Al âJazzboâ Collins
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Biography
Albert Richard "Al 'Jazzbo' Collins" was born on January 4, 1919 in Rochester, New York. He began his career as a disc jockey after dropping out of the University of Miami to pursue broadcasting full-time. His breakthrough came with his jazz-themed radio show at WNEW in New York City, where he adopted the persona of a DJ broadcasting from an imaginary "Purple Grotto" studio.
In the 1950s, Collins released several albums, including Little Red Riding Hood â a Grimm fairy tale for Hip Kids, which sold over 750,000 copies. He also hosted various radio and television shows across different stations in New York City, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles. Notable collaborations included appearances by Art Tatum on his radio show. In 1957, he briefly hosted The Tonight Show. Collins continued to work until his death from pancreatic cancer in September 1997.
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