Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, drummer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later the lead singer of the rock band Genesis and has had a solo career, achieving multiple UK and US number-one singles. His work with Genesis and as a solo artist resulted in numerous US top-40 singles throughout the 1980s. Notable singles include "In the Air Tonight", "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)", "One More Night", "Sussudio", "Another Day in Paradise", "Two Hearts" and "I Wish It Would Rain Down". Born in Putney, London, Collins began playing drums at the age of five and also attended drama school, performing in productions such as Oliver! as the Artful Dodger. He pursued a music career in the late 1960s, joining bands including Flaming Youth, before becoming the drummer for Genesis in 1970. He took over as lead singer in 1975 following Peter Gabriel's departure. During the late 1970s, he also performed with the jazz rock band Brand X. Collins launched a solo career in the 1980s with albums including "Face Value" (1981), "Hello, I Must Be Going!" (1982), "No Jacket Required" (1985) and "...But Seriously" (1989), incorporating personal themes and soul influences. He became known for the gated reverb drum sound on many recordings and played drums on charity and collaborative projects, including "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and Live Aid in 1985. Collins also resumed acting, appearing in Miami Vice and starring in the film "Buster" (1988). Collins left Genesis in 1996 to focus on solo work, including composing songs for Disney's animated film "Tarzan" (1999), such as "Two Worlds", "Son of Man", "Strangers Like Me" and "You'll Be in My Heart", which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. He rejoined Genesis for their "Turn It On Again Tour" in 2007, and following a hiatus, he released his autobiography "Not Dead Yet" in 2016 and toured from 2017 to 2019. Genesis reunited for "The Last Domino? Tour" from 2021 to 2022. Collins's discography includes eight studio albums with certified sales of 33.5 million units in the US and an estimated 150 million records worldwide. He is among the few artists to have sold over 100 million records both as a solo performer and with a band. He has received numerous awards, including eight Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, six Ivor Novello Awards, a Disney Legend Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and inductions into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has been recognised by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time and inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame and Classic Drummer Hall of Fame. Collins's early life included music and performance training. He was influenced by The Beatles, Motown, Stax Records, and jazz drummers including Buddy Rich. He formed early bands at school, including the Real Thing and the Freehold, and performed in theatre and film before focusing on music. Collins's early music career included work with the Cliff Charles Blues Band, the Gladiators, Hickory, and Flaming Youth. He recorded with George Harrison and contributed to other artists’ albums. In 1970, Collins joined Genesis, playing drums and providing backing vocals, gradually becoming the primary lead singer after Gabriel's departure. He also performed with Brand X and collaborated with various musicians including Brian Eno, Peter Banks, Anthony Phillips and Thin Lizzy. In the 1980s, Collins released solo albums addressing personal themes, achieving commercial success with singles like "In the Air Tonight", "You Can't Hurry Love", "Sussudio" and "One More Night". He contributed to charity projects, including Band Aid and Live Aid. His albums "No Jacket Required" and "...But Seriously" sold millions of copies worldwide, and he won several awards for his music and performances. He continued to collaborate with other artists, including Eric Clapton, Howard Jones and David Crosby. In the 1990s, Collins released "Both Sides", performing all instruments himself. He continued recording and touring with Genesis, including the albums "We Can't Dance" and supporting tours. He left Genesis in 1996 and formed the Phil Collins Big Band, performing jazz renditions of his work. Solo releases during this period included "Dance into the Light" (1996), "...Hits" (1998) and work on Disney projects such as "Tarzan" and "Brother Bear". Collins was recognised with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Disney Legend award. In the 2000s, Collins reunited with Genesis for "Turn It On Again: The Tour" and released the Motown covers album "Going Back" (2010). He took time off due to health issues, but returned to music in 2015, reissuing remastered albums and embarking on the Not Dead Yet Tour from 2017 to 2019. In 2020, Genesis announced a reunion with "The Last Domino? Tour", which took place in 2021–2022. As of 2025, Collins has stated he has no plans for new music due to ongoing health issues. In 2026, he received a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. Studio albums Face Value (1981) Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982) No Jacket Required (1985) ...But Seriously (1989) Both Sides (1993) Dance into the Light (1996) Testify (2002) Going Back (2010) . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.