Phill Collins
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Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
and had a successful solo career, achieving three UK number-one singles and seven US number-one singles as a solo artist. In total, his work with Genesis, other artists and solo resulted in more US top-40 singles than any other artist throughout the 1980s. His most successful singles from the period include "
In the Air Tonight "In the Air Tonight" is the debut solo single by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released as the lead single from Collins's debut solo album, ''Face Value (album), Face Value'', in January 1981. It was selected as the s ...
", "
Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (also titled "Against All Odds") is a song by English drummer, singer and songwriter Phil Collins. It was recorded for the soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name. It is a power ballad in which i ...
", " One More Night", "
Sussudio "Sussudio" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 14 January 1985 in the United Kingdom by Virgin Records as the lead single from his third solo studio album, '' No Jacket Required'' (1985). The song served a ...
", "
Another Day in Paradise "Another Day in Paradise" is a song written and recorded by English drummer and singer Phil Collins. Produced by Collins along with Hugh Padgham, it was released as the first single from his number-one album '' ...But Seriously'' (1989). As w ...
", " Two Hearts" and "
I Wish It Would Rain Down "I Wish It Would Rain Down" is a song by English musician Phil Collins from his fourth solo studio album, '' ...But Seriously'' (1989). The song was a chart success in early 1990, peaking at 7 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 3 on the US ''Billb ...
". Born and raised in west London, Collins began playing drums at the age of five. During the same period he attended drama school, which helped secure various roles as a child actor. His first major role was the
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket and his nickname refers to his skill and cunning in that occupation. In the novel, he is the leader of th ...
in the West End production of the musical ''
Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...
''. As an accomplished professional actor by his early teens, he pivoted to pursue a music career, becoming the drummer for Genesis in 1970. He took over the role of lead singer in 1975 following the departure of
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
. During the second half of the 1970s, in between Genesis albums and tours, Collins was the drummer of jazz rock band
Brand X Brand X were a British jazz rock band formed in London in 1974. They were initially active until 1980, followed by reformations between 1992–1999 and 2016–2021. Despite sometimes being considered to be a Phil Collins side project (due t ...
. While continuing to perform and record with Genesis, Collins began a successful solo career in the 1980s, initially inspired by his marital breakdown and love of
soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...
, releasing the albums ''
Face Value The face value, sometimes called nominal value, is the value of a coin, bond, stamp or paper money as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the issuing authority. The face value of coins, stamps, or bill is usually its legal value. Ho ...
'' (1981), '' Hello, I Must Be Going'' (1982), ''
No Jacket Required ''No Jacket Required'' is the third solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 18 February 1985 by Virgin Records in the UK and by Atlantic and WEA internationally. After finishing touring commi ...
'' (1985) and '' ...But Seriously'' (1989). Collins became, in the words of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, "one of the most successful pop and
adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
singers of the '80s and beyond". He became known for a distinctive
gated reverb Gated reverb or gated ambience is an audio processing technique that combines strong reverb and a noise gate that cuts the tail of the reverb. The effect is typically applied to recordings of drums (or live sound reinforcement of drums in a PA ...
drum sound on many of his recordings. He played drums on the 1984 charity single "
Do They Know It's Christmas? "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...
" and, in July 1985, he was the only artist to perform at both
Live Aid Live Aid was a two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative held on Saturday, 13 July 1985. The event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, a m ...
concerts. He resumed his acting career, appearing in ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...
'' and subsequently starring in the film '' Buster'' (1988). Collins left Genesis in 1996 to focus on solo work; this included writing songs for
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
's animated film ''
Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...
'' (1999), for which he wrote and performed the songs " Two Worlds", " Son of Man", "
Strangers Like Me "Strangers Like Me" is a song by the English drummer Phil Collins for the soundtrack of Disney's 1999 animated film ''Tarzan''. The song peaked at number ten on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and received highly positi ...
" and "
You'll Be in My Heart "You'll Be in My Heart" is a song by English drummer and singer Phil Collins from the 1999 Disney animated feature ''Tarzan''. It appeared on '' Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack'' as well as various other Disney compilations. ...
", the last of which earned him the
Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the Film industry, motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who h ...
. He rejoined Genesis for their Turn It On Again Tour in 2007. Following a five-year retirement to focus on his family life, Collins released his memoir in 2016 and conducted the
Not Dead Yet Tour The Not Dead Yet Tour (also known as Not Dead Yet Live! and Still Not Dead Yet Live!) was a concert tour by English recording artist Phil Collins, named after his autobiography released on 25 October 2016. Background Collins announced the tou ...
from 2017 to 2019. He then rejoined Genesis in 2020 for a second and final reunion tour, which ran from 2021 to 2022. Collins's discography includes eight studio albums that have sold 33.5 million certified units in the US and an estimated 150 million records sold worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists. He is one of only three recording artists, along with
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
and
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
, who have sold over 100 million records both as solo artists and separately as principal members of a band. He has won eight
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s, six Brit Awards (winning Best British Male Artist three times), two
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
s, one
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
and a
Disney Legend Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who " avemade a significant impact on the Disney legacy." The honor was established in 1987, and was traditionally awarded annually during a speci ...
Award. He was awarded six
Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
from the
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors The Ivors Academy (formerly known as British Academy of Songwriters Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy works to protect and support and also campaigns the int ...
, including the International Achievement Award. He received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in 1999 and was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...
in 2003 and the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
as a member of Genesis in 2010. Ranked by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' at number 43 in the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time, he was inducted into the ''
Modern Drummer ''Modern Drummer'' is a monthly publication targeting the interests of drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, columns offering advice on technique, and information for the general public. ''Modern Dru ...
'' Hall of Fame in 2012 and the ''Classic Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2013.


Early life

Philip David Charles Collins was born on 30 January 1951 at
Putney Hospital Putney Hospital was a public hospital in the London Borough of Wandsworth, west of Putney town centre. Site history The hospital site had an area of 1.23 hectares and in the late 19th century was occupied by two detached houses, The Elms and We ...
in the
Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth The Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth was a Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London, Metropolitan borough under the London County Council, from 1900 to 1965. History The borough was formed from five civil parishes in England, civil parish ...
(now the
London Borough of Wandsworth Wandsworth () is a London boroughs, London borough in South West (London sub region), South West London, England. It forms part of Inner London and has an estimated population of 329,677 inhabitants. Its main communities are Battersea, Balham, P ...
), south-west London, England. His mother, Winifred June (, 1913–2011), worked in a toy shop and later as a
booking agent A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds work for actors, authors, broadcast journalists, film directors, musicians, models, professional athletes, screenwriters, writers, dancers, and other professionals in various entertainment ...
at the
Barbara Speake Stage School The Barbara Speake Stage School was opened on 10 February 1945 as an independent school, and was initially set up as a dancing school, by the founding principal Miss Barbara Speake, MBE, and was located in East Acton, London. The school was fe ...
, an independent performing arts school in
East Acton East Acton is an area in Acton in London, England, west of Charing Cross. It is partly in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and partly in the London Borough of Ealing. It is served by East Acton Underground station, on the Central ...
, while his father, Greville Philip Austin Collins (1907–1972), was an insurance agent for
London Assurance ''London Assurance'' (originally entitled ''Out of Town'') is a five-act comedy co-authored by Dion Boucicault and John Brougham. While the play was collaboratively written by both playwrights, after the play's initial premiere Broughman, who o ...
. Collins is the youngest of three children; his sister, Carole, competed as a professional ice skater and followed her mother's footsteps as a theatrical agent, while his brother, Clive, was a cartoonist. The family moved twice by the time Collins had reached the age of two; they settled at 453 Hanworth Road in the
Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick Brentford and Chiswick was a local government district of Middlesex, England from 1927 to 1965. History It was created an Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland), urban district in 1927 by a merger of the former area of the Brentford Urban Di ...
(now the
London Borough of Hounslow The London Borough of Hounslow ( ) is a London borough in west London, England, forming part of Outer London. It is governed by Hounslow London Borough Council. The borough stretches from near Central London in the east (Chiswick) to the b ...
). Collins was given a toy
drum kit A drum kit or drum set (also known as a trap set, or simply drums in popular music and jazz contexts) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and sometimes other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one p ...
for Christmas at the age of five, and later, his two uncles made him a makeshift set with triangles and tambourines that fitted into a suitcase. These were followed by more complete sets bought by his parents as he grew older. Collins practised by playing along to music on the television and radio.''Classic Albums: Face Value'' DVD, Eagle Home Entertainment, 2001. During a family holiday at
Butlin's Butlin's is a chain of large Seaside resort, seaside resorts in the United Kingdom, incorporated as Butlins Skyline Limited. Butlin's was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families. Between 1936 and 1 ...
, a seven-year-old Collins entered a talent contest, singing "
The Ballad of Davy Crockett "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn. It was introduced on ABC's television series ''Disneyland'', in the premiere episode of October 27, 1954. Background Fess Parker is shown per ...
"; he stopped the orchestra halfway through to tell them they were in the wrong key.
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
were a major early influence on him, including their drummer
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
. Collins followed the lesser-known London band
the Action The Action were an English band of the 1960s, formed as the Boys in August 1963, in Kentish Town, North West London. They were part of the mod subculture, and played soul music-influenced pop music. History 1963–1964: The Boys The band ...
, whose drummer he would copy and whose work introduced him to the soul music of
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
and
Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in September 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records. ...
. He was also influenced by the
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
drummer
Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...
, whose opinion on the importance of the
hi-hat A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock music, rock, popular music, pop, jazz, an ...
prompted him to stop using two
bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter usually greater than its depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The head ...
s and start using the hi-hat. Collins received basic piano and music tuition from his father's aunt at around the age of 12. He studied
drum rudiment In ''rudimental drumming'', a form of percussion music, a drum rudiment is one of a number of relatively small patterns which form the foundation for more extended and complex drumming patterns. The term "drum rudiment" is most closely associ ...
s under
Lloyd Ryan Lloyd Ryan is an English drummer and educator. He has been described as "a specialist in the big band style of drumming". He was also a support act to Buddy Rich at the Lewisham Jazz Festival in 1986. Career Ryan is best known for his work as a ...
and later under Frank King, and considered this training "more helpful than anything else because they're used all the time. In any kind of funk or jazz drumming, the rudiments are always there." Collins never learned to read or write
musical notation Musical notation is any system used to visually represent music. Systems of notation generally represent the elements of a piece of music that are considered important for its performance in the context of a given musical tradition. The proce ...
and devised his own system, which he regretted in later life. "I've always felt that if I could hum it, I could play it. For me, that was good enough, but that attitude is bad." Collins attended Nelson Primary School until the age of 11. He was accepted into Chiswick County Grammar School, where he took to football and formed the Real Thing, a school band that had Andrea Bertorelli, his future wife, and friend Lavinia Lang, as backup singers. Both women would have an impact on his personal life in later years. Collins's next group was the Freehold, with whom he wrote his first song, "Lying, Crying, Dying", and played in a group named the Charge. He was childhood friends with
Jack Wild Jack Wild (30 September 1952 – 1 March 2006) was an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as the Artful Dodger in the film ''Oliver!'' (1968), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at t ...
, who would become famous for playing the
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket and his nickname refers to his skill and cunning in that occupation. In the novel, he is the leader of th ...
in the film ''
Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...
'' (1968). June spotted Wild when he and Collins were playing football together in the park, and the boys both attended the Barbara Speake Stage School.


