Where is phil collins now
Phil Collins
English musician (born )
For other people named Phil Collins, see Phil Collins (disambiguation).
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January ) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis 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 singles than any other artist throughout the s.[7] His most successful singles from the period include "In the Air Tonight", "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)", "One More Night", "Sussudio", "Another Day in Paradise" and "I Wish It Would Rain Down".
Dana tyler and phil collins Archived from the original on 8 October Dallas Observer. Retrieved 25 February July 6, Phil Collins' " Sussudio " - a song about a girl with a funny name - hits 1.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 in the West End production of the musical Oliver!. As an accomplished professional actor by his early teens, he pivoted to pursue a music career, becoming the drummer for Genesis in at age He took over the role of lead singer in following the departure of Peter Gabriel.
During the second half of the s, in between Genesis albums and tours, Collins was the drummer of jazz rock band Brand X. Collins began a successful solo career in the s, initially inspired by his marital breakdown and love of soul music, releasing the albums Face Value (), Hello, I Must Be Going (), No Jacket Required () and But Seriously ().
Collins became, in the words of AllMusic, "one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond".[8] He became known for a distinctive gated reverb drum sound on many of his recordings.[9] He played drums on the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", and in July , he was the only artist to perform at both Live Aid concerts.
He resumed his acting career, appearing in Miami Vice and subsequently starring in the film Buster ().
Collins left Genesis in to focus on solo work; this included writing songs for Disney's animated film Tarzan (), for which he wrote and performed the songs "Two Worlds", "Son of Man", "Strangers Like Me" and "You'll Be in My Heart", the last of which earned him the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
He rejoined Genesis for their Turn It On Again Tour in Following a five-year retirement to focus on his family life, Collins released his memoir in and conducted the Not Dead Yet Tour from to He then rejoined Genesis in for a second and final reunion tour, which ran from to
Collins's discography includes eight studio albums that have sold million certified units in the US and an estimated &#;million records sold worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists.[10] He is one of only three recording artists, along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, who have sold over &#;million records both as solo artists and separately as principal members of a band.[11][12] He has won eight Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards (winning Best British Male Artist three times), two Golden Globe Awards, one Academy Award, and a Disney Legend Award.[13] He was awarded six Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the International Achievement Award.
He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in , and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in Ranked by Rolling Stone at number 43 in the Greatest Drummers of All Time,[14] he was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in and the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in [15][16]
Early life
Philip David Charles Collins was born on 30 January at Putney Hospital in what was then the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth (now the London Borough of Wandsworth) in south-west London, England.
His mother, Winifred June (née&#;Strange, –), worked in a toy shop and later as a booking agent at the Barbara Speake Stage School, an independent performing arts school in East Acton, while his father, Greville Philip Austin Collins (–), was an insurance agent for London Assurance.[20] 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.[20][21] The family moved twice by the time Collins had reached the age of two; they settled at Hanworth Road in what was then the Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick.
Collins was given a toy drum kit for Christmas when he was five years old, and later his two uncles made him a makeshift set with triangles and tambourines that fitted into a suitcase.
As he grew older, these were followed by more complete sets bought by his parents. Collins practised by playing along to music on the television and radio.[25] During a family holiday at Butlin's, a seven-year-old Collins entered a talent contest, singing "The Ballad of Davy Crockett"; he stopped the orchestra halfway through to tell them they were in the wrong key.[26]The Beatles were a major early influence on him, including their drummer Ringo Starr.[27][28][29] Collins followed the lesser-known London band the Action, whose drummer he would copy and whose work introduced him to the soul music of Motown and Stax Records.[27] He was also influenced by the jazz and big band drummer Buddy Rich,[30] whose opinion on the importance of the hi-hat prompted him to stop using two bass drums and start using the hi-hat.[31]
At around the age of 12, Collins received basic piano and music tuition from his father's aunt.
He studied drum rudiments under Lloyd Ryan 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."[31] Collins never learned to read or write musical notation 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."[31]
Collins attended Nelson Primary School until he was 11 years old. Collins 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, who would become famous for playing the Artful Dodger in the film Oliver! (); the pair both attended the Barbara Speake Stage School after Collins's mother spotted Wild as the two played football in the park.[36]
Career
– 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 (), where he is among the screaming teenagers during the television concert sequence.[37] Later in , Collins was cast as the Artful Dodger in two West End runs of the musical Oliver![38] He was paid £15 a week, and called the role "the best part for a kid in all London".[20] 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.[21] Collins starred in Calamity the Cow (), a film produced by the Children's Film Foundation.
