MITTY COLLIER

In 1964, Mitty Collier transformed a James Cleveland gospel classic into an R&B smash.

She was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 21, 1941. Collier had six older siblings. She attended Alabama A&M in Huntsville and majored in English at Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama. In her teens, Collier began singing gospel. She toured with two different groups, the Hayes Ensemble and the Lloyd Reese Singers, before switching to Rhythm & Blues music.

During a 1959 visit to Chicago, Collier entered a talent contest at the Regal Theater and won for six weeks in a row. This earned her a slot on a show that featured Etta James and B.B. King. Collier’s performance gained the attention of talent scout Ralph Bass, who got her signed to Chess Records.

Collier stayed with Chess through 1968, releasing fifteen singles and the album Shades of a Genius. Her first charted single was “I’m Your Part Time Love,” an answer song to Little Johnny Taylor’s “Part Time Love.” Collier’s record made #20 on Billboard magazine’s Rhythm & Blues chart in 1963. It was her follow-up, however, that became the singer’s biggest hit.

“I Had a Talk With My Man” was a secularized recasting of James Cleveland’s “I Had a Talk With God Last Night.” Recorded with a full orchestra, Collier’s ballad hit #3 R&B and #41 pop in 1964. It also prompted cover versions by the likes of Dusty Springfield, Jackie Ross, and Shirley Brown.

Collier’s next charted single, “No Faith, No Love,” was another secularized reworking of a James Cleveland song, “No Cross, No Crown.” Her fourth and final hit, “Sharing You,” came in 1966. After leaving Chess in 1968, Collier signed with William Bell’s Atlanta-based Peachtree label. There, she released five singles and an LP.

In 1971, Mitty Collier developed polyps on her vocal chords. She lost her singing voice, forcing Collier to end her career in secular music. At that point, she devoted her life to her Christian faith. After recovering her singing voice, Collier recorded several gospel albums. Her first, 1972’s The Warning, included “I Had a Talk With God Last Night.”

She further established a Bible Study Telephone Prayer Line and the Feed-a-Neighbor program, for which Collier was awarded the key to the city of Birmingham, Alabama, in 1987. She turned to preaching, was ordained in 1989, and became pastor of the More Like Christ Christian Fellowship Ministries in Chicago. She also worked at the University of Chicago, has written plays, and continues to sing gospel music.

Mitty Collier has received a number of humanitarian and other awards, including the 2000 Woman of Wonder Award from the National Council of Negro Women.

Charted singles:

“I’m Your Part Time Love” (1963) R&B #20
“I Had a Talk With My Man” (1964) R&B #3, Pop #41
“No Faith, No Love” (1965) R&B #29, Pop #91
“Sharing You” (1966) R&B #10, Pop #97