Career


1963–1970: Early acting roles and bands

Collins quit school at fourteen to become a full-time pupil at Barbara Speake. He had an uncredited part as an extra in the Beatles' film '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964), where he is among the screaming teenagers during the television concert sequence. Later in 1964, Collins was cast as the
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket and his nickname refers to his skill and cunning in that occupation. In the novel, he is the leader of th ...
in two West End runs of the musical ''
Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...
'' He was paid £15 a week, and called the role "the best part for a kid in all London". His days as the Dodger were numbered when his voice broke during a performance and had to speak his lines for the rest of the show. Collins starred in '' Calamity the Cow'' (1967), a film produced by the
Children's Film Foundation The Children's Film Foundation (CFF) is a non-profit organisation which makes films and other media for children in the United Kingdom. Originally it made films to be shown as part of children's Saturday morning matinée cinema programming. Th ...
. After a falling out with the director, Collins decided to quit acting to pursue music. He was to appear in ''
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 children's film, children's Musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes and produced by Albert R. Broccoli. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Fröbe, Anna Quayle, ...
'' (1968) as one of the children who storm the castle, but his scene was cut. Collins auditioned for the role of Romeo in ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' (1968), but the role went to
Leonard Whiting Leonard Whiting (born 30 June 1950) is a British semi-retired actor and singer widely known for his teenage role as Romeo in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film version of ''Romeo and Juliet'', a role which earned him the Golden Globe Award for N ...
. In 1967, he travelled the UK teaching people the "crunch" dance made popular by a Smith's crisps advertising campaign. Collins's enthusiasm for music grew during his acting years. He frequented the
Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue in London, England, that opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. It was a small and relatively cheap club, in the heart of London's West End of London, West End. It was the location of the first ...
on Wardour Street so often that eventually the managers asked him to set out the chairs, sweep the floors, and assist in the cloakroom. It was here where Collins saw The Action and newcomers
Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...
perform, which greatly influenced him. When auditions for Vinegar Joe and
Manfred Mann Chapter Three Manfred Mann Chapter Three were a British experimental jazz rock band founded by South African keyboard player Manfred Mann and long-time partner Mike Hugg, both former members of the group Manfred Mann. "Chapter III" was a reference to the e ...
were unsuccessful, Collins secured a position in the Cliff Charles Blues Band and toured the country. This was followed by a stint in The Gladiators, a backing band for a black vocal quartet, which included Collins's schoolmate
Ronnie Caryl Ronnie Caryl (10 February 1953 – 18 December 2023) was an English guitarist who was a member of the band Flaming Youth. Over the years Caryl worked alongside Phil Collins, plus David Hentschel, Michel Polnareff, Lulu, Stephen Bishop, Eric ...
on guitar. Around this time, Collins learned that Yes were looking for a new drummer and spoke to frontman
Jon Anderson Jon Anderson (born John Roy Anderson, 25 October 1944) is a British, and latterly American, singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the former lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassis ...
, who invited him to an audition the following week. Collins failed to turn up. In 1969, Collins and Caryl joined John Walker's backing band for a European tour, which included guitarist Gordon Smith and keyboardist Brian Chatton. The tour finished, and the quartet formed a rock band, Hickory, which recorded one single ("Green Light"/"The Key"). Still in 1969, they were renamed
Flaming Youth Flaming may refer to: * Anything set aflame or on fire * Flaming (Internet), the act of posting deliberately hostile messages on the Internet * Flame maple, the striped figures in maple woodwork prized for their beauty * Fläming, a region in G ...
. They signed to
Fontana Records Fontana Records is a record label that started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records. Fontana Distribution, an independent label distributor, takes its name from the label. History Fontana began in the 1950s as a subsidi ...
and recorded '' Ark 2'' (1969), a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
written and produced by
Ken Howard Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in ''1776'' (1972) and as high school basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the televisi ...
and
Alan Blaikley Alan Tudor Blaikley (23 March 1940 – 4 July 2022) was an English songwriter and composer, best known for writing a series of international hits in the 1960s and 1970s in collaboration with Ken Howard, including the UK number one hits " Have ...
that tells the story of man's evacuation from a burning Earth and its voyage into space. Each member sings a lead vocal. In May 1970, after Flaming Youth split, Collins played congas on
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...
's song " Art of Dying", but his contribution was omitted. Years later, Collins asked Harrison about the omission. Harrison sent Collins a recording allegedly containing Collins's performance; Collins was embarrassed to hear that the performance was poor. When Collins apologised, Harrison confessed that the recording was a prank, which Collins accepted in good humour.


1970–1978: Genesis, later role as lead singer, and Brand X

In July 1970, the rock band
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
had signed with
Charisma Records Charisma Records (also known as The Famous Charisma Label) was a British record label founded in 1969 by former journalist Tony Stratton Smith. He had previously acted as manager for rock bands such as The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van d ...
and recorded their second album ''
Trespass Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person (see below), trespass to chattels, and trespass to land. Trespass to the person historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery ...
'' (1970), but suffered a setback following the departure of guitarist
Anthony Phillips Anthony Edwin Phillips (born 23 December 1951) is an English musician and composer who gained prominence as the original lead guitarist of the rock band Genesis, from 1967 to 1970. He left in July 1970 and learned to play more instruments, bef ...
. They decided that their drummer John Mayhew, though talented, was not of the high calibre they wanted, and placed an advert in the ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
'' for a drummer "sensitive to acoustic music" and a 12-string acoustic guitarist. "Genesis" Biography ''Billboard''. Retrieved 16 January 2006. Collins recognised Charisma owner
Tony Stratton Smith Tony Stratton Smith (born Anthony Mills Smith; 11 August 1933 – 19 March 1987) was an English rock music manager, and entrepreneur. He founded the London-based record label Charisma Records in 1969 and managed rock groups such as the Nice, V ...
's name on it, who he had been acquainted with for years, and he and Caryl went for the auditions. The group, who had been a full-time working band for less than a year, consisted of school friends from
Charterhouse School Charterhouse is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Godalming, Surrey, England. Founded by Thomas Sutton in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian monastery in Charter ...
, a private boarding school: singer
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
, keyboardist Tony Banks, and bassist/guitarist
Mike Rutherford Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford (born 2 October 1950) is an English guitarist, bassist and songwriter, best known as co-founder, lead guitarist and bassist of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis. He and keyboardist Tony Banks (musici ...
. Collins and Caryl arrived early, so Collins took a swim in the pool at Gabriel's parents' house and memorised the pieces the drummers before him were playing. He recalled: "They put on 'Trespass', and my initial impression was of a very soft and round music, not edgy, with vocal harmonies, and I came away thinking Crosby, Stills and Nash." Gabriel, a former drummer, said he could tell just by the way Collins sat in front of the drum kit that he knew what he was doing, and was also impressed when Collins mentioned the session with George Harrison. On 8 August 1970, Collins became their fourth drummer. Genesis then took a two-week holiday, during which Collins earned money as an exterior decorator. Rutherford thought Caryl was not a good fit, and for over a month Genesis wrote songs, rehearsed, and toured as a four-piece. In January 1971, the band enlisted
Steve Hackett Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English guitarist who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis (band), Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three l ...
. From 1970 to 1975, Collins played drums, percussion, and backing vocals on Genesis albums and concerts. Rutherford commented that "on drums Phil was immediately a huge lift. We had never had that kind of energy from the engine room before; it was just a whole different level." Rutherford and Banks continued to contribute vocal harmonies to songs like "Harlequinn", but before long Collins became the group's primary backing vocalist, since they found multi-tracking Collins and Gabriel's vocals was faster and produced better results than all four of them singing. They also discovered that Collins and Gabriel's singing voices were so similar that when they sang a part together, it sounded like one exceptionally strong voice rather than two voices. This technique was employed on the band's first hit single, "
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" was the first charting single by English rock band Genesis. It was drawn from their 1973 album ''Selling England by the Pound''. The single was released in the UK in February 1974, and became a minor hi ...
". During this period Collins participated in the songwriting jams which produced much of Genesis's material, but did little independent songwriting compared to the other four members. Collins's more notable songwriting contributions during 1970-75 include composing the
staccato Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of Articulation (music), musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence. It has been described by theorists and ...
rhythm which acts as the main theme of the live favourite "
Watcher of the Skies "Watcher of the Skies" is the first track on English progressive rock Genesis (band), Genesis' 1972 album ''Foxtrot (album), Foxtrot''. It was also released as the album's only single. The song was re-recorded in 1972 in a radically altered and ...
". His first album as a member, ''
Nursery Cryme ''Nursery Cryme'' is the third studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 12 November 1971 on Charisma Records. It was their first to feature drummer/vocalist Phil Collins and guitarist Steve Hackett. The album received a mixed ...
'', features the acoustic song "For Absent Friends" that has Collins singing lead vocal. He sang "More Fool Me" on their 1973 album ''
Selling England by the Pound ''Selling England by the Pound'' is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released on 28 September 1973, by Charisma Records. The album was recorded in August 1973 following the tour supporting their previous al ...
'' and on the subsequent tour, marking the first time he assumed the role of Genesis lead vocalist in a live setting. In 1974, Collins played drums on
Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...
's second album ''
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) ''Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)'' is the second solo studio album by English musician Brian Eno ( mononymously credited as "''Eno''"), released in November 1974 by Island Records. Unlike his debut album ''Here Come the Warm Jets'', whic ...
'' after Eno had contributed electronic effects to two songs on ''
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway ''The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'' is a studio double album and sixth overall by the English progressive rock band Genesis (band), Genesis. It was released on 22 November 1974 by Charisma Records, and is their last to feature original lead voc ...
''. In August 1975, Gabriel's departure from the band was publicly announced. Genesis advertised for a replacement in ''Melody Maker'' and received around 400 replies. After a lengthy auditioning process, during which he sang backup vocals for applicants, Collins became the band's lead vocalist during the recording of their album ''
A Trick of the Tail ''A Trick of the Tail'' is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released on 13 February 1976 on Charisma Records and was the first album to feature drummer Phil Collins as lead vocalist following the depar ...
''. The album was a commercial and critical success, reaching number 3 in the UK charts and 31 in the US. ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that Genesis "has managed to turn the possible catastrophe of Gabriel's departure into their first broad-based American success." For the tour, former Yes and
King Crimson King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...
drummer
Bill Bruford William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording and tou ...
played drums on sections where Collins sang. In 1976, Collins brought in American drummer
Chester Thompson Chester Thompson (born December 11, 1948) is an American drummer best known for his tenures with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Weather Report, Santana (band), Santana, Genesis (band), Genesis and Phil Collins. Thompson has performed ...
, formerly of
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
and
Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer Alphonse Mouzon a ...
, who became a mainstay of Genesis's and Collins's backing bands until 2010. When Collins, Banks, and Rutherford decided to continue Genesis as a trio in 1977, they recorded '' ...And Then There Were Three...''. This included the band's first UK Top 10 and US Top 40 single, "
Follow You Follow Me "Follow You Follow Me" is a love song written and recorded by English rock band Genesis. It was released in February 1978 as the first single from their ninth studio album, '' ...And Then There Were Three...'' (1978). The music was composed by t ...
". The level of commercial success that Genesis had reached by this time allowed Collins and his wife to move into Old Croft, a home in
Shalford, Surrey Shalford is a village and civil parish in the Guildford district, in Surrey, England on the A281 Horsham road immediately south of Guildford. It has a railway station which is between Guildford and Dorking on the Reading to Gatwick Airport lin ...
, in the spring of 1978. Collins pursued various guest spots and solo projects from his time as Genesis's drummer. In 1973, he and Hackett performed on the solo debut of ex-
Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...
guitarist
Peter Banks Peter William Brockbanks (15 July 1947 – 7 March 2013), known professionally as Peter Banks, was an English guitarist. He was the original guitarist in the rock bands Yes (band), Yes, Flash (band), Flash, and Empire; he was also a guitarist f ...
. In 1975, Collins sang and played drums,
vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...
, and percussion on Hackett's first solo album, ''
Voyage of the Acolyte ''Voyage of the Acolyte'' is the first studio album by English guitarist, songwriter, and singer Steve Hackett, released in October 1975 on Charisma Records as his only album recorded and released while he was a member of Genesis. Hackett recor ...
''; performed on Eno's albums ''
Another Green World ''Another Green World'' is the third solo studio album by English musician Brian Eno ( mononymously credited as "Eno"), released by Island Records on 14 November 1975. The album marked a transition from the rock-based music of Eno's previous r ...
'', ''
Before and After Science ''Before and After Science'' is the fifth solo studio album by English musician Brian Eno, originally released by Polydor Records in December 1977 in the United Kingdom and by Island U.S. soon after. Produced by Eno and Rhett Davies, it is th ...
'', and ''
Music for Films ''Music for Films'' is the seventh solo studio album by Brian Eno, released in September 1978 on E.G. Records, EG Records. His third release of Experimental music, experimental Electronic music, electronic material (the others being that year's ...
''; and replaced drummer Phil Spinelli of the
jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...
group
Brand X Brand X were a British jazz rock band formed in London in 1974. They were initially active until 1980, followed by reformations between 1992–1999 and 2016–2021. Despite sometimes being considered to be a Phil Collins side project (due t ...
before recording their first two albums, '' Unorthodox Behaviour'' and '' Moroccan Roll''. Collins played percussion on ''
Johnny the Fox ''Johnny the Fox'' is the seventh studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1976. This album was written and recorded while bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott was recovering from a bout of hepatitis that put him off the road halfway ...
'' by
Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wr ...
,Ken Brooks, "Phil Lynott & Thin Lizzy: Rockin' Vagabond", Agenda, 2000, pp. 64–68 and sang on
Anthony Phillips Anthony Edwin Phillips (born 23 December 1951) is an English musician and composer who gained prominence as the original lead guitarist of the rock band Genesis, from 1967 to 1970. He left in July 1970 and learned to play more instruments, bef ...
' debut solo album, ''
The Geese & the Ghost ''The Geese & the Ghost'' is the first studio album by English musician and songwriter Anthony Phillips, released in March 1977 on Hit & Run Music in the United Kingdom and Passport Records in the United States. It was originally intended to be ...
''.


1978–1984: Solo debut with ''Face Value'' and ''Hello, I Must Be Going!''

