WESSON, MS, April 15, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Steve Collins has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
An esteemed drummer, videographer and documentarian, Mr. Collins has garnered more than 40 years of excellence in both the performing arts and civic activism, leveraging his vast experience and keen eye for storytelling to convey important truths. Greatly inspired by the televised recording of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral, as well as the first airing of "Roots" in 1977, he subsequently decided to pursue a career in documenting Black history. Through his film company, SVCC Productions, Mr. Collins has released several important documentaries, including "The Don Linzy Dixon Story" and "The Boy with the Pop Bottle on His Head."
Prior to his work in filmmaking, Mr. Collins excelled as a drummer alongside the Dixon Singers, a gospel band from Hazlehurst, Mississippi, who were recognized among the top rated gospel groups in the nation by 1980. During his journey with the aforementioned band, he documented their concerts by handing over his camera to members of the audience, who took pictures of the group as they performed. Not yet realizing that these very pictures would form the basis of his first documentary, Mr. Collins recorded five albums with the group until 1994, at which point the band parted ways.
In 1980, the Dixon Singers were dealt with a tragic blow when their founder, and lead singer, Don Linzy Dixon, was killed during a convenience store robbery. Though his murderers were eventually brought to justice, Mr. Dixon was written off as a mere shop clerk by the press at the time and his musical career was largely forgotten by those who did not know of him. Driven to pay homage to his life and talent, Mr. Collins produced his first documentary, "The Don Linzy Dixon Story," to uphold Mr. Dixon's memory. Following this accomplishment, June 14th was designated as Don Linzy Day in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, in 2014, and a U.S. highway was named in his honor during the following year.
Continuing with his work as a documentarian, Mr. Collins is also the director of "The Boy With The Pop Bottle on His Head," which examines the strange story of a young boy who appeared seemingly at random in 1966 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Prophesizing that a disaster would soon befall the town, his predictions came true when a devastating tornado struck and killed 32 people in 1969. Though the mysterious boy became the talk of the town, very little was officially recorded on the incident until the documentary premiered. Receiving much acclaim, Mr. Collins' film was lauded as the Best Documentary at the Mid-South Black Film Festival in March of 2020, and was presented with an Award of Recognition from the IndieFEST in San Diego, California in May of the same year.
Outside of his primary professional circles, Mr. Collins is an avid cyclist, and enjoys biking across the back roads of Copiah County, Mississippi. He has been married to his wife, Vicky, for more than 30 years, with whom he is the proud parent of two children. He has also happily welcomed two grandchildren into his family. Looking toward the future, Mr. Collins aspires to continue his career in videography and documentary filmmaking, through which he hopes to provide a lasting keyhole into the past for future generations.
About Marquis Who's Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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