11/19/2025
At 19, he joined Genesis as their drummer. Five years later, the lead singer quit. They auditioned 400 replacements—then realized the drummer could sing.
The world would never be the same.
The Toy Drum Kit
Christmas morning, 1956. Chiswick, London.
Five-year-old Philip David Charles Collins unwrapped a present that would change music history: a toy drum kit.
Most kids would bang on it for a week and move on.
Phil Collins played along to every song on the radio. Obsessively. Relentlessly.
By age six, his uncle built him a real drum set. By ten, he had a proper kit.
But his mother June, a theatrical agent, had other plans. At 13, Phil landed the role of the Artful Dodger in the West End production of "Oliver!"—one of the most coveted parts in British theater.
He was brilliant. A natural performer. He even appeared as an extra in The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night."
His mother thought: He'll be an actor.
His father thought: He needs a stable job. Insurance, maybe.
Phil thought: I just want to play drums.
The Audition
Summer 1970.
An advertisement appeared in Melody Maker: "Drummer sensitive to acoustic music wanted for Genesis."
Phil Collins, 19 and frustrated after his previous band dissolved, showed up at the audition.
It was held at Peter Gabriel's parents' house—a sprawling property with a swimming pool.
While waiting his turn, Collins swam. And while floating in the pool, he listened to the band rehearsing with different drummers.
By the time it was his turn, he already knew the songs.
He nailed it.
On August 4, 1970, Phil Collins became Genesis' drummer.
But he immediately noticed he was different from them. Collins was a working-class kid from Chiswick. The other members—Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford—were public school boys. They spoke differently. Carried themselves differently.
But the music was extraordinary.
Just the Drummer
From 1970 to 1975, Phil Collins was "just" the drummer.
Except he was exceptional. Technical. Creative. Tasteful.
Neil Peart called his work "beautiful drumming." Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins said, "Collins is an incredible drummer. The man is a master."
Collins also sang backing vocals. But Peter Gabriel was the voice—theatrical, dramatic, the face of Genesis.
Then in 1974, Gabriel dropped a bomb: he was leaving.
The Search
The band panicked.
Peter Gabriel wasn't just their singer—he was their identity.
They auditioned 400 singers. Four hundred.
Some were technically proficient but lacked presence. Some had presence but couldn't handle the complex compositions.
Months passed. The band was on the verge of breaking up.
Then someone suggested: "What about Phil?"
Collins was reluctant. Terrified.
"I'm a drummer," he said. "That's what I do."
But they convinced him to try.
The Transformation
In 1976, Genesis released "A Trick of the Tail"—their first album with Collins as lead vocalist.
The album was a hit.
And something unexpected happened: Collins was good. Really good.
He brought a different energy than Gabriel—less theatrical, more emotionally direct. His voice was warm, powerful, accessible.
The Solo Star
In 1981, while going through a painful divorce, Collins recorded his first solo album, "Face Value."
It included a song called "In the Air Tonight"—with one of the most iconic drum breaks in music history.
That drum fill at 3:40? When it hits, the world stops.
"Face Value" went to #1 in the UK and sold 5 million copies in the US.
Suddenly, Phil Collins wasn't just Genesis' drummer-turned-singer. He was a solo superstar.
Throughout the 1980s, he dominated the charts. "Against All Odds." "One More Night." "Sussudio." "Another Day in Paradise."
Between 1982 and 1990, he had more US Top 40 singles than any other artist.
He won eight Grammy Awards. Six Brit Awards. An Academy Award.
He became one of only three artists—with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson—to sell over 100 million records both solo and with a band.
July 13, 1985
Collins did something no other artist has ever done: he performed at both Live Aid concerts—Wembley Stadium in London, then flew on the Concorde to Philadelphia to perform at JFK Stadium the same day.
The Reluctant Star
But through it all, Collins remained uncomfortable with fame.
"I never really wanted to be a singer," he admitted. "I just wanted to play drums."
Yet he became one of the most recognizable voices of the 1980s.
The Body Gave Out
Years of drumming took their toll. Collins developed nerve damage in his hands and a spinal injury that made drumming impossible.
In 2011, he announced his retirement from music.
But retirement didn't last.
In 2017, Collins returned with the "Not Dead Yet" tour. What was supposed to be a short European tour became 97 concerts worldwide.
He couldn't play drums anymore—his son Nic took over the sticks—but he could still sing.
In 2021, Genesis reunited for "The Last Domino?" tour—their final tour together.
Collins sat throughout the show, his health failing, but his voice still powerful.
It was a farewell to an era.
The Legacy
Phil Collins never set out to be a star.
He was the kid who just wanted to play drums.
The 19-year-old who answered an ad and ended up changing rock music.
The reluctant frontman who stepped up when his band needed him, even though he was terrified.
The drummer who became one of the most successful singers of all time—despite never really wanting to be a singer at all.
His drumming inspired generations. His songs defined a decade. His voice became the soundtrack to millions of lives.
And all of it started with a toy drum kit on Christmas morning, 1956, and a five-year-old boy who couldn't stop playing.
Sometimes the people who change the world are the ones who never meant to.
Sometimes the greatest stars are the ones who never wanted to shine.
Phil Collins. Drummer. Singer. Accidental icon.
The man who proved that sometimes, the person you're looking for has been there all along—sitting behind the drums, waiting for someone to notice.
~Old Photo Club
