Phil Collins is a musician, singer, and songwriter who is widely known as one of the most iconic musicians of all time. His journey has led him to become one of the richest lead singers of all time. From his early days as a drummer in Genesis to his solo career and many impressive collaborations, he has consistently demonstrated his musical abilities and more.
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With a vast library of hit songs and successful world tours, Phil Collins' net worth of $350 million reflects not only his creative genius but also his ability to navigate the complex world of the music industry, and below, we broke it all down for you to see for yourselves.
9 Phil Collins' Early Life With Music
Phil Collins was born in the Chiswick neighborhood of London, England, on January 30, 1951. He became interested in music at a young age, and he was especially good at playing the drums. Collins started out in the music business as a child actor in the 1960s. He was in a number of TV shows and stage productions.
Collins joined the rock band Flaming Youth as their drummer in the late 1960s because he loved music so much. This was the start of his career as a professional musician. But his meteoric rise to fame and wealth began when he joined the progressive rock band Genesis as their drummer and later as their lead singer.
8 Phil Collins Joined Genesis As A Drummer
Phil Collins joined Genesis in 1970, initially as their drummer. The band had already established a dedicated following in the progressive rock scene, but their lives were about to change, and that included Phil Collins'.
In 1975, the lead singer, Peter Gabriel, left Genesis. So the band could continue on, Collins stepped up and took on the dual role of both drummer and lead vocalist. TBH nobody saw that coming, but what an incredible twist of fate it was.
Under Collins' leadership, Genesis underwent a creative shift, embracing a more pop-oriented sound. This transformation paid off handsomely, as the band went on to achieve success like never before with hit albums like A Trick of the Tail (1976) and Duke (1980). However, it was the album Invisible Touch (1986) that launched Genesis to global stardom.
Invisible Touch produced chart-topping hits like "Land of Confusion" and "In Too Deep" that are still played today and record-breaking sales. Stereogum says that Invisible Touch hit number one in the UK and number three on the US Billboard 200. It has sold more than 1.2 million copies in the UK and 6 million copies in the US, making it the band's best-selling album to date.
Collins' work as the singer, songwriter, and drummer for Genesis was by far the reason for the band's success. His unique voice and the lyrics in the music he wrote really connected with people, and it showed.
7 Phil Collins' Net Worth Grew With His Solo Career And Chart-Topping Albums
While still a member of Genesis, Phil Collins embarked on a solo career that would further add to his bank account. In 1981, he released his debut solo album, Face Value, which included the iconic hit "In the Air Tonight." This song was popular not only because it's a great song but also because of all the stories behind it.
In most stories, it has been said that Phil Collins witnessed a man murder another man. He could have saved this man from drowning but didn't get involved and then invited the murderer to one of his concerts. It's completely out of this world, we know. The song is about him getting divorced. Sorry to disappoint.
Collins continued to release chart-topping solo albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including No Jacket Required (1985) and ...But Seriously (1989). These albums featured a string of hit singles, such as "Sussudio," "One More Night," and "Another Day in Paradise." His ability to create emotion through his music is incredible. All of these songs are still known and most certainly contributed significantly to Phil Collins' net worth.
6 Phil Collins' Momentous Collaborations Paid Well
Phil Collins' financial success is due in part to how versatile he is as a musician and how willing he is to work with other artists from different genres. His work as a drummer has been in high demand; artists from Eric Clapton to Brand X have asked him to play drums on their songs and albums.
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Phil Collins' work with Disney also turned out to be very profitable. He worked on the music for the 1999 animated movie Tarzan, which won an Oscar for the song "You'll Be in My Heart." The entire soundtrack did well commercially, which of course added to Phil Collins' wealth.
5 Phil Collins' Net Worth Increased With World Tours
Phil Collins has made a lot of money from his live shows and tours around the globe. His tours consistently sold out venues all over, which made him a lot of money. The No Jacket Required tour he did in 1985 and 1986 made him $90 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That tour was actually one of the most profitable tours of the decade.
Collins kept touring and performing even though he had recurring health problems that started in 2009, like back and neck problems that affected his nerve endings and made it hard for him to play the drums as he can barely hold the drumsticks. However, his Not Dead Yet Tour (2017–2019) showed how popular he still is and how determined he is to continue entertaining the masses.
4 Music Publishing And Royalties Give Phil Collins A Consistent Revenue Stream
Phil Collins' net worth today is largely due to his work in music publishing and royalties from numerous hit albums and songs, which are important parts of his wealth. Collins has written and performed a large number of songs that make him money through radio play, streaming services, and licensing for movies, commercials, and TV shows.
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Also, Collins bought the publishing rights to a number of classic rock songs by bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. This was one of his most successful business moves, and the investment has turned out to be very profitable as it continues to bring in a lot of money for him.
3 Phil Collins' Net Worth Is Apparent With His Real Estate Ventures
According to Architectural Digest, in 2015, Phil Collins spent $33 million on a Miami mansion with 11,000 square feet on the water. He put the house on the market for $40 million in December 2020, but he only ended up with $39 million. Collins has put money into a number of luxury real estate properties around the world. This is something that a lot of famous people do to spread out their investments and make more money.
2 Phil Collins' Charitable Initiatives
While not a customary moneymaker, it should be noted that Phil Collins has been actively involved in philanthropic efforts. Collins and his ex-wife, Orianne Collins, established the Little Dreams Foundation to aid young people in realizing their potential in the fields of music, art, and sports. It has become a global success, and Collins has been able to help thousands of children all over the world.
1 Phil Collins Passed Down His Talents
Phil Collins had children during his very successful and wealthy career. To be exact, five. Joely was born on August 8, 1972. According to People Magazine, Joley is known for her roles on the Canadian TV shows Madison and Cold Squad. She also started her own production company, StoryLab Productions, in 2009. In 2012, she made the full-length movie Becoming Redwood.
Simon, who was born in London on September 14, 1976, is also a musician. Then there's Lily Collins, of course. Lily was born on March 18, 1989. She is a well-known actress in Hollywood. While she and her father have a somewhat complicated relationship, they have gotten closer in the past few years.
On April 21, 2001, Nicholas was born. Nic has been playing the drums since he was two years old and is very good at it. He has gone on tours with his father and also has a band called Better Strangers. Matthew was born in 2005, which makes him the youngest of the five. He keeps his life a secret.