After Genesis finished touring in December 1978, the group went on hiatus after Collins went to Vancouver, Canada to try to save his failing marriage. The attempt failed, leaving his wife to return to England with their children while living apart. Collins returned to Old Croft, their home in Shalford, Surrey, and their divorce was finalised in 1981. Banks and Rutherford were recording their first solo albums during this time, so Collins rejoined Brand X for their album '' Product'' and its accompanying tour, played on
John Martyn Iain David McGeachy (11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), known professionally as John Martyn, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums and received frequent critical acclaim. ...
's album '' Grace and Danger'', and started writing demos of his own at home. This was followed by Genesis resuming activity and recording and touring through 1980 with their album ''
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
'' (1980). The three members contributed two tracks each; Collins put forward "Please Don't Ask" and " Misunderstanding". In February 1981, Collins released his debut solo album ''
Face Value The face value, sometimes called nominal value, is the value of a coin, bond, stamp or paper money as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the issuing authority. The face value of coins, stamps, or bill is usually its legal value. Ho ...
''. He signed with
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
and WEA for American distribution in order to distance himself from the Charisma label, and oversaw every step of its production; he wrote the liner notes himself and by hand. His divorce was the focus of its lyrical themes and song titles: "I had a wife, two children, two dogs, and the next day I didn't have anything. So a lot of these songs were written because I was going through these emotional changes." Collins produced the album in collaboration with
Hugh Padgham Hugh Charles Padgham (born 15 February 1955) is an English record producer and audio engineer. He has won four Grammy Awards, for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year for 1985, Record of the Year for 1990, and Engineer of the Year for 199 ...
, with whom he had worked on Peter Gabriel's self-titled 1980 album. ''Face Value'' reached number one in seven countries, including the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, and number seven in the US where it went on to sell 5 million copies. "
In the Air Tonight "In the Air Tonight" is the debut solo single by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released as the lead single from Collins's debut solo album, ''Face Value (album), Face Value'', in January 1981. It was selected as the s ...
", the album's lead single, became a hit and reached number two in the UK charts. The song is known for the
gated reverb Gated reverb or gated ambience is an audio processing technique that combines strong reverb and a noise gate that cuts the tail of the reverb. The effect is typically applied to recordings of drums (or live sound reinforcement of drums in a PA ...
effect used on Collins's drums, a technique developed by Padgham when he worked as an engineer on Gabriel's song "
Intruder Intruder may refer to: Film and television Film * The Intruder (1914 film), ''The Intruder'' (1914 film), Wallace Reid filmography, directed by Wallace Reid * The Intruder (1933 film), ''The Intruder'' (1933 film), an American film by Albert ...
", on which Collins played drums. Following an invitation by record producer Martin Lewis, Collins performed live as a solo artist at an
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
benefit show The Secret Policeman's Other Ball at the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...
in London in September 1981, performing "In the Air Tonight" and "The Roof Is Leaking". Collins worked again with John Martyn in this year, producing his album '' Glorious Fool''. In September 1981, Genesis released ''
Abacab ''Abacab'' is the eleventh studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 18 September 1981 by Charisma Records. After their 1980 tour in support of their previous album, ''Duke'' (1980), the band took a break before they reconvened in ...
''. This was followed by its 1981 supporting tour and a two-month tour in 1982 promoting the Genesis live album ''
Three Sides Live ''Three Sides Live'' is the third live album by the English rock band Genesis, released as a double album on 4 June 1982 on Charisma Records in the United Kingdom. It was released by Atlantic Records in the United States. After touring in su ...
''. In early 1982, Collins produced and played on ''
Something's Going On ''Something's Going On'' is the third solo album by Swedish singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida), one of the founding members of the Swedish pop group ABBA and her first album recorded entirely in English. Her previous two albums had been recorded i ...
'', the third solo album by
Anni-Frid Lyngstad Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad (born 15 November 1945), also known simply as Frida, is a Swedish singer who is best known as one of the founding members and lead singers of the pop band ABBA. Courtesy titles ''Principality of Reuss-Gera, Princess Re ...
of
ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...
, and performed most of the drum parts on ''
Pictures at Eleven ''Pictures at Eleven'' is the debut solo studio album by former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, released on 25 June 1982 in the US and on 2 July in the UK. Genesis drummer Phil Collins played drums for five of the album's eight songs. Ex-Rain ...
'', the first solo album by
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
singer
Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...
. In October 1982, Collins took part in the one-off Genesis reunion concert
Six of the Best Six of the Best was a reunion concert between the English rock band Genesis and their original frontman Peter Gabriel, with former guitarist Steve Hackett joining the band for the two encores. The one-off event took place on 2 October 1982 at the ...
held at the
Milton Keynes Bowl The National Bowl (originally the Milton Keynes Bowl) is an entertainment venue located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The site was a former clay pit (for brick-making), filled in and raised to form an amphitheatre using sub-soil e ...
in Buckinghamshire, which marked the return of Gabriel on lead vocals and Hackett on guitar. Collins's second solo album, '' Hello, I Must Be Going!'', was released in November 1982. His marital problems continued to provide inspiration for his songs, including "
I Don't Care Anymore "I Don't Care Anymore" is a song written, performed, and produced by the English drummer Phil Collins (with co-production by Hugh Padgham). It was the second US single from Collins' second solo studio album, '' Hello, I Must Be Going!'' (1982). ...
" and "Do You Know, Do You Care". The album reached number 2 in the UK and number 8 in the US, where it sold 3 million copies.Roberts, David (2006).
British Hit Singles & Albums ''British Hit Singles & Albums'' (originally known as ''The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles'' and ''The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums'') was a music reference work, reference book originally published in the United Kingdom by the p ...
. London: Guinness World Records Ltd.
Its second single, a cover of "
You Can't Hurry Love "You Can't Hurry Love" is a song originally recorded by the Supremes on the Motown label. It was released on July 25, 1966 as the second single (music), single from their studio album ''The Supremes A' Go-Go''. Written and produced by Motown p ...
" by
the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
, became Collins's first UK number one single and went to number 10 in the US. Collins supported the album with the ''Hello, I Must Be Going!'' tour of Europe and North America from November 1982 to February 1983. Following the tour, Collins played drums on Plant's second solo album, '' The Principle of Moments'', and produced and played on two tracks for
Adam Ant Stuart Leslie Goddard (born 3 November 1954), known professionally as Adam Ant, is an English singer, musician, and actor. He gained popularity as the lead singer of new wave group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring 10 UK ...
's album ''Strip'', "Puss 'n Boots" and the title track. In May 1983, Collins, Banks and Rutherford recorded a self-titled Genesis album; its tour ended with five shows in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
, England in February 1984. The latter shows were filmed and released as '' Genesis Live – The Mama Tour''.


1984–1989: ''No Jacket Required'' and commercial ubiquity

Collins wrote and performed on " Against All Odds", the main theme for the romantic film of the same name, which demonstrated a more pop-orientated and commercially accessible sound than his previous work. Released in February 1984, it was the first single of his solo career to reach number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart; it peaked at number two in the UK. Collins won a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male The Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding ...
. The song earned him an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nomination for
Best Original Song The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best ...
, and he arranged his 1985 tour to accommodate the possibility of performing it at the awards ceremony. However, a note to Atlantic Records from show producer
Larry Gelbart Larry Simon Gelbart (February 25, 1928 – September 11, 2009) was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series '' M*A*S*H'', and as co-writer of the ...
explaining a lack of invitation stated: "Thank you for your note regarding Phil Cooper ic I'm afraid the spots have already been filled", and Collins watched actress and dancer
Ann Reinking Ann Reinking (November 10, 1949December 12, 2020) was an American dancer, actress, choreographer, and singer. She worked predominantly in musical theater, starring in Broadway productions such as ''Coco'' (1969), '' Over Here!'' (1974), ''Goodti ...
perform it. The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' said: "Reinking did an incredible job of totally destroying a beautiful song." Collins would introduce it at subsequent concerts by saying: "I'm sorry Miss Ann Reinking couldn't be here tonight; I guess I just have to sing my own song." In 1984, Collins contributed to the production on ''
Chinese Wall A Chinese wall or ethical wall is an information barrier protocol within an organization designed to prevent exchange of information or communication that could lead to conflicts of interest. For example, a Chinese wall may be established to sep ...
'' by
Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...
vocalist
Philip Bailey Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his fo ...
, which included a duet from the two, "
Easy Lover "Easy Lover" is a song performed by Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire and Phil Collins of the band Genesis, jointly written and composed by Bailey, Collins, and Nathan East. The song first appeared on Bailey's 1984 solo album, ''Chinese Wall'' ...
". The song was number one in the UK for four weeks, and peaked at number 2 in the US. He produced and played drums on several tracks on '' Behind the Sun'' by
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
. In November, Collins was part of the charity supergroup Band Aid in aid of Ethiopian famine relief and played drums on its single, "
Do They Know It's Christmas? "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...
". Collins's third album, ''
No Jacket Required ''No Jacket Required'' is the third solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 18 February 1985 by Virgin Records in the UK and by Atlantic and WEA internationally. After finishing touring commi ...
'', was recorded in 1984 and marked a turning point in his output. He departed from lyrics about his personal life and wrote more upbeat and dance-orientated songs with strong hooks and melodies, with Collins stating beforehand, "I have a notion of what I want to do: break out of this 'love song' box that I've found myself in. I'll make a dance album. Or, at least, an album with a couple of uptempo tracks."
Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...
,
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
, and
Helen Terry Helen Terry (born 25 May 1956) is a British singer and television producer, known for her backing vocal work with Culture Club. As a solo performer, she scored a Top 40 hit single in 1984 with "Love Lies Lost", and released one album in 1986, ' ...
contributed backing vocals. ''No Jacket Required'' was released in February 1985 and became a huge worldwide success, reaching number one in several countries. "
Sussudio "Sussudio" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 14 January 1985 in the United Kingdom by Virgin Records as the lead single from his third solo studio album, '' No Jacket Required'' (1985). The song served a ...
" and " One More Night", topped the US singles chart, the latter reaching number 4 in the UK to become his fourth solo UK top ten, and "
Don't Lose My Number "Don't Lose My Number" is a song by the English singer Phil Collins from his third solo studio album ''No Jacket Required''. The single was not released in the UK, though it peaked at No. 4 in the US in September 1985. The B-side, "We Said Hello G ...
" and " Take Me Home" made the US top ten. The album remains the most successful of his career, selling over 12 million copies in the US where it was certified
diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...
, and 1.9 million in the UK where it was the second-best-selling album of 1985. Referring to the album's success,
David Fricke David Fricke (born ) is an American music journalist who serves as the senior editor at ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, where he writes predominantly about rock music. One of the best known names in rock journalism, his career has spanned over 40 ye ...
of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote: "After years on the
art-rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ar ...
fringe, Collins has established himself firmly in the middle of the road. Perhaps he should consider testing himself and his new fans' expectations next time around." "Sussudio" attracted negative attention for sounding too similar to
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
's "
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
", a charge that Collins did not deny. ''No Jacket Required'' earned Collins the first two of his six Brit Awards, winning Best British Male and Best British Album. Collins had three US number one songs in 1985, the most by any artist that year. ''No Jacket Required'' won three
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
including Album of the Year.
The No Jacket Required World Tour The No Jacket Required World Tour was a concert tour by the English drummer, singer and songwriter Phil Collins, which occurred February–July 1985 in support of his 1985 album, '' No Jacket Required''. The album had been a massive internationa ...
saw Collins perform 85 shows between February and July 1985. On 13 July, Collins took part in the
Live Aid Live Aid was a two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative held on Saturday, 13 July 1985. The event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, a m ...
concerts, a continuation of the fundraising effort started by Band Aid. Collins was the only performer to appear at the London concert at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
and the US concert at
JFK Stadium John F. Kennedy Stadium, formerly Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and Sesquicentennial Stadium, was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia that stood from 1926 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was on the east side of the far southern end ...
in Philadelphia on the same day. After performing what ''
Ultimate Classic Rock Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...
'' called "an especially crowd-pleasing selection of songs" in London, including "Against All Odds", "In the Air Tonight", and playing alongside
Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...
, Collins flew to Philadelphia on a
Concorde Concorde () is a retired Anglo-French supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France and the United Kingdom signed a treaty establishin ...
to perform his solo material, play drums for Clapton, and drum with Plant and
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...
for a
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
reunion. The latter performance was poorly received and later disowned by the band. Page later said that Collins had not learned his parts for the set. Collins responded that the band "weren't very good", that a "dribbling" Page had made him feel uncomfortable, and he only continued with the set rather than leave the stage in order to avoid negative attention. In November 1985, the song "
Separate Lives "Separate Lives" is a 1985 song recorded by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin and featured on the soundtrack to the motion picture ''White Nights''. It reached No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts as well as in Can ...
", a duet featuring Collins and
Marilyn Martin Marilyn Martin (born May 4, 1954) is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 1985 hit duet with Phil Collins, " Separate Lives", which reached number one on several charts. Early life Marilyn Martin was born on May 4, 19 ...
for the musical drama film ''
White Nights White night, White Night, or White Nights may refer to: * White night (astronomy), a night in which it never gets completely dark, at high latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic Circles * White Night festivals, all-night arts festivals held in ...
'', was released and became a US number one hit. By the end of 1985, the music press noted that Collins's astronomical success as a solo artist had made him more popular than Genesis. Before the release of ''No Jacket Required'', Collins insisted that he would not leave the band and that he felt "happier with what we're doing now, because I feel it's closer to me." In October 1985, he reunited with Banks and Rutherford to record Genesis's thirteenth album, ''
Invisible Touch ''Invisible Touch'' is the thirteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 6 June 1986 by Atlantic Records in the United States and on 9 June 1986 by Charisma/Virgin Records in the United Kingdom. After taking a break in 1 ...
''. Released in 1986, it became the group's biggest selling album with 6 million copies sold in the US, and 1.2 million sold in the UK. Its title track was released as a single and reached No. 1 in the US, the only Genesis song to do so. The group received a Grammy Award (their only one) and a nomination for the
MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year The MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year is the most prestigious competitive award and the final award presented at the annual MTV Video Music Awards. The award was created by the U.S. network MTV to honor artists with the best music video ...
in 1987 for "
Land of Confusion "Land of Confusion" is a song by the English rock band Genesis from their thirteenth studio album, '' Invisible Touch'' (1986). The music was written by the band, while the lyrics were written by guitarist Mike Rutherford. The song was the thir ...
", which features puppet caricatures from the satirical television programme ''
Spitting Image ''Spitting Image'' is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television ...
''. Several music critics drew comparisons between the album and Collins's solo work, but ''Rolling Stones J. D. Considine praised the album's commercial appeal, stating, "every tune is carefully pruned so that each flourish delivers not an instrumental epiphany but a solid hook". March 1986 saw the release of " No One Is to Blame", a hit single by Howard Jones which included Collins on drums, backing vocals, and co-production alongside Padgham. Collins provided backing vocals, produced and played drums on most of Eric Clapton's 1986 album ''
August August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, August ...
''. He toured parts of Europe with Clapton in support of the album, of which two concert videos were released; Live at Montreux 1986 and Eric Clapton and Friends Live 1986. In each of those videos, Collins is featured as the drummer and performs "In the Air Tonight" with Clapton, bassist
Nathan East Nathan Harrell East (born December 8, 1955) is an American jazz, R&B, and rock bass guitarist and vocalist. With more than 2,000 recordings, East is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music. East holds a Bachelor of Arts ...
and keyboardist
Greg Phillinganes Gregory Arthur Phillinganes (born May 12, 1956) is an American keyboardist, vocalist, and arranger. A session musician, Phillinganes has contributed to numerous albums over a broad array of artists and genres. He has toured with artists includin ...
backing him. After touring with Genesis in 1987, Collins was aware that his music had gained too much exposure and took a year off from writing and recording. He took on his first acting role since the late 1960s, starring as
Buster Edwards Ronald Christopher "Buster" Edwards (27 January 1931 – 28 November 1994) was a British criminal who was a member of the gang that committed the 1963 Great Train Robbery. He had also been a boxer, and owned a nightclub and a flower shop. Ea ...
opposite
Julie Walters Dame Julia Mary Walters (born 22 February 1950), known professionally as Julie Walters, is an English actress. She is the recipient of four British Academy Television Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two International Emmy Awards, a Go ...
(who played his wife, June) in the romantic comedy drama-crime film '' Buster'' which centred around the Great Train Robbery from 1963 in
Ledburn Ledburn is a hamlet (place), hamlet in the parish of Mentmore, in Buckinghamshire, England. History The name Ledburn is Old English language, Anglo Saxon in origin, and means "stream with a conduit". In Manorialism, manorial records of 1212 i ...
, Buckinghamshire. Reviews for the film were mixed and controversy ensued over its subject matter;
Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
and
Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William ...
declined an invitation to the première after it was accused of glorifying crime.(9 September 1988). "Prince Charles cancels royal film date". ''
Manila Standard The ''Manila Standard'' is a broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines which, as of 2017, is owned by the Romualdez family. The Romualdezes, through incumbent speaker of the House Martin Romualdez, also own Journal Publications, Inc., the owner ...
'' (Manila).
Collins contributed four songs to the film's soundtrack; his ballad rendition of "
A Groovy Kind of Love "A Groovy Kind of Love" is a song written by Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager based on a melody by the classical composer Muzio Clementi. The original rendition was recorded by American singing duo Diane & Annita and released as "Groovey Kind of ...
", originally by
the Mindbenders The Mindbenders were an English beat group from Manchester. Originally the backing group for Wayne Fontana, they were one of several acts that were successful in the mid-1960s British Invasion of the US charts, achieving major chart hits wi ...
, became his only single to reach No. 1 in the UK and the US. The film spawned the US #1 single " Two Hearts", which he co-wrote with
Lamont Dozier Lamont Herbert Dozier (; June 16, 1941 – August 8, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Detroit. He co-wrote and produced 14 US '' Billboard'' number-one hits and four number ones in the UK. Career Dozier was a ...
and won the pair a
Golden Globe for Best Original Song The Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song is a Golden Globe Award that was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The award is presented to the songwriters of a ...
and an
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
nomination in the same category. Film critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
said Collins "played he role of Busterwith surprising effectiveness". In 1988, Collins was the subject of an episode of the British TV series '' This Is Your Life''. In 1989, Collins was among the musicians who donated their own clothes to Madame Tussaud's Rock Circus, an exhibition held at the
London Pavilion The London Pavilion is a building on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street on the north-east side of Piccadilly Circus in London. It is currently a shopping arcade and part of the Trocadero Centre. Early history The first buil ...
celebrating the history of rock and pop music featuring its major figures recreated in wax.


