Phil Collins biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Born Philip David Charles Collins on January 30, 1951, in London, England, to parents Greville Collins, an insurance agent, and his wife June, a talent manager. One of three children, Phil grew up in a household that embraced creativity and drive. His older brother, Clive, would go on to become a professional cartoonist, while his sister competed as an ice skater.

From an early age, Phil showed a preference for the stage and music. His love for the drums began at the age of 5, when he was given a toy drum kit. By the age of 12, Collins had a real set of drums and played every chance he could get. When he was 13 Collins, a talented actor, was offered the chance to play the role of the Artful Dodger in the London production of Oliver!. To take on the part, Collins left the Chiswick Grammar School with his parents blessing, and enrolled in the Barbara Speake Stage School.

The decision to leave his old school, while not an easy one, proved to be a smart decision. Other acting opportunities came his way, including cameos in the Beatles' A Hard Days Night (1964) as well as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1969).

Genesis and Solo Career

More significantly, Collins teamed with a few fellow students to form his first band, The Real Thing. Other opportunities followed, but his first big break came in 1970 when he answered a newspaper advertisement from a Surrey band named Genesis that needed a drummer and backup vocalist. The three-year-old group, fronted by lead singer Peter Gabriel, desperately needed a change. And Collins seemed to provide a spark. Over the next five years, the band churned out five studio albums, as well as a live record from a concert tour in the United States.

In 1975, Collins became the face of Genesis when Gabriel left the band to embark on a solo career. The group had auditioned some 400 singers to replace their front man, before turning inward and handing the baton to Collins. The change from Gabriel to Collins was significant. Unlike his predecessor, Collins didn't dominate the stage with elaborate costumes. The music, too, slowly evolved away from the heady, conceptual stuff that defined the band's early sound, toward a more radio-friendly style.

In 1978 the band, now simply consisting of Collins; keyboardist Tony Banks; and guitarist Mike Rutherford, released And Then There Were Three. The record went gold and secured the group its first American radio hit, "Follow You Follow Me." The group followed it up with a more commercial friendly album, Duke (1980).

Collins, who also performed regularly with the jazz band Brand X, soon began exploring his own solo work. In 1981 he hit the airwaves with his first solo record, Face Value. The album, backed by the popular single "In the Air Tonight," proved to be a monster hit. A year later, Collins released his second solo album, Hello, I Must Be Going, which included a pair of popular singles: "You Can't Hurry Love"