Benny Collins died (production manager on Bad Tour, Dangerous Tour and parts of the HIStory Tour)

Paris78

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Benny Collins, legendary production manager and 2014 Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, died after a battle with pneumonia at Marin General Hospital in California Jan. 27.

Collins worked with everybody: Michael Jackson, U2, Journey, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, Madonna and Lionel Richie, and even took Wham! to China in 1985.

“Benny is one of the most honest, most ethical people I know – it’s that simple,” production Manager Charlie Hernandez told FOH Online when Collins won the Parnelli award. “He’s always able to tell the truth, whether it’s to a cab driver or the King of Pop.”

In fact, Collins gave Hernandez a job as site coordinator for Michael Jackson.
http://www.pollstarpro.com/NewsContent.aspx?cat=0&com=1&ArticleID=829187

Some information about Benny: http://www.fohonline.com/current-is...e-achievement-award-winner-benny-collins.html

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Benny Collins (his comments when Mike died)

"My fondest memory is just watching him be himself and seeing the energy and love that he brought to the rehearsals and show, and to have been a part of a time of wonder and beauty that may never come again. He truly was one of a kind. Also, I have a picture from Christmas in Japan when I was dressed up as Santa Claus, and he sat on my lap and took a picture pulling down my beard. Michael just being Michael and doing the things he loved to do with an energy that was uplifting and energizing. It still makes me very sad to realize he is no longer with us on this planet, and yet he will forever be in our hearts."
 

Starting 1:15

It's his deep voice which comes to my mind ....remembering the Dangerous Tour. Feels like yesterday.
 
R.I.P. Benny Collins ol' friend.
 
It's his deep voice which comes to my mind ...
Me too. Its the first thing I thought of. I remember him so much and his deep, and I guess I can say, gravely voice.
I have a BTS of the Bad Tour or Dangerous Tour, (its been so long since I've seen it),on VHS that I recorded from
TV years ago with Benny talking about all the goings on with the tour.
Awww Benny! :( Rest in peace.
 
Thank you for posting-This was an interesting story: http://www.fohonline.com/current-iss...y-collins.html

I always wondered watching those fascinating behind the scenes vids, where they got all those people building the stage and hanging the lights. I assumed they were local people, but now I understand more why it went so seamlessly-with people like Benny in charge. Interesting story too about the HNIC-would be hard to keep your temper, I'd think. That and the hard work and he seems like such an optimistic, high morale person-RIP.
 
A story from Brad Sundberg about Benny's work ethics. May he rest in peace!

Bennie Collins

First, let's keep the facts straight. I did not tour with Michael, however I was very involved in something called "Tour Prep", which was during tour rehearsals when the band was learning the new songs we had just recorded from an album. These songs would need to be restructured for the band - typically with a much faster tempo and in a lower key. Choreography would also come into play as the song might include dance breaks, etc. So my involvement with the touring group was usually before the tours started, not as much on the road.

Having said that, I was always fascinated by the Michael's tours. I watched the rehearsals in LA in a huge soundstage at Universal Studios or in an airport hanger. We worked in Pensacola Florida at the Civic Center. I even remember early rehearsals taking place perhaps at SIR in Hollywood, but don't quote me on that one.

The tour personnel were each in their own division, and they were designated by an A, B or C (Artist, Band, Crew). As you can imagine the A group stayed in the best hotels, followed by B, then C. Obviously Michael, Miko, Bill and Michael's personal staff/security traveled together in group A. Brad Buxer and the band and dancers would travel in group B, and so on.

If you have even been backstage at a large show you have seen the crew. Black tee shirts, black pants or shorts, guys that you might give just a bit of extra room if they were walking towards you down the street. There are sound techs, lighting techs, video techs, riggers, electricians (sparkies), pyro, band techs, etc. These are some of the smartest, hardest working problem-solving people you can imagine. These shows don't just "happen", there is an amazing amount of planning, travel coordinating, insurance, payroll, local hiring (roadies), safety oversight, etc., for every show. There are payroll people, cooks, production assistants (runners), stage managers - an army of people at each show, and that army needs a general. For Michael, that general was Bennie Collins.