1989–1996: ''...But Seriously'', ''Both Sides'', and leaving Genesis

In August 1989, Collins appeared as a special guest for
the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
on their 1989 tour for two shows, performing "Fiddle About" as Uncle Ernie and "Tommy's Holiday Camp" from their rock opera ''
Tommy Tommy may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tommy (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army * Tommy Giacomelli (born 1974), Brazilian fo ...
'' (1969). From April to October 1989, Collins recorded his fourth album '' ...But Seriously'' in England and the United States, which saw him address social and political themes in his lyrics. The album was released in November 1989 to worldwide commercial success, spending fifteen weeks at No. 1 in the UK charts and in the US for three. It became the UK's best-selling album of 1990 and is among the
best-selling albums This is a list of the world's best-selling albums of recorded music in physical mediums, such as vinyl, audio cassettes or compact discs. To appear on the list, the figure must have been published by a reliable source and the album must have s ...
in UK chart history. It is one of the best-selling albums in Germany. Its lead single "
Another Day in Paradise "Another Day in Paradise" is a song written and recorded by English drummer and singer Phil Collins. Produced by Collins along with Hugh Padgham, it was released as the first single from his number-one album '' ...But Seriously'' (1989). As w ...
" is an anti-homelessness song and features
David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelic music, psych ...
singing backing vocals. Upon its release in October 1989, it went to No. 1 in the US to become the final number one single there of the 1980s. Despite its success, the song was heavily criticised and became linked to allegations of hypocrisy made against Collins. Responding to criticism of the song, Collins stated: "When I drive down the street, I see the same things everyone else sees. It's a misconception that if you have a lot of money you're somehow out of touch with reality." In 1991, "Another Day in Paradise" won the
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
. Other songs from ''...But Seriously'' reached the top-five in the US: "
Something Happened on the Way to Heaven Something may refer to: Philosophy and language * Something (concept) * "Something", an English indefinite pronoun Music Albums * ''Something'' (Chairlift album), 2012 * ''Something'' (Shirley Bassey album), 1970 * ''Something'' (Shirley Scot ...
", " Do You Remember?", and "
I Wish It Would Rain Down "I Wish It Would Rain Down" is a song by English musician Phil Collins from his fourth solo studio album, '' ...But Seriously'' (1989). The song was a chart success in early 1990, peaking at 7 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 3 on the US ''Billb ...
" featuring
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
on guitar. ''...But Seriously'' was supported with the Seriously, Live! World Tour which ran between February and October 1990 and covered 121 dates. The tour spawned the live album '' Serious Hits... Live!'', which sold 1.2 million copies in the UK and over 4 million in the US. In February 1990, Collins performed "Another Day in Paradise" at the
1990 Brit Awards Brit Awards 1990 was the tenth edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. It was organised by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 18 February 1990. The ceremony was held at the Domin ...
which won British Single of the Year, and in September he performed "Sussudio" at the
1990 MTV Video Music Awards The 1990 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 1990, honoring the best music videos from June 2, 1989, to June 1, 1990. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. This year saw the elimination of ...
in Los Angeles. He also played drums on the 1989
Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the synth-pop bands o ...
single, "
Woman in Chains "Woman in Chains" is a song by English band Tears for Fears, released as the second single from their third studio album, ''The Seeds of Love'' (1989). It has been described as a "feminist anthem". It was an international success, reaching the ...
". In 1991, Collins reconvened with Banks and Rutherford to write and record a new Genesis album, ''
We Can't Dance ''We Can't Dance'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis (band), Genesis, released on 11 November 1991 by Virgin Records in the UK and a day later by Atlantic Records in the US. It is their last studio album recorded wit ...
''. It became the band's fifth consecutive No. 1 album in the UK and reached No. 4 in the US, where it sold over 4 million copies. It features the singles "
Jesus He Knows Me "Jesus He Knows Me" is a song by the English rock band Genesis from their fourteenth studio album, ''We Can't Dance'' (1991), released in July 1992 as the album's fourth single. The song is a satire of televangelism, released in a period when se ...
", "
I Can't Dance "I Can't Dance" is the fourth track from English rock band Genesis (band), Genesis' 14th studio album, ''We Can't Dance'' (1991) and was released in December 1991 by Virgin Records, Virgin and Atlantic Records as the second single from the rec ...
", "
No Son of Mine "No Son of Mine" is a song by British rock group Genesis, released in October 1991 by Atlantic and Virgin as the lead single from their 14th album, ''We Can't Dance'' (1991). The song, written by Phil Collins and composed by him with Tony B ...
", and "
Hold on My Heart "Hold on My Heart" is a song by English rock band Genesis from their 14th studio album, ''We Can't Dance'' (1991). The ballad was released as the album's third single on 6 April 1992. The song reached number one on the Canadian ''RPM'' 100 Hit T ...
". Collins performed on their 1992 tour. At the 1993 American Music Awards, Genesis won the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group. Collins co-wrote, sang and played on the 1993 single "
Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
" by
David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelic music, psych ...
. Collins worked on his fifth studio album, ''
Both Sides ''Both Sides'' is the fifth solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. Featuring an adult-oriented soft rock-based sound, released on 8 November 1993 by Virgin in the UK and Atlantic in the US. Collins created the album ...
'', in 1992 and 1993. It marked a departure from his more polished and up-tempo songs on recent albums to material more experimental in nature, with Collins performing all the instruments and producing the record himself, because the songs written "were becoming so personal, so private, I didn't want anyone else's input". The decline of his second marriage was a focal point of the album. Released in November 1993, ''Both Sides'' reached No. 1 in eight countries, including the UK, and No. 13 in the US. It marked a drop in sales in the latter when compared to his previous records, only reaching a single platinum certification by the end of the year. Its two biggest singles were "
Both Sides of the Story "Both Sides of the Story" is a song performed by English singer-songwriter, drummer, actor and lead singer of English rock band Genesis (band), Genesis, Phil Collins. The song was released in October 1993 by Virgin Records as the lead single fr ...
" and " Everyday". The Both Sides of the World Tour saw Collins perform 165 shows across four legs between April 1994 and May 1995. Collins turned down the chance to contribute to '' Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen'', an album of covers of
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...
songs, due to his touring commitments. On 29 March 1996, Collins's decision to leave Genesis to concentrate on his solo career was publicly announced.


1996–2006: Phil Collins Big Band, ''Dance into the Light'', Disney work, and ''Testify''

