Tim Collins (manager) - Personal History

Personal History

Just as the '80s marked the return of Aerosmith -- "one of the most dramatic comebacks ever in rock" -- they also underlined the rise to prominence of the band's personal manger, Tim Collins.

At the age of 14, Tim Collins joined a band called Tax Free. Playing guitar in the band, Collins also took responsibility for booking gigs for the band and handling their finances. While playing in the band and going to school, Collins worked full time at Anderson-Little as a clothing salesman and used the money he earned to buy the band a sound system and a truck with the money he earned. When Tax Free replaced Collins in 1970, they told Collins that "you make a better manager than a guitarist" and asked Collins if he would manage them.

By this point, Collins graduated from Bentley College in Waltham, MA where he majored in Organizational Behavior and Marketing.

As he continued to manage Tax Free, Collins opened Bands Unlimited Productions, which booked local talent in the Boston area that played all of the local colleges and night clubs. In 1977, he signed The Fools, a young rock band with a novel edge. They rose to high regional prominence very quickly. In order to gain the clout to develop them, he moved to New York City in 1978 to work for Castle Music Productions Inc., were he brought The Fools.

Collins worked for artist manager Peter Casperson, known for his work with some of the great folk-rock artists of the era including Jonathan Edwards, Martin Mull, Orphan, and Duke and the Drivers. While working at Castle Music, Collins had by himself managed to get The Fools signed to EMI Records (the record company that also signed the Beatles).

The Fools, with the support of the larger organization at Castle Music, experienced success with the hits "Psycho Chicken" and "It’s a Night for Beautiful Girls". In 1979, "Psycho Chicken", an X-rated parody of The Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer", exploded over the airwaves of Boston. The band was so excited that they followed up almost immediately with another hit, "It's a Night for Beautiful Girls". Shortly thereafter, EMI Records signed the band and sent them to tour the U.S. with The Knack. "The tour was a smashing success." After the tour, the band headed to Miami to record their debut album Sold Out.

Collins also met Jonathan Edwards, who is known for his million selling hit "Sunshine" and the controversial song "Shanty", banned by the FCC for referring to smoking marijuana.

Collins left Castle Music on April 1, 1979 and started Collins/Barrasso Agency. Steve Barrasso, his new partner, was a local Boston musician whose musical career with a band called Calamity Jayne was cut short by a lung condition. Thankfully, though, the two met and Steve convinced Tim to leave Castle and start their own business. The Collins/Barrasso Agency established its headquarters in Allston, MA.

The Collins/Barrasso Agency became the place to be for New England-based regional recording artists. Some of the many talented musicians who were on the roster included Jonathan Edwards, Aztec Two-Step, The James Montgomery Blues Band, Duke and the Drivers, Orleans, and many others. They also produced and procured talent from the major agencies for college shows and larger concert venues throughout New England.