Phil Collins: a look back at the music legend's glittering career

The 'Last Domino?' tour was the swansong of British legend Phil Collins and his band Genesis. In London's O2 Arena in 2022, he confirmed that they would not perform again and joked that the band would have to find proper work. Though he has retired multiple times in the past, the decision has so far held up.

The tour, interrupted on occasion by the COVID-19 pandemic, was a chance for fans across Britain, mainland Europe, and North America to hear the band's greatest hits. On the last few stops of the tour, Collins was forced to sit as he sang. His obvious ill health troubled fans and left many wishing him well as he exited the stage for the last time.

Phil Collins has not had much luck with his health in recent years. In 2009, he injured a vertebrate in his neck, and the resulting surgery damaged his hands and tragically limited his ability to play the drums. More recently, he has battled diabetes, divorce, and aIc0holism. In 2017, he required stitches in his eye after a freak accident.

After a childhood steeped in music, he joined Genesis in 1970, becoming the lead singer in 1975 after the departure of Peter Gabriel.

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Despite the changing lineups in the band, something everpresent was their desire to experiment and alter their sound. Once Collins became more established in Genesis, their lyrics became more personal and the songs appealed greatly to their female fans.

Collins announced his departure from Genesis in 1996, after 25 years in the band. He left after the biggest tour in their history ('Invisible Touch Tour') and numerous number 1 singles. In fact, the album's five singles all charted in the USA, meaning that Genesis equaled records set by Madonna and Michael Jackson.

This absence from the group lasted for ten years, and Collins explained the decision by saying that he wanted to dedicate more time to his solo work, jazz, and movie soundtracks. As we know, Genesis survived in one form or another, on and off, over the last few years, culminating in their greatest hits tour.

All good things come to an end, but Genesis leaves behind a stunning legacy. They are Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, and they have sold an estimated 150 million albums worldwide. Furthermore, they influenced bands like The Human League, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Queen.

It wasn't all sunshine and roses for the band. Legendary DJ John Peel and iconic singer Joe Strummer criticized Genesis for being boring and selling out, while fans of different iterations of the band reportedly hate one another. These are criticisms that have been leveled at Phil Collins during his solo career as well.

His first solo album was 1981's 'Face Value', and it was subsequently certified 5-times Platinum.

The best song from that album, 'In the Air Tonight', which is commonly cited as the quintessential Phil Collins song, reached number one in six countries.

His solo efforts in the 1990s were not well received, and it took his greatest hits compilation, released in 1998, to reignite his career.

As a solo artist, he also leaves behind a great body of work. Songs like 'Another Day in Paradise' (1989) and 'Dance into the Light' (1996) are undeniable classics. The former shows Phil's social consciousness, while the latter reveals how much fun the English musician can have while singing.

Many of his contemporaries in the music business have sung his praises over the years, but he has also had many detractors. Notoriously, the brothers from Oasis, Liam and Noel, slammed Collins by saying that his popularity did not mean he was talented.

When an artist becomes too big, there is often a pushback against them. In 'American Psycho' (2000), the protagonist Patrick Bateman calls out Phil Collins for being too boring in a humorous tirade. It became the cool thing to hate on the English singer.

The singer's reputation has been making a comeback in the wider popular culture, as evidenced by 2007's iconic Cadburys advert featuring a gorilla playing along to 'In the Air Tonight'. The spot was voted the best advert in UK history. Aside from that, rappers like Eminem, 2Pac, and Kanye West have praised Phil Collins in their lyrics.

In 2020, a video featuring two students bopping along to Phil Collins for the first time went viral on YouTube, propelling the singer to the top of the US college radio charts. Clearly, a new generation is discovering and appreciating the artist.

His successful career has touched the world of cinema and theatre. His first role was uncredited in 'A Hard Day's Night' (1964), which was a feature made by The Beatles. He also played the Artful Dodger on stage, but he had to quit when his voice broke. In his teenage years, he decided to dedicate his life to music instead of movies.

Phil Collins, pictured here at the 'Brother Bear' premiere in New York, has worked on two Disney movie soundtracks. The aforementioned 'Brother Bear' (2003) and 'Tarzan' (1999). For Tarzan, he won the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Once described as the hardest working man in showbiz, Phil Collins is now taking a well-earned break. Despite the many ups and downs in his career, his legacy is secure.

And while Phil, now well into his 70s, is living out his sunset years, his daughter Lily Collins is becoming incredibly successful. Although she's an actress, she is certainly carrying the torch of fame.

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