Phil Collins

Phil Collins (born January 30, 1951, London, England) is an English drummer, singer, songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame in the music world in the 1970s and ’80s both for his work with the rock band Genesis and for his pop solo career. He was the winner of multiple Grammy Awards in the 1980s and ’90s.

Early career

Collins was gifted a drum set at the age of five and improved his skill through practicing along with music on both the radio and television. He also pursued acting and singing, most notably performing in a 1964 stage production of Oliver! Collins also had bit parts in several movies, including the comedy musical A Hard Day’s Night (1964), starring the Beatles.

While Collins was acting, his passion for music grew as well. He played with bands such as the Cliff Charles Blues Band, the Charge, the Freehold, Zox, and the Radar Boys. In 1969 he was a drummer and singer for the band Flaming Youth. Though its work was relatively successful, the band split up soon after releasing its first album, Ark 2 (1969).

Britannica Quiz

Pop Culture Quiz

Joining Genesis

Collins’s big break came in 1970 when he won a position as a drummer for the progressive rock band Genesis, whose lead singer was Peter Gabriel. When Gabriel left to pursue a solo career after the release of the group’s album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974), Collins took over lead vocals. Under his direction, the band slowly developed a more mainstream sound marked by a host of hit singles and the successful albums Duke (1980), Abacab (1981), and Invisible Touch (1986). In the mid- and late 1970s Collins simultaneously played and recorded with the jazz fusion band Brand X.

Solo career

Although Collins stayed with Genesis until 1996, he also began a solo career in 1981. Whereas Genesis produced “intellectual” album-oriented rock, Collins as a solo performer featured pop songs that appealed to more general audiences. In 1981 Collins released his debut solo album Face Value, featuring “In the Air Tonight” as its lead single. The song became an international hit, reaching number two on the U.K. charts.

On July 13, 1985, Collins performed at the benefit concert Live Aid. He was the only artist (out of more than 70 acts) to appear on both Live Aid stages, playing in London at Wembley Stadium earlier in the day before crossing the Atlantic on the Concorde to perform at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.

Singles such as the power ballad “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” (1984), the dance song “Sussudio” (1985), and the slow duet (with Marilyn Martin) “Separate Lives” (1985) all became number one hits in the United States. In 1999 Collins won an Academy Award for best original song for “You’ll Be in My Heart,” which was released for the Walt Disney animated movie Tarzan.

Access for the whole family!

Bundle Britannica Premium and Kids for the ultimate resource destination.

Subscribe

Acting roles

In the 1980s Collins began to act again. He appeared on the television series Miami Vice in 1985 and starred in the comedy-adventure movie Buster (1988), the latter of which included his hit singles “A Groovy Kind of Love” and “Two Hearts.” Other acting projects include small appearances in Steven Spielberg’s Hook (1991) and in the TV movie And the Band Played On (1993), as well as voice parts in the animated movies Balto (1995) and The Jungle Book 2 (2003).

Later albums

Collins released only a few studio albums in the 21st century. Testify (2002) was his last recording to include original songs. In 2007 Collins joined Genesis for a reunion tour, but it did not lead to any new material. The album Going Back (2010) contained Collins’s renditions of Motown classics. In 2014 three of his solo songs appeared on the Genesis compilation R-Kive.

Awards and honors

Throughout his career, Collins received several Grammy Awards, including album of the year for No Jacket Required (1985), record of the year for “Another Day in Paradise” (1989), and best soundtrack album for Tarzan (1999). Among his other honors, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

Personal life

Collins published his memoir, Not Dead Yet, in 2016. He has been divorced three times. In 1989 he and his second wife, Jill Tavelman, had one daughter, Lily Collins, an actress who most notably stars in the Netflix romantic comedy series Emily in Paris (2020– ). Collins and Tavelman’s divorce was finalized in 1996.