In the months surrounding his departure from Genesis, Collins formed the Phil Collins Big Band, seating himself on the drums. He had wanted to undertake the project for some time and felt inspired from the '' Burning for Buddy'' project that drummer
Neil Peart Neil Ellwood Peart ( ; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian and American musician, known as the drummer, percussionist, and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush (band), Rush. He was known to fans by the nickname "the Profe ...
had put together. Having moved to Switzerland, an invitation to perform at the
Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annu ...
led to the band to come together, which featured
Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...
as conductor and
Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
on vocals. The group toured summer jazz festivals in July 1996 with a set of jazz renditions of Genesis and Collins's solo material. Their first date was at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
for a
Prince's Trust The King's Trust (formerly the Prince's Trust) is a United Kingdom-based charity founded in 1976 by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds who are unempl ...
concert with Queen Elizabeth II and
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
in attendance. To learn his parts, Collins devised his own notation on sheets. The band then went on hiatus until a US and European tour in the summer of 1998, which spawned the live album ''
A Hot Night in Paris ''A Hot Night in Paris'' is the only album by the Phil Collins Big Band, released in 1999 by Atlantic Records. Fronted by Genesis lead singer/drummer Phil Collins, the album did not contain any singing. Instead, the album consisted of big band ...
''. In October 1996, Collins released his sixth solo album, ''
Dance into the Light ''Dance into the Light'' is the sixth solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released on 21 October 1996 in the United Kingdom by Face Value Records. It features guest backing vocals from some of Collins' tourin ...
''. It reached No. 4 in the UK and No. 23 in the US. The album was received negatively by the music press and sold less than his previous albums. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' reviewed by saying that "even Phil Collins must know that we all grew weary of Phil Collins". Singles from the album included "
Dance into the Light ''Dance into the Light'' is the sixth solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released on 21 October 1996 in the United Kingdom by Face Value Records. It features guest backing vocals from some of Collins' tourin ...
", which reached No. 9 in the UK, and the Beatles-inspired "
It's in Your Eyes "It's in Your Eyes" is a single performed by Phil Collins and released in 1996 as the second single from his album ''Dance into the Light''. A The Beatles, Beatles-esque melody, both melodically and lyrically - closing mirroring the Beatles son ...
". The album was
certified Gold Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
in the US. Collins toured the album throughout 1997 with his Trip into the Light World Tour, covering 82 dates. He performed "In the Air Tonight" and "Take Me Home" at the Music for Montserrat benefit concert in London alongside
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
,
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
, Eric Clapton,
Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE (born 12 August 1949) is a British musician. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995, and he is the one of the two members who stayed during the band's existence ...
, and Sting. In October 1998, Collins released his first compilation album '' ...Hits'' which contains a new track, a cover of " True Colors" by
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
that was produced by
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Kenneth Brian Edmonds (born April 10, 1959), better known by his stage name Babyface, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has written and produced 26 number-one R&B hits and won 13 Grammy Awards. He was ranked number 20 ...
. The album was a commercial success worldwide, reaching No. 1 in the UK charts and selling 3.4 million copies in the US by 2012.''Billboard'' magazine, Phil Collins Chart History Retrieved 13 January 2006. In the mid-1990s Collins was recruited to write and perform songs for Disney's adventure film ''
Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...
'' (1999), integrated with a score by
Mark Mancina Mark Mancina (born 1957) is an American film composer. A veteran of Hans Zimmer's Media Ventures, Mancina has scored over sixty films and television series including ''Speed'', '' Bad Boys'', ''Twister'', ''Tarzan'', '' Training Day'', '' Brothe ...
. Collins also sang his songs in French, Italian, German, and Spanish for the dubbed versions of the film's soundtrack. His song "
You'll Be in My Heart "You'll Be in My Heart" is a song by English drummer and singer Phil Collins from the 1999 Disney animated feature ''Tarzan''. It appeared on '' Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack'' as well as various other Disney compilations. ...
" was released in June 1999 and spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboard''
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
chart, the longest time ever up to that point. In 2000, the song won Collins an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
, both for Best Original Song. He performed " Two Worlds" at that year's ceremony and the Disney-themed
Super Bowl halftime show Halftime shows are common during many American football games. Entertainment during the Super Bowl, the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), is one of the more lavish of these performances and is usually very widely wat ...
. In June 1999, Collins was awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
. In 2000, he became partially deaf in one ear due to a viral infection. In June 2002, Collins accepted an invitation to drum for the
house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...
at the
Party at the Palace The Party at the Palace was a British pop/rock music concert held at Buckingham Palace Garden in London on 3 June 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II held over the Golden Jubilee Weekend. It was t ...
concert held on the grounds of
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...
, an event which celebrated
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
's
Golden Jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali language, ...
. In 2002, he received the
Disney Legend Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who " avemade a significant impact on the Disney legacy." The honor was established in 1987, and was traditionally awarded annually during a speci ...
award. On 11 November 2002, Collins released his seventh solo album, ''
Testify Testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. Etymology The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness. Law In the law, testimony ...
''.
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
's roundup of album reviews found this record to be the worst-reviewed album at the time of its release, though it has since been surpassed by three more recent releases. The album's single " Can't Stop Loving You" (a
Leo Sayer Leo Sayer (born Gerard Hugh Sayer, 21 May 1948) is an English-Australian singer and songwriter who has been active since the early 1970s. He has been an Australian citizen and resident since 2009. Sayer launched his career in the United Kingd ...
cover) was a number-one Adult Contemporary hit. ''Testify'' sold 140,000 copies in the US by year's end. Disney hired Collins to compose and perform on the soundtrack to its 2003 animated feature ''
Brother Bear ''Brother Bear'' is a 2003 American animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker and produced by Chuck Williams, f ...
'', which included the song "
Look Through My Eyes "Look Through My Eyes" is a song by English recording artist Phil Collins from the ''Brother Bear'' film soundtrack released in 2003 as the first single. It was later recorded by Everlife for the '' Bridge to Terabithia'' soundtrack and the ''Di ...
". In the same year he was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...
. In 2004, Collins released two compilation albums, '' The Platinum Collection'' and ''
Love Songs A love song is a song about love, falling in love, broken heart, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sa ...
''. From June 2004 to November 2005, Collins performed his First Final Farewell Tour, a reference to the multiple farewell tours of other popular artists. In 2006, he worked with Disney on a musical production of ''Tarzan''.


2006–2015: First Genesis reunion, ''Going Back'', and retirement

Collins reunited with Banks and Rutherford and announced Turn It On Again: The Tour on 7 November 2006, nearly 40 years after the band first formed. The tour took place during summer 2007, and played in twelve countries across Europe, followed by a second leg in North America. During the tour Genesis performed at the
Live Earth Live Earth was an event developed to increase Environmentalism, environmental awareness through entertainment. Background Founded by producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Live Earth 2007 The 1st series ...
concert at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
, London. In 2007 they were honoured at the second annual
VH1 Rock Honors The VH1 Rock Honors were an annual ceremony paying homage to bands who influenced the sound of rock music. The events began in 2006, and the final event took place in 2008. The general format of each show is for modern bands to "pay tribute" to clas ...
, performing "
Turn It On Again "Turn It On Again" is a song by the English rock band Genesis featured on their 1980 album ''Duke''. Also released as a single, the song reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's second top 10 hit. The lyrics, by Mike Rut ...
", "
No Son of Mine "No Son of Mine" is a song by British rock group Genesis, released in October 1991 by Atlantic and Virgin as the lead single from their 14th album, ''We Can't Dance'' (1991). The song, written by Phil Collins and composed by him with Tony B ...
" and "
Los Endos LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...
" at the ceremony in Las Vegas. On 22 May 2008, Collins received his sixth
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
from the
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors The Ivors Academy (formerly known as British Academy of Songwriters Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy works to protect and support and also campaigns the int ...
when he was presented the International Achievement Award at a ceremony held at the
Grosvenor House Hotel ] JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, formerly the Grosvenor House Hotel, is a luxury hotel that opened in 1929 in the Mayfair area of London, England. Across from Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park, the hotel is built on the former site of the 19th ...
, London. In October 2009, it was reported that Collins was to record a
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
covers album. He told a German newspaper, "I want the songs to sound exactly like the originals", and that the album would feature up to 30 songs. In January 2010, Chester Thompson said that the album had been completed and would be released some time soon. He also revealed that Collins managed to play the drums on the album despite a spinal operation. The resulting album, '' Going Back (album), Going Back'', was released on 13 September 2010. It reached number one on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. In summer 2010, Collins played six concerts with the music from ''Going Back''. These included a special programme, ''Phil Collins: One Night Only'', aired on
ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...
on 18 September 2010. Collins also promoted ''Going Back'' with his first and only appearance on the BBC's music series '' Later... with Jools Holland'', broadcast on 17 September 2010. In March 2010, Collins was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
as a member of Genesis at a ceremony in New York City. As of January 2011, Collins has spent 1,730 weeks in the German music charts—766 weeks of them with Genesis albums and singles and 964 weeks with solo releases. On 4 March 2011, citing health problems and other concerns, Collins announced that he was taking time off from his career, prompting widespread reports of his retirement. On 7 March his UK representative told the press, "He is not, has no intention of, retiring." Later that day, Collins posted a message to his fans on his own website, confirming his intention to retire to focus on his family life. In July 2012, Collins's greatest hits collection '' ...Hits'' re-entered the US charts, reaching No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In November 2013, Collins told German media that he was considering a return to music and speculated that this could mean further live shows with Genesis, stating: "Everything is possible. We could tour in Australia and South America. We haven't been there yet." Speaking to reporters in Miami, Florida in December 2013 at an event promoting his charity work, Collins indicated that he was writing music once again and might tour again. On 24 January 2014, Collins announced in an interview with ''Inside South Florida'' that he was writing new compositions with fellow English singer
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...
. Collins said he had no idea who Adele was when he learned she wanted to collaborate with him. He said "I wasn't actually too aware
f her F, or f, is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet and many modern alphabets influenced by it, including the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of all other modern western European languages. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounc ...
I live in a cave." Collins agreed to join her in the studio after hearing her voice. He said, " heachieved an incredible amount. I really love her voice. I love some of this stuff she's done, too." In September 2014, Collins revealed that the collaboration had ended and he said it had been "a bit of a non-starter". In May 2014, Collins gave a live performance of "
In the Air Tonight "In the Air Tonight" is the debut solo single by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released as the lead single from Collins's debut solo album, ''Face Value (album), Face Value'', in January 1981. It was selected as the s ...
" and "
Land of Confusion "Land of Confusion" is a song by the English rock band Genesis from their thirteenth studio album, '' Invisible Touch'' (1986). The music was written by the band, while the lyrics were written by guitarist Mike Rutherford. The song was the thir ...
" with young student musicians at the
Miami Country Day School Miami Country Day School (MCDS) is a private, non-denominational, co-ed preschool-12 college preparatory school in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, near Miami Shores, just north of the city of Miami, Florida, United States. The school has been ...
in Miami, Florida. Collins was asked to perform there by his sons, who were students at the school. In August 2014, Collins was reported to have accepted an invitation to perform in December at a benefit concert in Miami in aid of his Little Dreams Foundation charity. He ultimately missed the concert due to illness.


2015–present: Out of retirement, Not Dead Yet Tour and second Genesis reunion

In May 2015, Collins signed a deal with
Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "Record label#M ...
to have his solo albums remastered and reissued with previously unreleased material. In October of that year, he announced that he was no longer retired and had started plans to tour and make a new album. By mid-2016, all eight of his albums were reissued with the artwork updated to display Collins as his older self; the exception being ''Going Back'', which had a new cover. In 2019, the additional digital only releases ''Other Sides'' and ''Remixed Sides'' followed. In October 2016, Collins's autobiography ''Not Dead Yet'' was published. At a press conference held at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
in the same month, Collins announced his
Not Dead Yet Tour The Not Dead Yet Tour (also known as Not Dead Yet Live! and Still Not Dead Yet Live!) was a concert tour by English recording artist Phil Collins, named after his autobiography released on 25 October 2016. Background Collins announced the tou ...
which initially took form as a short European trek from June 2017. The tour included five nights at the Royal Albert Hall which sold out in fifteen seconds, prompting the announcement of Collins's headline spot at the 2017
BST Hyde Park British Summer Time Hyde Park (BST Hyde Park) is a series of music concerts held once a year in London's Hyde Park. BST Hyde Park lasts for up to three weeks. Since 2013, BST Hyde Park has seen performers such as Arcade Fire, Celine Dion, Bru ...
festival which became his largest solo concert. His band included his son
Nicolas Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
on the drums. A review in ''The Telegraph'' stated: "Unlike the body, the voice is largely unravaged by time. It's still soulful, sometimes silky, occasionally bruised." In 2017, the tour was extended worldwide and ran until October 2019 for a total of 97 shows. In March 2020, Collins, Banks, and Rutherford announced they had reformed Genesis once more to undertake
The Last Domino? Tour The Last Domino? Tour was a concert tour by English rock band Genesis (band), Genesis, staged following the announcement of their reunion after a 13-year hiatus. It featured the core trio of keyboardist Tony Banks (musician), Tony Banks, drumme ...
. This time the band were joined by Collins's son Nic on the drums, leaving his father to handle lead vocals. After the tour was rescheduled twice due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, it began in September 2021 and finished in London on 26 March 2022. At the last show, at
The O2 Arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as The O2, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of The O2 entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London, England. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the third-highest seat ...
in London, Collins said on stage: "It's the last show for Genesis". On 20 August 2024, it was revealed by music executive
Simon Napier-Bell Simon Robert Napier-Bell (born 22 April 1939) is an English record producer, music manager, author and journalist. At different times, he has managed artists as diverse as the Yardbirds, John's Children, Marc Bolan, Japan, London, Sinéad O'Co ...
that Collins was updating his home studio by Lake Geneva, with new music possibly in the works. In February 2025, however, Collins stated he had no current plans to make more music, saying he was "not hungry" enough to do so due to his ongoing health issues.