After a falling out with the director, Collins decided to quit acting to pursue music.[40] He was to appear in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang () as one of the children who storm the castle, but his scene was cut.[41] Collins auditioned for the role of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (), but the role went to Leonard Whiting.
In , 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.[38] He frequented the Marquee Club 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 perform, which greatly influenced him. When auditions for Vinegar Joe and Manfred Mann Chapter Three were unsuccessful,[44] 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 on guitar.
Around this time, Collins learned that Yes were looking for a new drummer and spoke to frontman Jon Anderson, who invited him to an audition the following week. Collins failed to turn up.
In , 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 , they were renamed Flaming Youth. They signed to Fontana Records and recorded Ark 2 (), a concept album written and produced by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley that tells the story of man's evacuation from a burning Earth and its voyage into space.
Each member sings a lead vocal.[47]
In May , after Flaming Youth split, Collins played congas on George Harrison's song "Art of Dying", but his contribution was omitted.[27] 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.[49]
– Genesis, later role as lead singer, and Brand X
In July , the rock band Genesis had signed with Charisma Records and recorded their second album Trespass (), but suffered a setback following the departure of guitarist Anthony Phillips.
Phil collins biography timeline Phil briefly returns to Oliver playing the role of Noah Claypole. Retrieved 13 May Dodd, Philipp ed. They signed to Fontana Records and recorded Ark 2 , a concept album written and produced by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley that tells the story of man's evacuation from a burning Earth and its voyage into space.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 for a drummer "sensitive to acoustic music" and a string acoustic guitarist.[52] Collins recognised Charisma owner Tony Stratton Smith'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, a private boarding school: singer Peter Gabriel, keyboardist Tony Banks, and bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford. 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 , 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 , the band enlisted Steve Hackett.
From to , 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)".
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 include composing the staccato rhythm which acts as the main theme of the live favourite "Watcher of the Skies". His first album as a member, Nursery Cryme, features the acoustic song "For Absent Friends" that has Collins singing lead vocal. He sang "More Fool Me" on their album Selling England by the Pound and on the subsequent tour, marking the first time he assumed the role of Genesis lead vocalist in a live setting.
In , Collins played drums on Brian Eno's second album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) after Eno had contributed electronic effects to two songs on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
In August , Gabriel's departure from the band was publicly announced. Genesis advertised for a replacement in Melody Maker and received around 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.[68] The album was a commercial and critical success, reaching number 3 in the UK charts and 31 in the US.[69]Rolling Stone wrote that Genesis "has managed to turn the possible catastrophe of Gabriel's departure into their first broad-based American success."[70] For the tour, former Yes and King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford played drums on sections where Collins sang.
In , Collins brought in American drummer Chester Thompson, formerly of Frank Zappa and Weather Report, who became a mainstay of Genesis's and Collins's backing bands until When Collins, Banks, and Rutherford decided to continue Genesis as a trio in , 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".[71] 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, in the spring of
Collins pursued various guest spots and solo projects from his time as Genesis's drummer.
In , he and Hackett performed on the solo debut of ex-Yes guitarist Peter Banks. In , Collins sang and played drums, vibraphone, and percussion on Hackett's first solo album, Voyage of the Acolyte; performed on Eno's albums Another Green World, Before and After Science, and Music for Films; and replaced drummer Phil Spinelli of the jazz fusion group Brand X before recording their first two albums, Unorthodox Behaviour and Moroccan Roll.
Collins played percussion on Johnny the Fox by Thin Lizzy,[76] and sang on Anthony Phillips' debut solo album, The Geese & the Ghost.[77]
– Solo debut with Face Value and Hello, I Must Be Going!
After Genesis finished touring in December , the group went on hiatus after Collins went to Vancouver, Canada to try to save his failing marriage.[78] 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 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's album Grace and Danger, and started writing demos of his own at home.[78] This was followed by Genesis resuming activity and recording and touring through with their album Duke ().
The three members contributed two tracks each; Collins put forward "Please Don't Ask" and "Misunderstanding".[79]
In February , Collins released his debut solo album Face Value. He signed with Virgin Records 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.[80] 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, with whom he had worked on Peter Gabriel's self-titled album.[82]Face Value reached number one in seven countries, including the UK Albums Chart,[69] and number seven in the US where it went on to sell 5 million copies.[83] "In the Air Tonight", the album's lead single, became a hit and reached number two in the UK charts.
