PHIL COLLINS

Born: Phillip Collins; Chiswick, London, England, 31 January 1951

Genre: Rock, Pop

Best-selling album since 1990: Testify (2002)

Hit songs since 1990: "Can't Stop Loving You," "Through My Eyes," "You'll Be in My Heart"

With a prolific and successful solo career, singer/drummer Phil Collins transcended the chart and sales triumphs of his former progressive-rock band, Genesis, in the late 1980s. It was a surprise to everyone, including Collins himself. Unlike the complex rock that Genesis specialized in, Collins carved out a niche as a genteel adult-contemporary pop crooner who incorporated R&B and funk influences.

Young Roots

Collins had an early start in entertainment. As a child he was so enamored of playing the drums, his parents bought him a drum kit. Later he appeared in the London West End stage production of Oliver (1964) as "the Artful Dodger." Collins was also an extra in the Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night (1964). Following minor stints with local bands Hickory and Flaming Youth, Collins broke into the major leagues when he responded to an ad in Melody Maker and auditioned for the job as the drummer for Genesis in 1970.

Collins played drums on the band's tours and next five albums: Nursery Cryme (1971), Foxtrot (1972), Genesis Live (1973), Selling England by the Pound (1973), and the double album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974). Collins was a major part of the band's evolution as a progressive rock group. The music was increasingly sophisticated, as the lyrics became complex and dark.

But in May 1975, after a show at St. Etienne, France, lead singer Peter Gabriel announced he was leaving the band for personal reasons and launching his own solo career. Although Genesis auditioned hundreds of singers, band members expressed most confidence in Collins.

Though less theatrical than Gabriel, Collins possessed a more soulful voice. With Collins at the helm, the band surprised everyone with its increasing recording and touring success, especially cynics who doubted Genesis sans Gabriel would work. And Then There Were Three (1978) went gold, as did Duke (1980).

Solo Turns

The next year, Collins released his first solo album, Face Value (1981), which was an immediate success. The first single, "In the Air Tonight," shot to number one on the English charts. "I Missed Again" was another hit single.

For Collins the album was more than just his first solo outing. As a first-time songwriter he realized success. "I thought, 'This is a dream, this can't be happening to me.' It was only an album of demos—literally," Collins told the Washington Post in 1987. "What's on the record is my demos with just a little bit of tarting up. And the lyrics to 'In the Air' were essentially improvised. I just opened my mouth at home to see what a voice would sound like on top of those chords, and those were the words that came out. I'm constantly being surprised." Collins did not deny that many songs were personal as he was in the process of a divorce.

Collins followed with even more successful albums: Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982) and No Jacket Required (1985), which has sold more than 12 million copies and won a Grammy for Album of the Year. On the former, the big hit was his cover of the Motown trio Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love," which proved Collins's appreciation for R&B had not diminished. Again, the album took on personal, sometimes angry themes from Collins's life. He approached several songs from the perspective of looking back on his divorce, including "I Don't Care Anymore," "Do You Know, Do You Care?," and "I Cannot Believe It's True."

Reaching the Top

Collins reached his artistic peak on No Jacket Required, fully incorporating the big horn brassy sound into hits like "One More Night," "Sussudio," and "Don't Lose My Number." Collins by now was seemingly everywhere thanks to his work with Genesis and his own chart hits. He won a Grammy Award for the song "Against All Odds" (1984) from the hit movie by the same name.

On . . . But Seriously (1989), he downplayed drum machines and keyboards in favor of live instrumentation. The compact disc produced four hit singles including "Hang in Long Enough" and "Find a Way to My Heart." Also notable was Collins's searing, gospel-influenced ballad "I Wish It Would Rain Down," which features guitar hero Eric Clapton.

Collins stayed busy with Genesis albums and tours in the year before his next work, Both Sides (1993). With dark tones and somber reflections, the album resembles the wistful Face Value. On songs like "There's a Place for Us," "I've Forgotten Everything," and "Can't Turn Back the Years," Collins appeared to be entering a more mature, philosophical period. In 1995 he announced he was leaving Genesis permanently. Dance into the Light (1996) is a lighter affair with more R&B, dance-pop influenced material.

Spot Light: "You'll Be in My Heart"

By the mid-1990s Collins had hit a wall, unable to produce hits and falling off the pop culture radar. While his previous record sales had been huge, not everyone was happy. Whether it was the beginning of an all-Collins-all-the-time backlash or there was increasing credence that Collins's R&B-influenced work was not so much tribute as it was appropriation, critical acclaim was minimal. But his work on the Disney movie Tarzan (1999) soundtrack was like a tonic. The song "You'll Be in My Heart" won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. His five songs on the Tarzan soundtrack won a Grammy Award. Then Hollywood's Foreign Press Association gave Collins a Golden Globe Award for "You'll Be in My Heart." Ultimately, as "You'll Be in My Heart" demonstrates, Collins's true talents lay in his family-friendly image and his ability to entertain mass audiences.

Collins kept working at a blistering pace though he began slipping from the pop culture radar. He assembled his Phil Collins Big band to produce A Hot Night in Paris (1999) and kept working on other projects including the popular Tarzan (1999) soundtrack, which provided a massive boost to Collins's pop resurgence.

Testify (2002) continues the maturing theme in Both Sides, with songs about solace and solitude, breakups and fatherhood. Hits include "Can't Stop Loving You" and "Through My Eyes." Collins made a smooth transition from heading the supergroup Genesis in the 1970s to his emergence as a superstar in the 1980s, all while working as a prolific songwriter and producer. While critical praise was moderate, his commercial success was massive (250 million album sales), and insured that his artistic influence would be felt for generations.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Face Value (Atlantic, 1981); Hello, I Must Be Going! (Atlantic, 1982); No Jacket Required (Atlantic, 1985); . . . But Seriously (Atlantic, 1989); Both Sides (Atlantic, 1993); Dance into the Light (Atlantic, 1996); A Hot Night in Paris (Atlantic, 1999); Testify (Atlantic, 2002). With Genesis: Selling England by the Pound (Atco, 1973); The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Atco, 1974); And Then There Were Three (Atlantic, 1978); Abacab (Atlantic, 1981). Soundtracks: Against All Odds (Atlantic, 1984); Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack (Universal/Walt Disney, 1999).

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