Blairsville native Randall Collins’ legacy endures with the donation of one of his fiddles to the Union County Historical Society.
Several members of the Collins Family, including three of Randall’s children, two grandchildren and his brother F.C. Collins, met with Historical Society members on Wednesday, July 2, to present the instrument.
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Prior to his illness and subsequent passing at the age of 84 on June 27, 2024, Collins had expressed interest in donating a fiddle to the Historical Society. According to his family, Collins maintained a large collection, but the one offered to the Historical Society is indeed special.
Custom-made for Collins and featuring his name on the inside along with an electric bridge, the fiddle was crafted by Greg Brooks of Mineral Bluff and had been played before at concerts at the Old Courthouse.
Now, it will feature in the room showcasing some of Union County’s musical talent, likely mounted below portraits of Sam Ensley – another local virtuoso and a good friend of Collins.
That said, Collins’ performance history is long and noteworthy. Having been raised around music, he carried on the tradition from his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and beyond; he once told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that learning the fiddle was “part of the responsibility of becoming a man in the Collins Family.”
And he took that responsibility seriously, going on to develop his own style and playing with the likes of Earl Taylor and Jim McCall and Bill and Wilma Millsaps. He released several singles and four albums of his own making but was also known for his collaborations.
First, Collins was part of the short-lived Carolina Buddies but boasted a longer career playing with Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys. In fact, he became co-leader of that group in short time, and together, they played at festivals across the South.
Collins released his first solo album in 1972, titled “Stands Tall in Ga. Cotton,” featuring seven tracks written by himself. By 1973, he was leading his own group known as Dixie Grass and found a regular place among the Pinnacle Boys. Throughout the 1980s, he worked with other groups, all the while honing his passion for music.
On that note, Collins had a profound impact on his community, sharing his tunes back home and helping others to see the value in learning an instrument.
“A lot of people learned to play fiddle under him,” Benny Collins said of his father, estimating that at least 30 people were tutored by him in Blairsville alone.
In 1975, Collins organized his first fiddle contest in Union County. Benny Collins and his sister, Sherri Jones, can recall helping out when the annual event rolled around, sharing that over time the contest became more of a bluegrass festival.
“He knew a lot about it, and I guess over the years, he just learned so much,” Jones remarked, maintaining that her father was the best fiddler she ever heard. “He had a good style … If I was blindfolded, I could pick him out if I heard his fiddling.”
“That was his life; he had to do it. He told (his grandchildren) when they were little that if it’s in you and it (doesn’t) come out, it’ll drive you crazy,” Benny Collins recalled about a time his father imparted wisdom regarding drive and talent.
Benny estimates his father’s collection included some 40 instruments, and Historical Society President Mike Cook hails the donation to the local museum as an impressive addition.
Cook’s hope is that Collins’ fiddle can inspire a new generation of musicians from Blairsville, though if they don’t pick up the fiddle with the same type of in-born gift that Collins had, he still believes it’s worthwhile to preserve the names of Union County’s legends through education.
“I think it’s just keeping the town alive. If we don’t care about it now, we might as well just shut it down and move on,” Cook said. “It’s good that people are still wanting to donate and give stuff that meant a lot to them that now could mean a lot to us and other people.”
Collins’ music can be found through Google and YouTube searches, and those with Spotify accounts can listen to his “Georgia Fiddler” album along with recordings of his playing with the Pinnacle Boys and a live recording of his 1973 performance at the Bean Blossom Festival.
And people should keep an ear out for the musical tradition that continues to this day with the Collins Family Band, which plays various local performances throughout the year.
