VINT COLLINS

Guitar & Vocals

Robert Vincent Collins was born and raised in Lexington, KY. He graduated from Lafayette High School and received his bachelors and master’s degrees in science education from the University of Kentucky. He also earned a Rank 1 endorsement in Education Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands. His professional career has always been in or associated with public education.

Music was a staple wherever the Collins family was, be it at home, the lake, the homes of friends, or with relatives. His dad played the guitar and piano, and his mother enjoyed singing along too and could sing harmony to any melody. His parents consistently participated in the church choir. Gospel music is near and dear to Vint’s heart to this day. When his dad would sit down at the piano is when the fun began. His dad’s spirited boogie-woogie Jerry Lee Lewis style of piano livened up any occasion.

Vint’s first attempt at playing a musical instrument was the clarinet in elementary school. The clarinet did not have great appeal because sports was king in elementary and middle school, until his best friend Tim Prewitt got a drum set at the age of 13. Vint wanted a drum set too because drums were loud and cool. The volume of the drums is believed to be his parent’s motivation to convince him to make the switch to the guitar. A couple of years later his parents would learn what loud really meant when the Marshall half-stack then shortly thereafter a full stack found its way to the basement. The neighbors loved it. Not!

His musical influences vary greatly. In the beginning there was southern gospel, traditional country such as Hank Williams Sr., Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Glen Campbell. Bluegrass was always present as well. Around the age of 10 came pop influences. Vint listened to Casey Kassem Top 40 count down of the forty most popular songs in the country every Saturday night. He rarely missed an episode. Then in junior high came the R and B-funk stylings Motown especially the Jackson Five, and bands like Parliament and Earth Wind and Fire. As for rock-n-roll: Kiss, Ted Nugent, Rick Derringer, Styx, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kansas, and progressive rock of Yes, Steely Dan and Pink Floyd.

At the age of 17, the first band he played in was called Progress. To this day these guys are some his best and dearest friends. After four good years with Progress Vint decided he should finish college, so gigging was put on the back burner, and he completed his bachelor’s degree. During this period, he married the love of his life, Tanya Kinmon, and they were blessed with two beautiful and talented daughters, Holly and Hayley. He entered the education profession as a science teacher and at the same time went back to “school” to learn how to be a husband and father. Vint never stopped playing guitar, but for some reason he decided it was time to get back in the “music game”. He played in several bands around Lexington with a good measure of success and then eight years ago he landed with the Five Below Band when they needed a fill in. Months later he was invited to become a permanent member and has been with this fabulous group of musicians ever since.