The song is known for the gated reverb effect used on Collins's drums, a technique developed by Padgham when he worked as an engineer on Gabriel's song "Intruder", on which Collins played drums.[82]
Following an invitation by record producer Martin Lewis, Collins performed live as a solo artist at an Amnesty International benefit show The Secret Policeman's Other Ball at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London in September , performing "In the Air Tonight" and "The Roof Is Leaking".[84] Collins worked again with John Martyn in this year, producing his album Glorious Fool.[85] In September , Genesis released Abacab.
This was followed by its supporting tour and a two-month tour in promoting the Genesis live album Three Sides Live. In early , Collins produced and played on Something's Going On, the third solo album by Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA,[86] and performed most of the drum parts on Pictures at Eleven, the first solo album by Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant.[87] In October , Collins took part in the one-off Genesis reunion concert Six of the Best held at the Milton Keynes Bowl in Buckinghamshire, which marked the return of Gabriel on lead vocals and Hackett on guitar.[88]
Collins's second solo album, Hello, I Must Be Going!, was released in November His marital problems continued to provide inspiration for his songs, including "I Don't Care Anymore" 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.[71][83] Its second single, a cover of "You Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes, became Collins's first UK number one single and went to number 10 in the US.[69] Collins supported the album with the Hello, I Must Be Going! tour of Europe and North America from November to February Following the tour, Collins played drums on Plant's second solo album, The Principle of Moments,[87] and produced and played on two tracks for Adam Ant's album Strip, "Puss 'n Boots" and the title track.[89] In May , Collins, Banks and Rutherford recorded a self-titled Genesis album; its tour ended with five shows in Birmingham, England in February The latter shows were filmed and released as Genesis Live – The Mama Tour.
– 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 , it was the first single of his solo career to reach number one on the Billboard Hot chart; it peaked at number two in the UK. Collins won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male. The song earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, and he arranged his tour to accommodate the possibility of performing it at the awards ceremony.
However, a note to Atlantic Records from show producer Larry Gelbart explaining a lack of invitation stated: "Thank you for your note regarding Phil Cooper [sic]. I'm afraid the spots have already been filled", and Collins watched actress and dancer Ann Reinking perform it. The Los Angeles Times said: "Reinking did an incredible job of totally destroying a beautiful song."[92] 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."[93]
In , Collins contributed to the production on Chinese Wall by Earth, Wind & Fire vocalist Philip Bailey, which included a duet from the two, "Easy Lover".
The song was number one in the UK for four weeks, and peaked at number 2 in the US.[69][94] He produced and played drums on several tracks on Behind the Sun by Eric Clapton. 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?".[95]
Collins's third album, No Jacket Required, was recorded in 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, Peter Gabriel, and Helen Terry contributed backing vocals.
No Jacket Required was released in February and became a huge worldwide success, reaching number one in several countries.[69] "Sussudio" 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" 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, and million in the UK where it was the second-best-selling album of [96]
Referring to the album's success, David Fricke of Rolling Stone wrote: "After years on the art-rock 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."[97] "Sussudio" attracted negative attention for sounding too similar to Prince's "", 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.[99] Collins had three US number one songs in , the most by any artist that year.No Jacket Required won three Grammy Awards including Album of the Year.[]
The No Jacket Required World Tour saw Collins perform 85 shows between February and July On 13 July, Collins took part in the Live Aid 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 and the US concert at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on the same day.[] After performing what Ultimate Classic Rock called "an especially crowd-pleasing selection of songs" in London, including "Against All Odds", "In the Air Tonight", and playing alongside Sting, Collins flew to Philadelphia on a Concorde to perform his solo material, play drums for Clapton, and drum with Plant and Jimmy Page for a Led Zeppelin 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 , the song "Separate Lives", a duet featuring Collins and Marilyn Martin for the musical drama film White Nights, was released and became a US number one hit.
By the end of , 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 , he reunited with Banks and Rutherford to record Genesis's thirteenth album, Invisible Touch.
Released in , it became the group's biggest selling album with 6 million copies sold in the US, and 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 in for "Land of Confusion", which features puppet caricatures from the satirical television programme Spitting Image.[] Several music critics drew comparisons between the album and Collins's solo work, but Rolling Stone's 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 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 album August.[] He toured parts of Europe with Clapton in support of the album, of which two concert videos were released; Live at Montreux and Eric Clapton and Friends Live In each of those videos, Collins is featured as the drummer and performs "In the Air Tonight" with Clapton, bassist Nathan East and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes backing him.
