About Tony Hollins
Lived 1909 – 1957 (aged 47–48). Tony Hollins was a songwriter and singer-songwriter.
Tony Hollins (June 25, 1909 – January 1957) was an American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter.
Biography Hollins is thought to have been born in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, and was raised at Lucky's Plantation.
Hollins primarily worked as a barber in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He made his first recordings for OKeh Records in Chicago in 1941, including "Crosscut Saw Blues", "Crawlin' King Snake" and "Traveling Man Blues", both songs later performed by Hooker, in the latter case renamed as "When My Wife Quit Me". Hollins failed to maintain a career as a musician and returned to Clarksdale. However, he went back to Chicago in the late 1940s, and recorded for Decca with Sunnyland Slim in 1951.
He is believed to have died in Clarksdale early in 1957, although one source places his death in Chicago in 1959.
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Important facts
People in Tony Hollins's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Tony Hollins's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Tony Hollins?
American singer-songwriter
When was Tony Hollins born?
Tony Hollins was born on 25 June 1909.
When did Tony Hollins die?
Tony Hollins died in 1957.
What was Tony Hollins's occupation?
Tony Hollins was a songwriter and singer-songwriter.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tony Hollins. https://biography.guide/tony-hollins/
MLA: "Tony Hollins." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tony-hollins/.
Chicago: "Tony Hollins." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tony-hollins/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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