Phil Collins has built a career that reaches far beyond his success as the drummer and lead singer of Genesis. Born in London on January 30, 1951, he became one of the defining British music figures of the 1980s through his work as a singer, drummer, songwriter and producer. At 75 years old in 2026, Collins remains known for songs such as “In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds” and “Another Day in Paradise.” His career with Genesis and as a solo artist has sold an estimated 150 million records worldwide.
Phil Collins – Quick Bio Table
| Phil Collins A-to-Z Profile | Full Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Philip David Charles Collins |
| Date of Birth | January 30, 1951 |
| Birthplace | London, England |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Age | 75 years old (2026) |
| Nationality | British |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Nickname | Little Elvis |
| Profession | Singer, drummer, songwriter, record producer and actor |
| Famous For | Genesis, solo music career and major songs including “In the Air Tonight” |
| Parents | Greville Collins and June Winifred Collins |
| Siblings | Clive Collins and Carole Collins |
| Education | Barbara Speake Stage School; previously attended Chiswick Grammar School |
| Early Interest | Began playing drums at around five years old |
| Acting Beginning | Played the Artful Dodger in the London production of Oliver! |
| Genesis | Joined Genesis in 1970 as drummer and backing vocalist |
| Genesis Lead Singer | Became lead vocalist in 1975 after Peter Gabriel left |
| Solo Career | Began with Face Value in 1981 |
| First Major Solo Hit | “In the Air Tonight” |
| Major Albums | Face Value, Hello, I Must Be Going!, No Jacket Required, …But Seriously |
| Famous Songs | “In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds,” “Sussudio,” “One More Night,” “Another Day in Paradise,” “You’ll Be in My Heart” |
| Famous Film Work | Buster, Tarzan, Brother Bear |
| Academy Award | Won Best Original Song for “You’ll Be in My Heart” from Tarzan |
| Grammy Awards | 8 Grammy wins |
| BRIT Awards | 6 wins |
| Ivor Novello Awards | 6 wins |
| Hollywood Walk of Fame | Received a star in 1999 |
| Songwriters Hall of Fame | Inducted in 2003 |
| Disney Legend | Honored as a Disney Legend in 2002 |
| Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | Inducted with Genesis in 2010 and as a solo artist in 2026 |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Marriages | Married three times |
| Children | Five |
| Daughter | Lily Collins |
| Hair Color | Gray |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Weight | Not reliably documented; public figures vary, so no fixed figure is given |
| Hobbies / Interests | Music, drumming, acting and collecting musical interests |
| Estimated Net Worth | Around $350 million |
| Main Sources of Wealth | Music sales, songwriting, publishing, recordings, Genesis and solo career |
| Record Sales | Estimated 150 million albums worldwide |
| Career Span | More than five decades |
| Current Legacy | Regarded as one of the most commercially successful British musicians and influential drummers of his generation |
Phil Collins Career Timeline
| Year / Period | Career Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1951 | Born Philip David Charles Collins on January 30 in London, England. |
| 1960s | Developed a strong interest in drumming and acting, performing in stage productions as a young performer. |
| 1964 | Appeared in the London stage production of Oliver!, playing the Artful Dodger. |
| 1968 | Had a small role in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. |
| 1969 | Appeared as an extra in A Hard Day’s Night. |
| 1970 | Joined Genesis as the band’s drummer and backing vocalist. |
| 1971–1974 | Established himself as an important drummer within Genesis while the group developed its progressive-rock sound. |
| 1975 | Became Genesis’ lead vocalist following Peter Gabriel’s departure. |
| 1976–1979 | Continued leading Genesis vocally while playing drums and contributing to the band’s songwriting. |
| 1980 | Genesis released Duke, marking a major period of commercial growth for the band. |
| 1981 | Released his first solo album, Face Value, featuring the signature hit “In the Air Tonight.” |
| 1982 | Released his second solo album, Hello, I Must Be Going!, strengthening his position as a successful solo artist. |
| 1984 | Recorded “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)”, which became a major international hit. |
| 1985 | Released No Jacket Required, one of his most commercially successful albums. |
| 1985 | Performed at the historic Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia on the same day. |
| 1986 | Genesis released Invisible Touch, giving the band its first U.S. No. 1 single. |
| 1988 | Starred in the film Buster and contributed several songs to its soundtrack. |
| 1989 | Released …But Seriously, another major solo success featuring “Another Day in Paradise.” |
| 1990 | Performed at Knebworth Festival with Genesis. |
| 1993 | Released Both Sides, continuing his solo songwriting and recording career. |
| 1996 | Left Genesis to concentrate primarily on his solo work and other musical projects. |
| 1998 | Released the compilation album …Hits, bringing together many of his best-known solo recordings. |
| 1999 | Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. |
| 2002 | His song “You’ll Be in My Heart” from Tarzan earned major awards recognition, including an Academy Award. |
| 2003 | Was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. |
| 2004 | Released The First Final Farewell Tour and continued performing internationally. |
| 2006 | Returned to Genesis for a reunion tour with the group. |
