Aug 10: The ubiquitous Phil Collins

Phil Collins was interviewed in last weekend's Sunday Times newspaper. It's an excellent and wide-ranging interview. 

Phil is 75 and has not been in the best of health in recent years, but he is now feeling a lot better than a few years ago when he was in hospital and people thought he may not get out.

He has had a remarkable career and a tumultuous private life too. His children have their own careers in music, acting and football. His son drummed with Genesis on their 'farewell' tour (or will there be one final reunion: getting the band back together...).

He was famous for drumming with Led Zeppelin on their 'reunion' at Live Aid which didn't go as well as hoped.

He was the only musician to play both the London and Philadelphia concerts for Live Aid in 1986, flying on Concorde (which was the only way that could have happened really).

He has previously said that he understood why people might have got a bit sick of him in the 1980s as he was everywhere... his massive solo success, acting, soundtracks, touring with Genesis and other work.

I was fortunate to see Phil play with Genesis numerous times from the early 1980s through to the 1990s and to hear him play the drum duets with Chester Thompson, particularly the 'In the Cage Medley' from the Mama tour was a privilege...

Last week he was also interviewed by Vernon Kay for the Radio 2 series called 'Tracks of my Years'. 

What did he choose?

If you are reading this in Summer 2026 you can hear the interview and the music here.

In a conversation based around the tracks he loves from Stevie Wonder, The Who, Taylor Swift, the Travelling Wilburys and more, Phil discusses the influence and impact these songs have had on him. Taking Vernon through his life, he talks about getting his family’s help to assemble his first drum kit as a child and then auditioning for various groups as a teenager, through to joining Genesis and writing his solo music, including the story behind creating In The Air Tonight. 

Plus, he tells stories about crossing paths with the likes of Brian Wilson, Martha Reeves, Bruce Hornsby and Taylor Swift.

Born in 1951 in London, Phil loved music from an early age and was auditioning for bands as a teenager, joining Genesis as their new drummer in 1970. Five years later he replaced Peter Gabriel as the vocalist in the band, continuing their huge success. In 1981 he began his solo career with the debut album Face Value, and to date has sold more than 150 million solo records worldwide. His accolades include an Oscar, six BRITs, two Golden Globes, and eight Grammys. This November, he’ll be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for a second time, following Genesis' induction in 2010.