Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins (born 30 January 1951 in Chiswick, London) is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, keyboardist & actor best known as the lead singer and drummer of English progressive rock group Genesis & as a Grammy & Academy Award-winning solo artist.
Collins sang the lead vocals on eight American chart-toppers between 1984 and 1989; seven as a solo artist and one with Genesis. His singles, often dealing with lost love, ranged from the drum-heavy "In the Air Tonight", to the dance pop of "Sussudio", to the political statements of his most successful song, "Another Day in Paradise". His international popularity transformed Genesis from a progressive rock group to a regular on the pop charts and an early MTV mainstay. According to britishhitsongwriters.com he is the forty eighth most successful songwriter in U.K. singles chart history based on weeks that his compositions have spent on the chart. Collins' professional career began as a drummer, first with obscure rock group Flaming Youth and then more famously with Genesis. In Genesis, Collins originally supplied backing vocals for front man Peter Gabriel, singing lead on only two songs: "For Absent Friends" from 1971's Nursery Cryme album and "More Fool Me" from Selling England by the Pound, which was released in 1973. On Gabriel's departure in 1975, Collins became the group's lead singer. As the decade closed, Genesis's first international hit, "Follow You, Follow Me", demonstrated a drastic change from the band's early years. His concurrent solo career, heavily influenced by his personal life, brought both him and Genesis commercial success. According to Atlantic Records, Collins' total worldwide sales as a solo artist, as of 2002, were 150 million.
Personal life
Collins married
* 1 - Canadian Andrea Bertorelli in 1975. They met as students in a drama class in London, in 1975. They had a son, Simon Collins, and Collins adopted Bertorelli's daughter Joely Collins, now a Canadian actress. They divorced in 1980, after she started an affair with their painter and decorator. Collins later appeared on the BBC's Top of the Pops singing his 1981 solo hit "In The Air Tonight" with a pot of paint and brush positioned on his piano.
* 2 - Collins and his second wife, Jill Taverman whom he met in 1980, were married from 1984 to 1996. They had one daughter, named Lily. Collins openly admits that some of their divorce-related correspondence was by fax (one, about access to their daughter, was reproduced in The Sun), but denies that this took her by surprise. Collins paid Jill £17M as final settlement.
* 3 - After a five year romance, Collins married his third wife, Orianne Cevey, in 1999. The couple have two sons, Nicholas and Mathew. They bought Sir Jackie Stewart's former house located in Begnins, Switzerland, overlooking Lake Geneva. Announcing their separation on 16 March 2006, they were divorced in January 2007. Collins reportedly paid Cevey £25M in settlement. Collins has said he will continue to live in Switzerland to be near the children. He is presently residing in Féchy, while also maintaining homes in New York City and Dersingham, England. In 2008, Collins was quoted in People Magazine: "Marriage is a difficult proposition. But I haven't given up on it, either."
Collins was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1994 in recognition of his work on behalf of the Prince's Trust. Bob Geldof said of Collins after recording the drums for the Band Aid single "Feed The World (Do They Know its Christmas)", "Phil Collins, is a magnificent soul, he has touched the world through his music and he continues to fight against world poverty. He is one of life's true heroes." Collins is a supporter of animal rights and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In 2005, he donated autographed drumsticks in support of PETA's campaign against Kentucky Fried Chicken. Collins also has a lifelong interest in the Alamo. He has collected hundreds of artifacts related to the famous 1836 battle in San Antonio, Texas, narrated a light and sound show about the Alamo, and spoken at related events.
Discography
Studio albums
The following list includes all Phil Collins' albums with the exception of compilations, live and remix albums. For a complete album list, see Phil Collins discography.
* 1981: Face Value
* 1982: Hello, I Must Be Going!
* 1985: No Jacket Required
* 1989: …But Seriously
* 1993: Both Sides
* 1996: Dance Into the Light
* 1999: Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
* 2002: Testify
* 2003: Brother Bear: Original Soundtrack
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