Christopher Graeme Collins
6/21/68 - 4/5/97
"I always try to do the noble thing" Chris Collins
April 19, 1997 Creative Loafing
Christopher Graeme Collins, 28-year-old bassist of the successful Atlanta rock band toenut, died Saturday, April 5 from injuries sustained in a traffic accident while en route to a show in Athens. Collins, who was originally from Columbia, S.C., had
been acquainted with several of his bandmates for 10 years and had known the others for nearly half as long.
"We'd like to say how we consider him to be the most creative, unorthodox musician we've ever known," says Katie Walters, toenut singer/keyboardist. "We'd like to say how much it hurts to have lost him, that our suffering is deep. We've lost a member
of our family. The boys and I were talking yesterday about how we keep seeing the funny faces he'd make at practice and hearing his funny voices. It makes us laugh for a second and then the realization that he's gone takes over again."
Toenut had enjoyed popularity both locally and internationally, achieving chart success in European markets. The group had also completed promotional videos in London and was finishing work on its new CD the night before Collins' death.
"Friday we had a great practice," Walters recalls, "which made us excited about the next night's show in Athens. After practice we all went over to Chris' house on Willoughby Way to listen to the final master of the new record. Chris had made his
famous 15-bean soup. We had wine and beer, and we watched a good Seinfeld rerun while we waited for Chris' CD player to fix itself. He had a lot of quirky equipment that wouldn't work at one moment, but would the next. I saw that his old turntable had
decided to start turning, so I told Chris and he said, 'I don't know what's going on with it, because it's off.' Everybody laughed -- and then the CD player started working."
Walters continues, "We spent the next 56 minutes listening to the new toenut album. When it was over, we made one more change and we had our final master, final sequence, final everything. We were all happy when we left Chris' place. We are lucky to
have spent our last night with him doing some band-bonding. The next morning Skipper called him around 11:30 to confirm our 6 p.m. meeting time for soundcheck at the Atomic Cafe in Athens. That was the last time Chris spoke with one of us."
Collins left Atlanta that afternoon, taking bass guitar and amp with him in his vehicle. Shortly before 3 p.m. he was exiting from Highway 316 onto Highway 78 when the driver of a commercial truck fell asleep at the wheel, ran a red light, and rammed
Collins' vehicle.
Musicians who knew Collins are planning a memorial concert in Atlanta at the Point on April 26, the date of a previously scheduled toenut show. "We'll set up some instruments and just let his friends play songs in his memory," says Shonali Bhowmik of
Babyfat, a local group with whom toenut enjoyed a long personal and professional friendship. "Toenut will keep going. Chris' mom is real supportive of continuing the band. She's told us that it's what Chris would have wanted."
-- Gregory Nicoll
Chris is survived by his mother, Karen Hutchinson, stepfather, Art Hutchinson, and brother, Andy Collins, all of Little Mountain, SC.
Chris was a very special, talented and unique young man. He would have been amazed at the number of friends he had and at the outpouring of affection and tears we have all shed over the last few weeks.
I am proud to say that my best friends are my
sons, Chris and Andy and my husband, Art. We will all miss Chris to the very core of our beings for the rest of our lives.
.......Karen Hutchinson 4/25/97
The driver of the truck did not fall asleep (according to the State trooper's report). He simply (?) ran a red light. We recently received the toxicology reports on him - they were negative. Somehow, that makes this horrible accident even harder to
understand or comprehend. ........Karen Hutchinson 7/28/97
For more information and photos of Chris, please visit one of my other websites and the Grief & Healing honor page:
Our Shooting Stars
Los Perdidos (Chris' brother, Andy's website
My niece, Lace's website
Grief & Healing honor page
Chris, 1989
photo by Karen Hutchinson
(One of my favorite photos of Chris)
original artwork for Mute by Edgar W. Sanchez
GIF animation by Karen Hutchinson
if you "borrow" please add a link to this website:
members.xoom.com/Losptoenut/toenut.htm
Two in the Pinata released by Mute Corporation
6/7/99
Skip and Katie continue writing and playing music, Richie is touring with Man or Astroman, we just know that Chris is playing with Jimmi Hendrix and Stevey Ray Vaughn.
Karen Hutchinson
Last Update: 10/20/98
Web Author & Designer: Karen Hutchinson (Chris' Mom)(you can email me here)
Copyright © 1997 by Karen Hutchinson. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