Drumming and influence

In his book on the "legends" who defined progressive rock drumming, American drummer Rich Lackowski wrote: "Phil Collins's grooves in early Genesis recordings paved the way for many talented drummers to come. His ability to make the drums bark with musicality and to communicate so convincingly in odd time signatures left many a drummer tossing on the headphones and playing along to Phil's lead." In 2014, readers of ''
Rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular r ...
'' voted Collins the fourth most influential progressive rock drummer for his work on the 1974 Genesis album ''
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway ''The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'' is a studio double album and sixth overall by the English progressive rock band Genesis (band), Genesis. It was released on 22 November 1974 by Charisma Records, and is their last to feature original lead voc ...
''. In 2015,
MusicRadar Future plc is a British publishing company. It was started in 1985 by Chris Anderson. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History 1985–2012 The company was founded by Chris Anderson a ...
named Collins one of the six pioneers of progressive rock drumming. In 2005,
Planet Rock Planet Rock may refer to: * "Planet Rock" (song), a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force ** '' Planet Rock: The Album'', a 1986 album containing the song * Planet Rock (radio station) Planet Rock is a British digital radio sta ...
listeners voted Collins the fifth greatest rock drummer in history. Collins was ranked tenth in "The Greatest Drummers of All Time" list by ''
Gigwise ''Gigwise'' is a British online music news site featuring music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets and video content. Founded in June 2001, the site is based in London, England. History Gigwise was launched in 2001 in ...
'' and number nine in a list of "The 20 greatest drummers of the last 25 years" by MusicRadar in 2010. In 1987, Collins looked back at his fast playing in Brand X and early Genesis: "I actually can't play like that anymore".
Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
drummer
Taylor Hawkins Oliver Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 – March 25, 2022) was an American musician who was the drummer and a vocalist of the rock band Foo Fighters, sharing vocals with Dave Grohl. He joined the band in 1997, and remained the band's drummer ...
cited Collins as one of his drumming heroes. He said, "Collins is an incredible drummer. Anyone who wants to be good on the drums should check him out – the man is a master." In the April 2001 issue of ''
Modern Drummer ''Modern Drummer'' is a monthly publication targeting the interests of drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, columns offering advice on technique, and information for the general public. ''Modern Dru ...
'',
Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts. The band comprises John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards). Dream Theat ...
drummer
Mike Portnoy Michael Stephen Portnoy (born April 20, 1967) is an American musician who is primarily known as the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. In September 2010, Portnoy announced his departure fro ...
named Collins in an interview when asked about drummers he was influenced by and had respect for. In another conversation in 2014, Portnoy lauded his "amazing progressive drumming" back in the early and mid-1970s. Rush drummer
Neil Peart Neil Ellwood Peart ( ; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian and American musician, known as the drummer, percussionist, and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush (band), Rush. He was known to fans by the nickname "the Profe ...
praised his "beautiful drumming" and "lovely sound" on the 1973 Genesis album ''
Selling England by the Pound ''Selling England by the Pound'' is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released on 28 September 1973, by Charisma Records. The album was recorded in August 1973 following the tour supporting their previous al ...
'', which he called "an enduring masterpiece of drumming".
Marco Minnemann Marco Minnemann (born 24 December 1970) is a German multi-instrumentalist and composer who primarily plays drums. Career Minnemann has released over a dozen solo albums as drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist, and performed on over 100 ...
, drummer for artists including
Joe Satriani Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". ''AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American rock music, rock guitarist, composer, and songwriter. Early in hi ...
and
Steven Wilson Steven John Wilson (born 3 November 1967) is an English musician. He is the founder, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield, Storm Corrosi ...
, described Collins as "brilliant" for the way "he composes his parts, and the sounds he gets". He said, "Phil is almost like
John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, John Bonh ...
to me. I hear his personality, his perspective." He singled out the drumming on "
In the Air Tonight "In the Air Tonight" is the debut solo single by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released as the lead single from Collins's debut solo album, ''Face Value (album), Face Value'', in January 1981. It was selected as the s ...
" as an example of "ten notes that everybody knows" and concluded "Phil is ninsanely talented drummer." Other drummers who have cited him as an influence or expressed admiration for his drumming work are
Brann Dailor Brann Timothy Dailor ( , born March 19, 1975) is an American musician, best known as a member of heavy metal band Mastodon, in which he is the drummer and one of the vocalists. Career Dailor first started playing in a band called Eviscerat ...
of
Mastodon A mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (''mastós''), meaning "breast", and ὀδούς (''odoús'') "tooth", is a member of the genus ''Mammut'' (German for 'mammoth'), which was endemic to North America and lived from the late Miocene to ...
,
Nick D'Virgilio Nicholas D'Virgilio (born November 12, 1968), often abbreviated and referred to as NDV, is an American musician, singer, best known as a member of the progressive rock band Spock's Beard. He was also one of two drummers chosen to replace Phil C ...
of
Spock's Beard Spock's Beard is an American progressive rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1992 by brothers Neal (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar) and Alan Morse (guitars), John Ballard (bass), and Nick D'Virgilio (drums). Ballard was replaced by Dave M ...
and
Big Big Train Big Big Train are an English progressive rock band formed in Bournemouth in 1990. The current line-up includes band founder Gregory Spawton (bass, guitars and keyboards), along with Nick D'Virgilio (drums, vocals, guitars and keyboards), Rikar ...
,
Jimmy Keegan James E. Keegan (born November 3, 1969) is an American drummer and voice actor. He has played with artists such as Santana, as the drummer on the song "Primavera" on Santana's hit album ''Supernatural'' and with John Waite. He was the drummer ...
of Spock's Beard, Matt Mingus of
Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American Rock music, rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. It consists of lead guitarist Will Swan (musician), Will Swan, drummer Matthew Mingus, harsh vocalist Jon Mess, and lead vocalist and rhythm gui ...
, John Merryman of
Cephalic Carnage Cephalic Carnage is an American death metal band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1992. The band comprises vocalist Leonard Leal, guitarists Steve Goldberg and Brian Hopp, drummer John Merryman and bassist Nick Schendzielos. Cephalic Carnage has re ...
, Craig Blundell of Steven Wilson and
Frost* Frost* are an English neo-prog supergroup, formed in 2004 by Jem Godfrey and members of Arena, Kino, and IQ. Frost* released their first studio album, '' Milliontown'', in 2006, before splitting up. In 2008, Godfrey reformed Frost*, adding ...
, and
Charlie Benante Charles Lee Benante (born November 27, 1962) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for thrash metal band Anthrax (American band), Anthrax and crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death. Known as one of the pioneers of Bass drum, d ...
of
Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
. According to
Jason Bonham Jason John Bonham (born 15 July 1966) is an English drummer. He is the son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Since his father's death in September 1980, he has performed with the surviving three members of Led Zeppelin on several occasions, ...
, his father "respected Phil Collins' drumming very much" and one of his favourite songs was Genesis's "
Turn It On Again "Turn It On Again" is a song by the English rock band Genesis featured on their 1980 album ''Duke''. Also released as a single, the song reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's second top 10 hit. The lyrics, by Mike Rut ...
", which he used to love playing with him. ''Modern Drummer'' readers voted for Collins every year between 1987 and 1991 as Pop/Mainstream Rock drummer of the year. In 2000, he was voted as
Big Band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
drummer of the year. In 2012, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. In addition to
Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...
and
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
, Collins has cited
Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...
,
Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 1946 – 7 September 1978) was an English musician who was the drummer for the rock band the Who. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music, he was noted for his unique style of playing and ...
,
John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, John Bonh ...
,
Chester Thompson Chester Thompson (born December 11, 1948) is an American drummer best known for his tenures with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Weather Report, Santana (band), Santana, Genesis (band), Genesis and Phil Collins. Thompson has performed ...
, Tony Williams,
Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American jazz fusion drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and most highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction i ...
, and
Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the '' Mode ...
as influences on his drumming.


Equipment

Collins is a left-handed drummer, and uses
Gretsch Gretsch is an American company that manufactures and markets musical instruments. The company was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York by Friedrich Gretsch, a 27-year-old German immigrant, shortly after his arrival to the United States. Fri ...
drums, Noble & Cooley solid snare drums, Remo heads, Sabian cymbals and his signature Promark sticks. Past kits he used were made by
Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...
and
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
. Other instruments associated with Collins's sound (particularly in his post-1978 Genesis and solo career) include the
Roland TR-808 The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, commonly known as the 808, is a drum machine manufactured by Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patterns. ...
,
Roland TR-909 The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer, commonly known as the 909, is a drum machine introduced by Roland Corporation in 1983, succeeding the TR-808. It was the first Roland drum machine to use samples for some sounds, and the first with MIDI funct ...
, the
Simmons SDS-V The Simmons SDS 5, SDSV, or Simmons Drum Synthesizer (notated as ''SDS-V'' on the following) was the first viable electronic replacement for acoustic drums. It was developed by Richard James Burgess and Dave Simmons, manufactured initially by M ...
electronic drum set, and the
LinnDrum The LinnDrum, often erroneously referred to as the LM-2, is a drum machine manufactured by Linn Electronics between 1982 and 1985. About 5,000 units were sold. Development The LinnDrum was designed by the American engineer Roger Linn. It was ...
drum machines. Collins also used a
Roland CR-78 The Roland CompuRhythm CR-78 is a drum machine manufactured by Roland Corporation that was released in 1978. Although primitive by later standards, the CR-78 represented an important advance in drum machine technology at the time, in particular b ...
,
Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 The Prophet-5 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the American company Sequential. It was designed by Dave Smith and John Bowen in 1977. It was the first polyphonic synthesizer with fully programmable memory. Before the Prophet-5, synt ...
synthesizer, the
Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...
and
Yamaha CP-70 The Yamaha CP-70 is an electric piano manufactured by Yamaha Corporation between 1976 and 1985. The instrument was based on earlier electric piano technology, but took advantage of improved pickups along with the company's longstanding experienc ...
electric pianos, and a
vocoder A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''vo''ice and en''coder'') is a category of speech coding that analyzes and synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption or voice transformation. The vocoder wa ...
for his voice. Other Korg instruments include the
Wavestation The Korg Wavestation is a vector synthesis synthesizer first produced in the early 1990s and later re-released as a software synthesizer in 2004. Its primary innovation was Wave Sequencing, a method of multi-timbral sound generation in which di ...
, the
Karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
and the
Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...
.


Cameo film and television appearances

Collins had cameo appearances in
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
's ''Hook (film), Hook'' (1991) and the HIV/AIDS, AIDS docudrama ''And the Band Played On (film), And the Band Played On'' (1993). He starred in ''Frauds (film), Frauds'', which competed for the Palme d'Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. He supplied voices to two animated features: Amblin's ''Balto (film), Balto'' (1995) and Disney's ''The Jungle Book 2'' (2003). A long-discussed but never completed project was a film titled ''The Three Bears''; originally meant to star Collins, Danny DeVito, and Bob Hoskins. He often mentioned the film, though an appropriate script never materialised. Collins's music is featured in the Satire, satirical black comedy film ''American Psycho (film), American Psycho'', with psychotic lead character Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale) portrayed as an obsessive fan who reads deep meaning into his work, especially with Genesis, while describing his solo music as "...more commercial and therefore more satisfying, in a narrower way." Bateman delivers a monologue praising Collins and Genesis during a sequence in which he engages the services of two prostitutes while playing "In Too Deep (Genesis song), In Too Deep" and "
Sussudio "Sussudio" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 14 January 1985 in the United Kingdom by Virgin Records as the lead single from his third solo studio album, '' No Jacket Required'' (1985). The song served a ...
". Collins told the ''New Musical Express'': "I don't think him being a psychopath and liking my music is linked – my music was just omnipresent in that era." During the 1980s, Collins was among the celebrities caricatured on the ITV (TV network), ITV satirical television puppet show ''
Spitting Image ''Spitting Image'' is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television ...
''—the show's creators were then commissioned by Genesis to create puppets of the entire band to appear in their 1986 Land of Confusion#Music video, music video "Land of Confusion". Collins twice hosted the Billboard Music Awards, ''Billboard'' Music Awards on television, which were produced and directed by his longtime music video and TV special collaborators, Paul Flattery and Jim Yukich of FYI (Flattery Yukich Inc). In 1985, he also appeared in an episode of the series ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...
'', entitled "List of Miami Vice episodes, Phil the Shill", in which he plays a cheating Confidence trick, con-man. In the 1980s he appeared in several comedy sketches with ''The Two Ronnies'' on BBC One. In 2001, Collins was one of several celebrities who were tricked into appearing in a controversial British comedy series, ''Brass Eye'', shown on public service broadcaster Channel 4. In the episode, Collins endorsed a hoax anti-Pedophilia, paedophile campaign wearing a T-shirt with the words "Nonce Sense" and warned children against speaking to suspicious people. Collins was reported by the BBC to have consulted lawyers regarding the programme, which was originally pulled from broadcast but eventually rescheduled. Collins said he had taken part in the programme "in good faith for the public benefit", believing it to be "a public service programme that would be going around schools and colleges in a bid to stem child abduction and abuse". Collins also accused the makers of the programme of "some serious taste problems" and warned it would prevent celebrities from supporting "public spirited causes" in the future. In 2006, Collins played a fictional version of himself in the PlayStation Portable, PSP and PlayStation 2, PS2 video game ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories''. Set in 1984, he appears in three missions in which the main character, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Victor, must save him from American Mafia, Mafia-hired hitmen, who are trying to kill Collins because his manager refused to pay his $3 million debt to them. The final mission occurs during his concert, where the player must defend the scaffolding against saboteurs while Collins is performing "In the Air Tonight". After this, the player is given the opportunity to watch this performance of "In the Air Tonight" for the cost of 6,000 in-game dollars. "In the Air Tonight" is part of the official ''Vice City Stories'' soundtrack, and can be also heard on the in-game radio station Emotion 98.3. The song has also been featured in films such as ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters'' (2007) and ''The Hangover'' (2009). "In the Air Tonight" featured in the 2007 ''Gorilla (advertisement), Gorilla'' commercial for Cadbury's Cadbury Dairy Milk, Dairy Milk chocolate. Many believed that Collins himself was the drummer. When asked about ''Gorilla'', Collins jokingly commented that "Not only is he a better drummer than me, he also has more hair. Can he sing too?" The advertisement—which won Gold at the British Television Advertising Awards in 2008—helped the song re-enter the New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart at No. 3 in July 2008, the following week reaching No. 1, beating its original 1981 No. 6 peak. "In the Air Tonight" was also Sampling (music), sampled in the song "I Can Feel It" on Sean Kingston's Sean Kingston (album), self-titled debut album. Collins was portrayed in the cartoon ''South Park'' in the episode "Timmy 2000" holding his Oscar throughout, referring to his 1999 win for "
You'll Be in My Heart "You'll Be in My Heart" is a song by English drummer and singer Phil Collins from the 1999 Disney animated feature ''Tarzan''. It appeared on '' Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack'' as well as various other Disney compilations. ...
", which defeated "Blame Canada" from ''South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut''. The show's creators admitted resenting losing to Collins, as they felt their 72nd Academy Awards, other competitors were more worthy. The episode "Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000" involves a sled race down the landmark known as Phil Collins Hill, which has an impression of Collins's face in the side. The Phil Collins character returns once more and gets killed off in the episode ''200 (South Park), 200''. Collins appears briefly in the Finnish animated sitcom ''Jefferson Anderson, Pasila'' in the episode "Phil Collins Hangover". The music of this episode is a pastiche of Collins's "Another Day in Paradise". Collins was mentioned in the ''Psych'' episode "List of Psych episodes#Season 3: 2008–2009, Disco Didn't Die. It Was Murdered!" as resembling Shawn Spencer's father, Henry, portrayed by actor Corbin Bernsen.


