death in October 2013.