Phil Collins Born: Pop's Drumming Powerhouse

Phil Collins was the drummer. Genesis needed a new vocalist after Peter Gabriel left in 1975, and Collins stepped to the front of the stage almost by default. Born on January 30, 1951, in Chiswick, London, he was a child actor who appeared in the London production of Oliver! and as an extra in "A Hard Day's Night" before discovering drums. He joined Genesis in 1970, replacing John Mayhew after a single audition. For the next five years, he was one of the finest rock drummers in Britain, playing complex time signatures with a jazz-influenced feel that defined the band's progressive sound. When Gabriel departed, the band auditioned over 400 singers before realizing Collins had been singing harmonies all along. His solo debut, "Face Value," came out in 1981 and sold 8 million copies on the strength of "In the Air Tonight," a song built around empty space and a drum fill at the 3:44 mark that became one of the most recognizable four seconds in pop music history. Collins claimed the song was about a drowning he witnessed, then retracted the story, then let the mystery persist. He had 13 U.S. number-one singles, including "Against All Odds," "One More Night," "Sussudio," and "Another Day in Paradise." He won seven Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for "You'll Be My Kind" from "Tarzan." He also produced a string of hit albums for other artists. His health deteriorated from years of drumming. Nerve damage to his hands left him unable to hold drumsticks properly, and he announced his retirement in 2007. He came back in 2016, performing seated, drumming with one stick or watching his teenage son Nic play drums in his place. He retired again in 2022.