I would be overstepping my bounds to say that Bennie and I were close friends, simply because we never had the time to get to know each other. Bennie was large and in charge, and he ran the backstage of a Michael show like a well-oil machine.

I had perhaps 20 or 25 interactions with Bennie over the years, but there was always a deep respect given and received during each of them. He knew I worked with Michael in the studio, and I knew he worked with Michael on the road - there was no need to further discussion or "let me check with so and so to see if that's OK...", he just got things done.

Bennie had this amazing gravely bass voice. You knew that voice from 100 feet away! I think Michael enjoyed being around guys like Bill Bray and Bennie Collins because they both had similar gravel in their vocals.

During the HIStory tour in Europe there were three stages being used. One would be being built for an upcoming set of shows, one would be in use for current shows, and one would be being broken down from shows that just concluded. Think about that for a moment - that is an amazing amount of coordination, planning and execution happening at one time. And Bennie was in the center of it.

During the HIStory tour in June 1997 we were in France, doing a project for Rod Temperton. It was purely by chance that Michael was in town at the same time. I reached out to Brad Buxer and asked if he could get us some tickets, which of course he was happy to do. Buxer simply said, "They'll be backstage". The tricky part was getting backstage. We weren't traveling with a cell phone in 1997, and I don't speak French, so the challenge was set.

We arrived at the Parc des Princes venue a couple hours before the show, and I tried to communicate with security. I explained that I was part of Michael's team, but without a backstage pass they wouldn't let me through. Finally they agreed to let me find Bennie Collins if I left my wife Debbie and daughter Amanda in the security booth - sort of as collateral. I wound my way backstage, past all of the generators, amp stacks, road cases and staging materials until I found the production trailer - and Bennie.

It's the funniest feeling seeing a bunch of people that you recognize from rehearsals many weeks earlier and thousands of miles away. I think they like seeing a familiar face as much as I was happy to see them. Bennie had my passes and ran out to get Deb and Amanda. We returned and I was able to properly introduce my family to Michael's "road family", including Bennie. He was warm and friendly, but also very busy and focused on keeping the show on track. Michael invited Amanda to be on stage with a group of kids for the song "Heal The World", which was a highlight for us.

Bennie was highly respected in the industry, and he was a pro. He was funny, self-assured, and a gentle giant. As I look back at this amazing team of people who helped bring Michael's music to his fans through recordings, videos and live performances, it is worth noting how many of these people were genuinely kind and good-hearted. It became evident that Michael usually worked with guys that he liked to be around.

Rest in peace Bennie, and thanks for respecting a young engineer who likely looked out-of-place in your backstage world. Your smile was all I needed to know I was talking to the right person.

https://www.facebook.com/inthestudi...8278317346071/689161427924421/?type=3&theater
 
There is also another video with Benny Collins taken from the BAD Tour.

Here, Benny Collins addresses how MJ’s time & effort on perfecting his craft keep motivating the crew to become even better, so in the end “everything matches”.

(Benny Collins' part starts at 5:04)

[video=youtube;tsIz-SQiLPU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsIz-SQiLPU[/video]
 
Thank you for helping Magic come to life!
 
Thank you for helping Magic come to life!

Thank you indeed. From the articles it sounds like he was a truly generous, brave man and a complete pro. May he rest in peace and may grace be with his family. Thanks for the videos posted. I actually never saw either of them and I've always been fascinated by the behind-the-scenes of many trades. The end product is most of the time the result of huge team efforts and great leadership. It looks like Benny Collins was the kind of man who could accomplish exactly that.
 
Awww man.....just saw this. I remember him from both MJ's tours and Journey's tours. I respected that man very much, he was definitely one of the old school "get it done, no matter WHAT" mentalities. I don't know if any of you guys know who Wolfman Jack was, but he was a 70's personality with a really gruff voice, and in the Journey crew back in '83, I remember in a documentary they referred to Benny as "Wolfman Black", since his voice was very similar!! hehe.....

RIP Benny.
 
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