Peter gabriel biography Collins has been married three times and is a father to five children, including actress Lily Collins. Retrieved 6 July Academy Award for Best Original Song. Lavinia Lang splits up with Phil who turns all his attention to Andrea Bertorelli.After touring with Genesis in , 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 s, starring as Buster Edwards opposite Julie Walters (who played his wife, June) in the romantic comedy drama-crime film Buster which centred around the Great Train Robbery from in Ledburn, Buckinghamshire.
Reviews for the film were mixed and controversy ensued over its subject matter; Prince Charles and Princess Diana declined an invitation to the première after it was accused of glorifying crime.[] Collins contributed four songs to the film's soundtrack; his ballad rendition of "A Groovy Kind of Love", originally by the Mindbenders, 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 and won the pair a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and an Oscar nomination in the same category. Film critic Roger Ebert said Collins "played [the role of Buster] with surprising effectiveness".[] In , Collins was the subject of an episode of the British TV series This Is Your Life.
In , Collins was among the musicians who donated their own clothes to Madame Tussaud's Rock Circus, an exhibition held at the London Pavilion celebrating the history of rock and pop music featuring its major figures recreated in wax.[]
– But Seriously, Both Sides, and leaving Genesis
In August , Collins appeared as a special guest for the Who on their tour for two shows, performing "Fiddle About" as Uncle Ernie and "Tommy's Holiday Camp" from their rock opera Tommy ().[]
From April to October , 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 to worldwide commercial success, spending fifteen weeks at No. 1 in the UK charts and in the US for three.[71] It became the UK's best-selling album of and is among the best-selling albums in UK chart history.[] It is one of the best-selling albums in Germany.[] Its lead single "Another Day in Paradise" is an anti-homelessness song and features David Crosby singing backing vocals.
Upon its release in October , it went to No. 1 in the US to become the final number one single there of the s. 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 , "Another Day in Paradise" won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.[][] Other songs from But Seriously reached the top-five in the US: "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven", "Do You Remember?", and "I Wish It Would Rain Down" featuring Eric Clapton on guitar.[71]
But Seriously was supported with the Seriously, Live!
Phil collins biography born: It does not end with tours in Europe and the United States. The final mission occurs during his concert, where the player must defend the scaffolding against saboteurs while Collins is performing "In the Air Tonight". Retrieved 29 July BBC News.
World Tour which ran between February and October and covered dates. The tour spawned the live album Serious Hits Live!, which sold million copies in the UK and over 4 million in the US. In February , Collins performed "Another Day in Paradise" at the Brit Awards which won British Single of the Year, and in September he performed "Sussudio" at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles.[] He also played drums on the Tears for Fears single, "Woman in Chains".[]
In , Collins reconvened with Banks and Rutherford to write and record a new Genesis album, We Can't Dance.
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", "I Can't Dance", "No Son of Mine", and "Hold on My Heart". Collins performed on their tour. At the American Music Awards, Genesis won the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group.[] Collins co-wrote, sang and played on the single "Hero" by David Crosby.[]
Collins worked on his fifth studio album, Both Sides, in and 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 , 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" and "Everyday".
The Both Sides of the World Tour saw Collins perform shows across four legs between April and May Collins turned down the chance to contribute to Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, an album of covers of Leonard Cohen songs, due to his touring commitments.[] On 29 March , Collins's decision to leave Genesis to concentrate on his solo career was publicly announced.
– 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 had put together. Having moved to Switzerland, an invitation to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival led to the band to come together, which featured Quincy Jones as conductor and Tony Bennett on vocals.[] The group toured summer jazz festivals in July with a set of jazz renditions of Genesis and Collins's solo material.
Their first date was at the Royal Albert Hall for a Prince's Trust concert with Queen Elizabeth II and Nelson Mandela in attendance.
Phil collins biography singers BBC Four. Retrieved 17 June The Death of Elvis Presley. Set lists include Tamla Motown songs and soul classics.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 , which spawned the live album A Hot Night in Paris.
In October , Collins released his sixth solo album, Dance into the Light. 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 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", which reached No. 9 in the UK, and the Beatles-inspired "It's in Your Eyes".[69] The album was certified Gold in the US.