Critical and public perceptions


Criticism

According to a 2000 BBC biography of Collins, "critics sneer at him" and "bad publicity also caused problems", which "damaged his public profile". Rock historian Martin C. Strong wrote that Collins "truly polarised opinion from the start, his ubiquitous smugness and increasingly sterile pop making him a favourite target for critics". According to ''The Guardian, Guardian'' writer Paul Lester, Collins would "regularly" call music journalists to take issue with negative reviews. Over time, he came to be personally disliked; in 2009, journalist Mark Lawson told how Collins's media profile had shifted from "pop's Mr. Nice guy, patron saint of Everyman, ordinary blokes", to someone accused of "blandness, [being a] tax exile and ending a marriage by sending a fax". Collins has rejected accusations of tax avoidance, and despite confirming that some of the divorce-related correspondence between him and second wife, Jill Tavelman, was by fax (a message from Collins regarding access to their daughter was reproduced for the front cover of ''The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun'' in 1993), he states that he did not terminate the marriage in that fashion. Nevertheless, the British media has often repeated the fax claim. Collins has been the victim of scathing remarks in regard to his alleged right-wing political leanings. Caroline Sullivan, a music critic of ''The Guardian'', referred to his cumulative negative publicity in her 2007 article "I wish I'd never heard of Phil Collins", writing that it was difficult for her to hear his work "without being riven by distaste for the man himself". Several critics have commented on Collins's omnipresence, especially in the 1980s and early 1990s. Journalist Frank DiGiacomo wrote a 1999 piece for ''New York Observer'' titled ''The Collins Menace''; he said, "Even when I sought to escape the sounds [of Collins] in my head by turning on the TV, there would be Mr. Collins ... mugging for the cameras—intent on showing the world just how hard he would work to sell millions of records to millions of stupid people." In his 2010 article "Love Don't Come Easy: Artists We Love to Hate", ''The Irish Times'' critic Kevin Courtney expressed similar sentiments. Naming Collins as one of the ten most disliked pop stars in the world, he wrote: performed at
Live Aid Live Aid was a two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative held on Saturday, 13 July 1985. The event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, a m ...
, playing first at Wembley, then flying over to Philadelphia via
Concorde Concorde () is a retired Anglo-French supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France and the United Kingdom signed a treaty establishin ...
, just to make sure no one in the U.S. got off lightly. By the early 1990s, Phil phatigue had really set in." Tim Chester of the ''New Musical Express'' alluded to the backlash against Collins in an article titled, "Is It Time We All Stopped Hating Phil Collins?". Chester said of the unrelenting derision he has suffered, "a lot of it he brings on himself." He also said that Collins was "responsible for some of the cheesiest music ever committed to acetate". Erik Hedegaard of ''Rolling Stone'' mentioned that Phil Collins Hate speech, hate sites had "flourished" online, and acknowledged that he had been called "the sellout who took Peter Gabriel's Genesis, that paragon of prog-rock, and turned it into a lame-o pop act and went on to make all those supercheesy hits that really did define the 1980s". According to author Dylan Jones in his 2013 publication on 1980s popular music, many of Collins's peers "despised" him. Some fellow artists have made negative comments about Collins publicly. In 1990, former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters criticised Collins's "ubiquitous nature", including his involvement in
the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
's 1989 reunion tour. David Bowie dismissed some of his own 1980s output as his "Phil Collins years/albums". In addition to the song's negative press from music journalists, singer-songwriter and political activist Billy Bragg criticised Collins for writing "Another Day in Paradise", stating: "Phil Collins might write a song about the homeless, but if he doesn't have the action to go with it he's just exploiting that for a subject." Oasis (band), Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher criticised Collins on multiple occasions, including the comment: "Just because you sell lots of records, it doesn't mean to say you're any good. Look at Phil Collins." Collins said he has "at times, been very down" about Noel Gallagher's comments. Gallagher's brother, Oasis singer Liam Gallagher, Liam, also recalled the "boring" Collins's chart dominance in the 1980s and stated that, by the 1990s, it was "time for some real lads to get up there and take charge". Appearing on the BBC television series ''Room 101 (British TV series), Room 101'' in 2005, in which guests discuss their most hated things and people, Collins nominated the Gallaghers to be sent into the Room 101, eponymous room. He described them as "horrible" and stated: "They're rude and not as talented as they think they are. I won't mince words here, but they've had a go at me personally." Collins acknowledged in 2010 that he had been "omnipresent". He said of his character: "The persona on stage came out of insecurity ... it seems embarrassing now. I recently started transferring all my VHS tapes onto DVD to create an archive, and everything I was watching, I thought, 'God, I'm annoying.' I appeared to be very cocky, and really I wasn't." Collins concedes his status as a figure of contempt for many people and has said that he believes this is a consequence of his music being overplayed. In 2011 he said: "The fact that people got so sick of me wasn't really my fault. ... It's hardly surprising that people grew to hate me. I'm sorry that it was all so successful. I honestly didn't mean it to happen like that!" He described criticism of his physical appearance over the years as "a cheap shot", but has acknowledged the "very vocal element" of Genesis fans who believe that the group Selling out, sold out under his tenure as lead vocalist. Collins denied that his retirement in 2011 was due to negative attention and said that his statements had been taken out of context. He said: "I have ended up sounding like a tormented weirdo who thinks he was at the Battle of the Alamo, Alamo in another life, who feels very sorry for himself, and is retiring hurt because of the bad press over the years. None of this is true."


Praise

Paul Lester of ''The Guardian'' wrote in 2013 that Collins is one of several pop acts that "used to be a joke" but are "now being hailed as gods". Collins has become an important figure in US Urban contemporary, urban music, influencing artists such as Kanye West, Alicia Keys and Beyoncé. His songs have been Sampling (music), sampled by various hip-hop and contemporary R&B acts, and performers including Lil' Kim, Kelis, and Wu-Tang Clan co-founder Ol' Dirty Bastard covered his work on the 2001 tribute album ''Urban Renewal (tribute album), Urban Renewal''. In 2004, Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service musician Ben Gibbard described Collins as a "great vocalist". Collins has been championed by his contemporary, the heavy metal music, heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne,
David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelic music, psych ...
called him "a dear friend" who helped him "enormously", Queen (band), Queen guitarist Brian May called him "a great guy and an amazing drummer", and
Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...
paid tribute to him as "the most spirited and positive and really encouraging force" when commencing his own solo career after the break-up of Led Zeppelin. Collins has been championed by modern artists in diverse genres, including indie rock groups the 1975, Generationals, Neon Indian, Yeasayer, St. Lucia (musician), St. Lucia and Sleigh Bells (band), Sleigh Bells, electronica artist Lorde, and Soul music, soul singer Diane Birch, who said in 2014, "Collins walks a really fine line between being really cheesy and being really sophisticated. He can seem appalling, but at the same time, he has awesome production values and there's a particular richness to the sound. It's very proficient in the instrumentation and savvy about melodies." Genesis bandmate
Mike Rutherford Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford (born 2 October 1950) is an English guitarist, bassist and songwriter, best known as co-founder, lead guitarist and bassist of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis. He and keyboardist Tony Banks (musici ...
has praised Collins's personality, saying that "he always had a :wikt:boy next door, bloke-next-door, happy-go-lucky demeanour about him: let's have a drink in the pub, crack a joke, smoke a cigarette or a Cannabis (drug), joint". In 2014, former Genesis frontman
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
, who worked again with Collins in the 1980s, referred to him as the "workaholics' workaholic". He has been characterised by favourable critics as a "rock god", and an artist who has remained "down to earth". In ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide#Fourth edition, The New Rolling Stone Album Guide'', published in 2004, J. D. Considine wrote: "For a time, Phil Collins was nearly inescapable on the radio, and enormously popular with the listening public — something that made him an obvious target for critics. Despite his ''lumpen''-pop appeal, however, Collins is an incisive songwriter and resourceful musician." Tim Chester of the ''New Musical Express'' described Collins as "the go-to guy for ironic appreciation and guilty pleasures" and stated he was responsible for "some moments of true genius (often accompanied, it must be said, by some real stinkers)". Creation Records founder Alan McGee wrote in 2009 that there was a "non-ironic revival of Phil Collins" happening. According to McGee: "The kids don't care about 'indie cred' anymore. To them, a great pop song is just that: a great pop song. In this time of revivals, nothing is a sacred cow anymore, and that can only be a good thing for music." Commenting on Collins's popularity with hip-hop acts, he argued: "It's not surprising. Collins is a world-class drummer whose songs immediately lend themselves to being sampled." In 2010, Gary Mills of ''The Quietus'' made an impassioned defence of Collins: "There can't be many figures in the world of pop who have inspired quite the same kind of hatred-bordering-on-civil-unrest as Collins, and there can't be too many who have shifted anything like the 150 million plus units that he's got through as a solo artist either ... The disgrace of a career bogged entirely in the determined dross of ''No Jacket Required'' however is simply not justified, regardless of how Collins gained either his fortune, or his public image." David Sheppard wrote for the BBC in 2010: "Granted, Collins has sometimes been guilty of painting the bull's-eye on his own forehead (that self-aggrandising Live Aid Concorde business, the cringe-worthy lyrics to 'Another Day in Paradise', ''Buster'', etc.), but nonetheless, the sometime Genesis frontman's canon is so substantial and his hits so profuse that it feels myopic to dismiss him merely as a haughty purveyor of tortured, romantic ballads for the middle income world." ''Rolling Stone'' journalist Erik Hedegaard expressed disapproval of the widespread criticism which Collins has received, suggesting that he has been "unfairly and inexplicably vilified". Martin C. Strong stated in 2011 that "the enigmatic and amiable Phil Collins has had his fair share of mockers and critics over the years, although one thing is sure, and that is his dexterity and undeniable talent". In a piece the following year, titled "10 Much-Mocked Artists It's Time We Forgave", ''New Musical Express'' critic Anna Conrad said Collins had been portrayed as a "villain", and wrote: "Was the bile really justified? ... come on, admit it. You've air drummed to 'In the Air Tonight', and loved it." ''The Guardian'' journalist Dave Simpson wrote a complimentary article in 2013; while acknowledging "few pop figures have become as successful and yet reviled as Phil Collins", he argued "it's about time we recognised Collins's vast influence as one of the godfathers of popular culture".


Personal life


Family and relationships

Collins has divorced three times. From 1975 to 1980, he was married to Canadian-born Andrea Bertorelli. They met as 11-year-old students in a London drama class and reconnected in 1974 when Genesis performed in Vancouver. They married in England in 1975 when both were 24, after which Collins legally adopted Bertorelli's daughter Joely Collins, Joely (b. 1972), who became an actress and film producer. They also had a son, Simon Collins (b. 1976), who is the former vocalist and drummer of the progressive rock band Sound of Contact. In 2016, Bertorelli took legal action against Collins pertaining to his account of their relationship in his autobiography. In 1984, Collins married American Jill Tavelman. They have one daughter, Lily Collins (b. 1989), who became an actress. While married to Tavelman, Collins twice had an affair with Lavinia Lang, a former drama school classmate, while touring with Genesis in 1992. The two were previously engaged, but the relationship ended before they married. In 1994, Collins openly stated that he had fallen out of love with Tavelman and had filed for divorce, which was finalised in 1996. As part of the settlement, Collins paid £17 million to Tavelman. In 1999, Collins married Orianne Cevey, a Swiss national who worked as his translator at the start of his 1994 tour when she was 22 and he was 43. They have two sons, Nic Collins (drummer), Nicholas and Matthew. Nicholas is a professional drummer, while Matthew was an aspiring Association football, footballer for the youth squad of WSG Tirol, having previously played in the youth systems of Bundesliga club Hannover 96 and Astoria Walldorf. He has since gone on to play in the WSG Tirol's regional leagues. The family lived in the former house of Jackie Stewart in Begnins, Switzerland. In 2006 Cevey and Collins divorced. Collins paid £25 million to Cevey, which became the largest settlement in a British celebrity divorce. Collins continued to live in Féchy, Switzerland, while he also maintained homes in New York City and Dersingham, Norfolk. From 2007 to 2016, Collins was in a relationship with American news anchor Dana Tyler. In 2008, Cevey and her two sons moved to Miami, Florida. Collins recalled: "I went through a few bits of darkness; drinking too much. I killed my hours watching TV and drinking, and it almost killed me." He said in 2015 that he had been Teetotalism, teetotal for three years. In January 2016, after moving to Miami Beach, Florida in the previous year to be closer to his two youngest sons, Collins reunited with Cevey and they lived together in Miami. In October 2020, Collins filed an eviction notice against Cevey after she secretly married another man in August. Collins sold his Miami home in 2021 for $39 million. Collins's brother Clive was a cartoonist. Phil appeared at his brother's investiture ceremony at
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...
in 2012 when he was awarded an Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, MBE for services to art, with Phil stating, "I shared a bedroom with him when we were boys and he was always drawing. He used to do Christmas cards and birthday cards for the family."


