Phil Collins was born on January 30, 1951 in Chiswick, London in England, with the auspicious name Philip David Charles Collins which he soon shortened to Phil. Before he became one of the most popular drummers and singers of all time, he was a child actor and singer who appeared as the Artful Dodger in the 1964 production of Oliver! He also played a cameo role in A Hard Day's Night which was the first full length film to feature the Beatles. With such an early and incredible beginning, it is little wonder that Phil Collins has become one of the premier artists to come out of the 20th Century.

His professional music career began with the drums, as he started out as a replacement drummer for the group Genesis, which proved to be an excellent collaboration beginning in 1970. When the lead singer Peter Gabriel left, the band had begun to achieve a moderate level of success. After auditioning numerous singers, and not finding a good fit, they decided to let Collins have a go at fronting the band. The result was a simplified sound and more success than the band had previously experienced. The first album after Collins began singing for them was And Then There Were Three... which went gold in '78. During the ‘80s and ‘90s Collins alternated playing with the band and releasing solo records, it was a win-win situation, with both parties growing in fame.

In 1999, a year after the band released their Hits collection, Collins made his first big-band record, Hot Night in Paris. He has also composed the songs for Tarzan with the resulting hit single "You'll Be in My Heart." The song won him an Oscar award, and he also won a Grammy and Golden Globe. As of today, Phil Collins continues working on Disney projects.