WHO WE ARE
Bill Collins III holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education degree from TCU and a Master’s Degree in Music Education from UNT. He was a member of the internationally famous One O’Clock Lab Band from 1975–1977, with Lab ’76 receiving a Grammy nomination. As a trumpet student, Bill studied with John Haynie, Leonard Candelaria, and Don Jacoby. After graduation, he spent 30 years as one of the busiest musicians in the DFW area, as well as being in demand for both local and national recording sessions. A partial list of his performance credits include: Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Nelson Riddle, Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Andy Williams, Wayne Newton, Johnny Mathis, Don Henley, Lou Rawls, Aretha Franklin, Louis Bellson, Pearl Bailey, Bernadette Peters, Doc Severinsen, Mel Torme, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, Bobby Shew, and Dizzy Gillespie.
Through the years Bill has been a private trumpet teacher and an adjudicator at various jazz festivals. He has held adjunct faculty positions teaching trumpet, improvisation, and music business at Texas Wesleyan University, Cedar Valley, Tarrant County College, Weatherford College, and UT-Arlington. He has taught summer jazz camps at UNT with Mike Steinel, Jay Saunders and Bobby Shew, in addition to being a member of the house orchestra at the Dallas Summer Musicals for 24 years. Bill has served as a board member of the DFW Musicians Union, on the Advisory Board of the Music Department at Cedar Valley College. He and his wife Susan have both served on the College of Music Advisory Board at University of North Texas.
Bill is currently retired from performing and teaching and is President of the Collins-Binkley Foundation, Inc. and founder of the Sherman Jazz Museum which opened on May 8, 2010. His roots in Grayson Co. date to the mid-1800s through the families of B.H. Zauk/J.M. Binkley/Wm. Whitley Wheat/Jas. M. Roberts/Wm. Wheat Collins.
Cathy Collins has worked at the Museum since its inception in 2007. As curator, she was responsible for designing the museum using the skills and knowledge gained from her music courses at the University of Oklahoma as well as the Art History courses from her undergraduate degree at UT-Arlington. Susan Collins, retired in 2007 as an Undergraduate Advisor in the Music Department at UT-Arlington, now enjoys the time spent helping her husband and daughter at the Sherman Jazz Museum. MUSEUM HOURS, LOCATION & CONTACT INFORMATION
Saturdays 1:00 - 5 p.m. No Admission Charge
201 East Lamar @ Walnut St., Sherman, TX 75090
(Interactive Map, click here)
Telephone: 903-893-5673
E-Mail: shermanjazzmuseum@gmail.com
The Sherman Jazz Museum, housed in a 1924 Historical Landmark building,
is ADA exempt and, unfortunately, is not wheelchair accessible.
is ADA exempt and, unfortunately, is not wheelchair accessible.
