Phil Collins
From Hounslow
About
Also known as: Collins, Phil, P. Collins, Phil Colins, Philip David Charles Collins, Phill Collins, Phillip Charles Collins
Few artists defined the sound of the 1980s as thoroughly as Phil Collins. Starting out as the drummer for Genesis at age sixteen, he stepped up to lead vocalist in 1975 after Peter Gabriel's departure, then simultaneously launched a solo career that generated more US top-40 singles than any other artist across that decade. Hits like "In the Air Tonight", "Sussudio", and "Another Day in Paradise" ranged from gated-reverb drum anthems to dance-pop and socially conscious balladry. He also became the only performer to play both Live Aid concerts on the same day, crossing the Atlantic by Concorde to do it. Beyond Genesis and his solo work, Collins drummed for jazz-rock outfit Brand X, resumed an acting career he had begun as a child — his first major role was the Artful Dodger in the West End's Oliver! — and starred in the film Buster. He wrote and performed the entire soundtrack for Disney's Tarzan, earning an Academy Award for "You'll Be in My Heart". His solo catalogue alone has sold an estimated 150 million records worldwide, placing him alongside Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson as one of only three artists to have moved over 100 million records both as a solo act and as a core member of a band.