Wealth

In 2012, Collins was estimated to be the second-wealthiest drummer in the world, surpassed only by
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
. Collins was estimated to have a fortune of £120 million in the ''Sunday Times Rich List'' of 2018, making him one of the 25 wealthiest people in the British music industry.


Court case

On 29 March 2000, Collins launched a case against two former musicians from his band to recoup £500,000 in royalties that were overpaid. Louis Satterfield and Rahmlee Davis claimed their contract entitled them to 0.5 per cent of the royalties from '' Serious Hits... Live!'', a live album recorded during Collins's Seriously, Live! World Tour in 1990. They claimed they were an integral part of the whole album, but Collins responded that the two should only receive royalties from the five tracks in which they were involved. On 19 April 2000, the High Court of Justice, High Court in London ruled that the two musicians would receive no more royalty money from Phil Collins. The amount that Collins was seeking was halved, and Satterfield and Davis (who originally brought the suit forward in California) would not have to repay any of it. The judge agreed with Collins's argument that Satterfield and Davis should have been paid for only the five tracks on which they performed, including the hit "
Sussudio "Sussudio" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 14 January 1985 in the United Kingdom by Virgin Records as the lead single from his third solo studio album, '' No Jacket Required'' (1985). The song served a ...
".


Health

In 2000, Collins developed sudden hearing loss in his left ear following a recording session in Los Angeles. He consulted three doctors, who reportedly told him that there was nothing they could do and that the chance of a full recovery was slim. Two years later, he had recovered most of his hearing. Collins later found that it was caused by a viral infection, and it was resolved after treatment. In April 2009, Collins had surgery on his upper neck to correct a problem that began while drumming on the 2007 Genesis tour. Following the operation, he lost feeling in his fingers and could only grip drumsticks if they were taped to his hands. In 2010, Collins alluded to feelings of depression and low self-worth in recent years and said he had contemplated suicide, but he resisted for the sake of his children. In 2014, Collins said that he was still unable to play the drums and that it was not arthritis, but an undiagnosed nerve problem. In 2015, he underwent a spine operation. In 2016, he said he was still unable to drum with his left hand. His doctor advised him that if he wanted to play the drums again, he would need to take it "step by step" and "practice". In his 2016 autobiography, Collins acknowledged that he had struggled with alcoholism following his retirement and third divorce. He wrote that he had been sober for three years. In January 2017, Collins said he was a Type 2 diabetes, type 2 diabetic and had received treatment with a hyperbaric chamber after developing a diabetic abscess on his foot that became infected. In June 2017, Collins cancelled two shows after he slipped in his hotel room during the night and hit his head on a chair as he fell, resulting in stitches for a severe gash close to his eye. The fall was caused by his foot drop, resulting from his back operation. He subsequently had to use a cane to assist with walking, and sit in a chair while performing on stage.


Honorary degrees

Collins has received several honorary degrees in recognition of his work in music and his personal interests. In 1987, he received an honorary doctorate of fine arts at Fairleigh Dickinson University. In 1991, he received an honorary doctorate of music at the Berklee College of Music. On 12 May 2012, he received an honorary doctorate of history at the McMurry University in Abilene, Texas, for his research and collection of Texas Revolution artefacts and documents (see #Other interests, other interests section).


Politics

Collins is often erroneously described in the British media as a supporter of the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party and a critic of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party. This derives from an article in ''The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun'', printed on the day of the 1992 United Kingdom general election, 1992 UK general election, titled "It's The Sun Wot Won It, If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights", which stated that Collins was among several celebrities who were planning to leave Britain in the event of a Labour victory. Collins is often reported in the British press to have left the UK and moved to Switzerland in protest at the Labour Party's victory in the 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 general election. Shortly before the 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 election, when Collins was living in Switzerland, the musician and Labour supporter Noel Gallagher was quoted: "Vote Labour. If you don't and the Tories get in, Phil Collins is threatening to come back and live here. And let's face it, none of us want that." Collins stated that although he did once say many years earlier that he might leave Britain if most of his income was taken in tax, which was Labour Party policy at that time for top earners, he had never been a Conservative Party supporter and he left Britain for Switzerland in 1994 because he started a relationship with a woman who lived there. He said of Gallagher: "I don't care if he likes my music or not. I do care if he starts telling people I'm a wanker because of my politics. It's an opinion based on an old, misunderstood quote." Despite his statement that he did not leave Britain for tax purposes, Collins was one of several wealthy figures living in tax havens who were singled out for criticism in a 2008 report by the charity Christian Aid. ''The Independent'' included Collins as one of their "ten celebrity tax exiles", erroneously repeating that he had left the country when Labour won the 1997 general election and that he threatened to return if the Conservatives won in 2005. Referring to the 1997 general election in his article "Famous men and their misunderstood politics" for MSN, Hugh Wilson stated: "Labour won it in a landslide, which just goes to show the influence pop stars really wield." He also wrote that Collins's reported comments and subsequent move to Switzerland led to "accusations of hypocrisy" since he had "bemoaned the plight of the homeless" in his song "Another Day in Paradise", making him "an easy target when future elections came round". The Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott song "When I Get Back to Blighty", from their 2014 album ''What Have We Become? (album), What Have We Become?'', made reference to Collins as "a prisoner to his tax returns". Questioned about his politics by Mark Lawson in an interview for the BBC, broadcast in 2009, Collins said: "My father was Conservative but it wasn't quite the same, I don't think, when he was alive. Politics never loomed large in our family anyway. I think the politics of the country were very different then." In a 2016 interview in ''The Guardian'', Collins stated that talking about politics to ''The Sun'' was one of his biggest regrets. When asked whether he had ever voted Conservative, he said: "I didn't vote, actually. And that's not something I'm proud of. I was just so busy that I rarely was here." Collins is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and has worked with them on campaigns including radio PSAs. In October 2020, Collins issued a cease and desist order to Donald Trump and Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, his campaign for playing "In the Air Tonight" at a rally.


Other interests

Collins has a long-standing interest in Battle of the Alamo, the Alamo. He has collected hundreds of artefacts related to the 1836 battle in San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, narrated a light and sound show about the Alamo, and has spoken at related events. In 2012, he published a book, ''The Alamo and Beyond: A Collector's Journey''. On 26 June 2014, at a press conference held from the Alamo, Collins announced that he was donating his collection to the Alamo via the State of Texas. On 11 March 2015, in honour of his donation, Collins was named an honorary Texan by the state legislature. Like Rod Stewart,
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
, and Neil Young, Collins is a Rail transport modelling, model railway enthusiast. He also has an interest in King & Country (company), King & Country toy soldiers. He is an honorary president of Richmond Yacht Club, of which his parents used to be members.


Charity work

Collins has performed at the ''The Secret Policeman's Ball, Secret Policeman's Ball'', a benefit show co-founded by Monty Python member John Cleese on behalf of
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
. He made his first appearance at the 1981 show held in London's
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...
, and he subsequently became an activist. Collins was appointed a Royal Victorian Order, Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the 1994 Birthday Honours, in recognition of his work on behalf of The Prince's Trust, a leading UK youth charity founded by King Charles III (then-Prince of Wales) which provides training, personal development, business start up support, mentoring, and advice. Since appearing at the first Prince's Trust's rock concert in 1982 which included a performance as part of singer Kate Bush's backing band, Collins has played at the event numerous times since, most recently at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
in 2010. On 9 April 1989, Collins topped the bill at a benefit concert for the English comic actor Terry-Thomas at at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which raised over £75,000 for Terry-Thomas and Parkinson's UK. Collins supports animal rights and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In 2005, he donated autographed Drum stick, drumsticks in support of PETA's campaign against KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken. In February 2000, Collins and Cevey launched the Little Dreams Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to "...realise the dreams of children in the fields of sports and art" by providing future prodigies aged 4 to 16 years with financial, material, and mentoring support with the help of experts in various fields. Collins took the action after receiving letters from children asking him how they could break into the music industry. Mentors to the students who have benefited from his foundation include Tina Turner and Natalie Cole. In 2013 he visited Miami Beach, Florida, to promote the expansion of his foundation. Collins supports the South African charity ''Topsy Foundation'', which provides relief services to some of South Africa's most under-resourced rural communities through a multi-faceted approach to the consequences of HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty. He donates all the royalties earned from his music sales in South Africa to the organisation.


Legacy

A street was named after Phil Collins in Saint-Jean-d'Heurs, a rural commune of France.


Awards and nominations


Discography

Studio albums * ''
Face Value The face value, sometimes called nominal value, is the value of a coin, bond, stamp or paper money as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the issuing authority. The face value of coins, stamps, or bill is usually its legal value. Ho ...
'' (1981) * '' Hello, I Must Be Going!'' (1982) * ''
No Jacket Required ''No Jacket Required'' is the third solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 18 February 1985 by Virgin Records in the UK and by Atlantic and WEA internationally. After finishing touring commi ...
'' (1985) * '' ...But Seriously'' (1989) * ''
Both Sides ''Both Sides'' is the fifth solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. Featuring an adult-oriented soft rock-based sound, released on 8 November 1993 by Virgin in the UK and Atlantic in the US. Collins created the album ...
'' (1993) * ''
Dance into the Light ''Dance into the Light'' is the sixth solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released on 21 October 1996 in the United Kingdom by Face Value Records. It features guest backing vocals from some of Collins' tourin ...
'' (1996) * ''
Testify Testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. Etymology The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness. Law In the law, testimony ...
'' (2002) * '' Going Back (album), Going Back'' (2010)


Concert tours

* The Hello, I Must Be Going Tour (1982–1983) *
The No Jacket Required World Tour The No Jacket Required World Tour was a concert tour by the English drummer, singer and songwriter Phil Collins, which occurred February–July 1985 in support of his 1985 album, '' No Jacket Required''. The album had been a massive internationa ...
(1985) * Seriously, Live! World Tour (1990) * Both Sides of the World Tour (1994–1995) * Trip into the Light World Tour (1997) * The First Final Farewell Tour (2004–2005) *
Not Dead Yet Tour The Not Dead Yet Tour (also known as Not Dead Yet Live! and Still Not Dead Yet Live!) was a concert tour by English recording artist Phil Collins, named after his autobiography released on 25 October 2016. Background Collins announced the tou ...
(2017–2019)


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Books

* ''The Alamo and Beyond: A Collector's Journey'' (2012) * ''Not Dead Yet: The Autobiography'' (2016)


References


Citations


General and cited sources

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External links

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Phil Collins: Drummer First
' 2024 documentary/interview featuring Phil and Nic Collins {{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Phil Phil Collins, 1951 births Living people 20th-century English drummers 20th-century English male singers 20th-century English singer-songwriters 21st-century English drummers 21st-century English male singers 21st-century English singer-songwriters Actors from the London Borough of Hounslow Actors from the London Borough of Wandsworth Alumni of Chiswick School Animation composers Art rock musicians Atlantic Records artists British ballad musicians Best Original Song Academy Award–winning songwriters Big band drummers Brand X members Brit Award winners British soft rock musicians Collins family (show business) Disney Legends Echo (music award) winners English autobiographers English child singers English expatriate male actors in the United States English expatriate musicians in the United States English expatriates in Switzerland English jazz drummers English male child actors English male drummers English male film actors English male jazz musicians English male models English male pop singers English male rock singers English male singer-songwriters English male television actors English male voice actors English multi-instrumentalists English pop keyboardists English record producers English rock drummers English rock keyboardists English session musicians English soul singers English tenors Flaming Youth (band) members Genesis (band) members Golden Globe Award–winning musicians Grammy Award winners Ivor Novello Award winners Jazz fusion drummers Lieutenants of the Royal Victorian Order Male actors from London Musicians from the London Borough of Hounslow Musicians from the London Borough of Wandsworth People educated at Barbara Speake Stage School People from Chiswick The Phil Collins Big Band members Progressive rock drummers Rhino Entertainment artists Singers from the London Borough of Hounslow Singers from the London Borough of Wandsworth Virgin Records artists Walt Disney Animation Studios people Walt Disney Records artists Warner Music Group artists