Phil Collins, the drummer and lead singer of Genesis, has won eight Grammy awards, making him one of the most famous musicians out there.
He is one of just three musicians, along with Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, who have sold over 100 million albums as both a solo artist and part of a band.
Collins was born on January 30, 1951, in London, England, to parents who were really creative, and that’s when he discovered his passion for making music.
Collins remembered that when he was only five years old, his uncle created a drum kit for him using tambourines, triangles, cymbals, and toy drums.
“The old cliché is, ‘Well, at least it will keep him quiet’,” he told Interview Magazine.
Soon after, he found himself performing in shows at his parents’ boating club.
Collins remembered, “Back when I really got into playing music, the English beat scene was just starting up with groups like the Shadows. It was the early 1960s.”
I can still picture the day I got Please Please Me. I would crank up the record player really loud and set my drums up so I could see myself in the mirror. That way, I wouldn’t have to focus on what I was playing.
When I turned fourteen, I decided to find a teacher to help me learn how to read drum music. I thought that once the rock-and-roll craze was over, I would need to earn money by playing in a dance band or working in an orchestra pit.
I figured out how to read drum music, but I realized that I wasn’t as good at reading it as I was at just playing what I felt.
In the 1970s, Collin’s life took a big turn. He was already jamming with a few bands when he saw an advertisement from a band named Genesis that needed a drummer.
He chose to reach out to them, and everything changed from there. During the early years of Collins being involved, the group put out five albums, and some of their singles made it onto the charts.
After the founder and lead singer of Genesis left the group, Collins took his place. He was both a singer and a drummer.
When talking about his new position, he mentioned that he wasn’t very comfortable with it. However, since the group couldn’t find a singer, he decided to jump in and help out.
Besides being a member of Genesis, Collins also had a very impressive solo career. With smash hits such as In The Air Tonight, You Can’t Hurry Love and I Don’t Care Anymore he soon became one of the best in the music industry.
When he chose to part ways with the band and concentrate on his solo career, Collins mentioned, “After being with Genesis for 25 years, I thought it was time to take a different path in my music.”
Right now, I’m focusing on making music for movies, working on some jazz projects, and continuing my solo career. I really wish the guys in Genesis all the best for what’s ahead. We’ll always be great friends.
In 2017, he made the choice to get back together with the band. Last year, they revealed plans for a world tour called The Last Domino, but they had to pause it due to the pandemic.
Fans were super excited to see the group perform together, but then Collins did an interview with BBC Breakfast that worried a lot of people about his health. He and his band members shared that Collins’ son, Nicholas, would be the one drumming while Collins would just focus on singing.
Tony Banks from Genesis said, “Nic is an awesome drummer, and he can really make his sound similar to early Phil. For Mike and me, that was always super exciting.”
You can now play some of the songs that you haven’t played with Phil on drums in a really long time.
When asked why he isn’t playing the drums, the musician explained, “I really want to, but honestly, I can hardly grip a drumstick with this hand. So, there are some physical challenges that make it tough.”
I have some physical challenges that make things tough for me, and it’s really frustrating because I wish I could be up there playing with my son. I’m also not sure if I want to keep touring anymore.
“We’re all men of our age, and I think to some extent, I think it probably is putting it to bed,” he said. “I think yeah, I think just generally for me, I don’t know if I want to go out on the road anymore.”
During the past few years, Collins experienced certain health issues which left him struggling to get on his feet.
In an interview with Billboard, he shared that after having surgery in 2009, he ended up with a dislocated vertebra and nerve damage. He also mentioned that he had a broken foot, which made him feel like he was walking “on sticks.”