Collins toured the album throughout 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, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and Sting.[]
In October , Collins released his first compilation album Hits which contains a new track, a cover of "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper that was produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.[] The album was a commercial success worldwide, reaching No.
1 in the UK charts and selling million copies in the US by []
In the mids Collins was recruited to write and perform songs for Disney's adventure film Tarzan (), integrated with a score by Mark Mancina. 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" was released in June and spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on the BillboardAdult Contemporary chart, the longest time ever up to that point. In , the song won Collins an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, both for Best Original Song. He performed "Two Worlds" at that year's ceremony and the Disney-themed Super Bowl halftime show.
In June , Collins was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[] In , he became partially deaf in one ear due to a viral infection.[] In June , Collins accepted an invitation to drum for the house band at the Party at the Palace concert held on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, an event which celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee.[] In , he received the Disney Legend award.[]
On 11 November , Collins released his seventh solo album, Testify.
Metacritic'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 cover) was a number-one Adult Contemporary hit. Testify sold , copies in the US by year's end.
Disney hired Collins to compose and perform on the soundtrack to its animated feature Brother Bear, which included the song "Look Through My Eyes".[] In the same year he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[] In , Collins released two compilation albums, The Platinum Collection and Love Songs.
From June to November , Collins performed his First Final Farewell Tour, a reference to the multiple farewell tours of other popular artists.[] In , he worked with Disney on a musical production of Tarzan.[]
– First Genesis reunion, Going Back, and retirement
Collins reunited with Banks and Rutherford and announced Turn It On Again: The Tour on 7 November , nearly 40 years after the band first formed.
The tour took place during summer , and played in twelve countries across Europe, followed by a second leg in North America. During the tour Genesis performed at the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium, London.[] In they were honoured at the second annual VH1 Rock Honors, performing "Turn It On Again", "No Son of Mine" and "Los Endos" at the ceremony in Las Vegas.[] On 22 May , Collins received his sixth Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors when he was presented the International Achievement Award at a ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.[]
In October , it was reported that Collins was to record a Motown 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 , 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, was released on 13 September It reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.[] In summer , Collins played six concerts with the music from Going Back.
These included a special programme, Phil Collins: One Night Only, aired on ITV1 on 18 September 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 []
In March , Collins was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis at a ceremony in New York City.[] As of January , Collins has spent 1, weeks in the German music charts— weeks of them with Genesis albums and singles and weeks with solo releases.[] On 4 March , 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 , Collins's greatest hits collection Hits re-entered the US charts, reaching No.
6 on the Billboard []
In November , 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 at an event promoting his charity work, Collins indicated that he was writing music once again and might tour again.[]
On 24 January , Collins announced in an interview with Inside South Florida that he was writing new compositions with fellow English singer 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 [of her].
I live in a cave."[][] Collins agreed to join her in the studio after hearing her voice.[] He said, "[She] achieved an incredible amount. I really love her voice. I love some of this stuff she's done, too."[] In September , Collins revealed that the collaboration had ended and he said it had been "a bit of a non-starter".[] In May , Collins gave a live performance of "In the Air Tonight" and "Land of Confusion" with young student musicians at the Miami Country Day School in Miami, Florida.[] Collins was asked to perform there by his sons, who were students at the school.[] In August , 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.[]
–present: Out of retirement, Not Dead Yet Tour, second Genesis reunion, and possible new music
In May , Collins signed a deal with Warner Music Group 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, 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 , the additional digital only releases Other Sides and Remixed Sides followed.[]
In October , Collins's autobiography Not Dead Yet was published.[] At a press conference held at the Royal Albert Hall in the same month, Collins announced his Not Dead Yet Tour which initially took form as a short European trek from June [] 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 BST Hyde Park festival which became his largest solo concert.[] His band included his son Nicolas 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 , the tour was extended worldwide and ran until October for a total of 97 shows.[][][]
In March , Collins, Banks, and Rutherford announced they had reformed Genesis once more to undertake The Last Domino?
Tour.
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 pandemic, it began in September and finished in London on 26 March [] At the last show, at The O2 Arena in London, Collins said on stage: "It's the last show for Genesis".[]
On 20 August , it was revealed by music executive Simon Napier-Bell that Collins was updating his home studio by Lake Geneva, with new music possibly in the works.[]
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 , readers of Rhythm voted Collins the fourth most influential progressive rock drummer for his work on the Genesis album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.[] In , MusicRadar named Collins one of the six pioneers of progressive rock drumming.[]