| 2007 | Genesis embarked on the highly successful Turn It On Again Tour. |
| 2010 | Genesis was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. |
| 2011 | Announced a period away from performing to focus on family life. |
| 2016 | Released his autobiography Not Dead Yet and announced plans for a return to live performance. |
| 2017 | Began the Not Dead Yet Tour, returning to the stage after several years away. |
| 2018 | Continued performing and released a career-spanning collection titled Plays Well with Others. |
| 2020 | Genesis announced another reunion, with Collins joining Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. |
| 2021 | Genesis performed its Last Domino? Tour, marking Collins’ final major touring period with the group. |
| 2022 | Genesis completed its final scheduled performances, bringing the group’s touring era to a close. |
| 2023–2025 | Continued to be recognized for his extensive influence and catalog as a solo artist and Genesis member. |
| 2026 | Became a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee as a solo artist, adding another major honor to his career. |
Phil Collins Awards & Honors
| Year | Award / Organization | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Grammy Awards | Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male — “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” |
| 1986 | Grammy Awards | Album of the Year — No Jacket Required |
| 1986 | Grammy Awards | Producer of the Year, Non-Classical |
| 1986 | BRIT Awards | British Male Solo Artist |
| 1986 | BRIT Awards | British Album of the Year — No Jacket Required |
| 1989 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Song — “Two Hearts” from Buster |
| 1990 | Grammy Awards | Record of the Year — “Another Day in Paradise” |
| 1990 | BRIT Awards | British Male Solo Artist |
| 1991 | Grammy Awards | Record of the Year — “Another Day in Paradise” |
| 1991 | BRIT Awards | British Male Solo Artist |
| 1997 | Grammy Awards | Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television — “You’ll Be in My Heart” |
| 1999 | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame |
| 2000 | Academy Awards | Best Original Song — “You’ll Be in My Heart” from Tarzan |
| 2000 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Song — “You’ll Be in My Heart” |
| 2000 | Grammy Awards | Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media — “You’ll Be in My Heart” |
| 2002 | Disney Legends | Named a Disney Legend for his contribution to Tarzan |
| 2003 | Songwriters Hall of Fame | Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame |
| 2010 | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | Inducted with Genesis |
| 2012 | Classic BRIT Awards | Received the Outstanding Contribution to Music award |
| 2019 | Ivor Novello Awards | Received the PRS for Music Special International Award |
| 2026 | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | Inducted as a solo artist |
Phil Collins Net Worth
| Year | Estimated Net Worth | Main Wealth Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | About $300 million* | Music catalog, album sales, songwriting and Genesis |
| 2021 | About $300 million* | Solo music, Genesis, royalties and touring |
| 2022 | About $350 million* | Music rights, catalog income and career earnings |
| 2023 | About $350 million* | Music royalties, publishing and catalog rights |
| 2024 | About $350 million* | Music catalog, royalties and recordings |
| 2025 | About $350 million* | Music catalog, publishing and past touring |
| 2026 | About $350 million | Music catalog, Genesis, solo career, royalties and publishing |
Phil Collins Famous Songs
| Song | Year | Associated With | Why It Is Famous |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the Air Tonight | 1981 | Solo | One of Collins’ most recognizable songs and his signature solo recording. |
| I Missed Again | 1981 | Solo | A successful early solo single from Face Value. |
| You Can’t Hurry Love | 1982 | Solo | Collins’ popular interpretation of the Supremes classic. |
| Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) | 1984 | Solo | Major soundtrack hit and one of his best-known emotional ballads. |
| Easy Lover | 1984 | Philip Bailey & Phil Collins | A major duet with Philip Bailey that became an international hit. |
| One More Night | 1985 | Solo | Reached No. 1 in the United States and became one of his signature ballads. |
| Sussudio | 1985 | Solo | One of Collins’ biggest and most recognizable 1980s pop hits. |
| Take Me Home | 1985 | Solo | A popular single from the hugely successful No Jacket Required. |
| Don’t Lose My Number | 1985 | Solo | Another notable hit from No Jacket Required. |
| Invisible Touch | 1986 | Genesis | Genesis’ first and only U.S. No. 1 single. |
| Land of Confusion | 1986 | Genesis | One of Genesis’ most recognizable songs, known for its memorable music video. |
| Tonight, Tonight, Tonight | 1986 | Genesis | A major Genesis track featuring Collins on lead vocals. |
| Two Hearts | 1988 | Solo / Buster | Written for Buster and earned Collins a Golden Globe. |
| Another Day in Paradise | 1989 | Solo | A globally successful song addressing homelessness and social inequality. |
| I Wish It Would Rain Down | 1990 | Solo | Popular single from …But Seriously. |
| Do You Remember? | 1990 | Solo | Successful ballad from …But Seriously. |
| Both Sides of the Story | 1993 | Solo | Title track from his Both Sides album. |
| You’ll Be in My Heart | 1999 | Tarzan | Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning song from Disney’s Tarzan. |
| Son of Man | 1999 | Tarzan | Another well-known Collins song from the Disney soundtrack. |
| Strangers Like Me | 1999 | Tarzan | Popular soundtrack song showcasing Collins’ work for Disney. |
