Phil Collins at 62: It’s All About Family Now

He was born on January 30, 1951 in London, England.

Phil is a prolific singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor, and of course has had an amazing career spanning decades in music.

After earning what probably amounts to approximately 576 billion dollars for all the hit songs he wrote and sang both as a member of Genesis and a solo artist, Phil continued to create in films, theater and television.

I remember when you couldn't turn on the radio for years without hearing Phil in some form and one of my favorite albums of his is his debut solo album, 1981's Face Value. It's an odd, eclectic collection of tunes, one of them being what I think is an excellent cover of the Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows.

One thing I didn't realize about Phil, but somehow wasn't surprised to find out, is that he's quite a charitable man on behalf of both humans (he's a patron of Children in Hunger and founded the Little Dreams Foundation) and animals (Collins has stated he is a supporter of animal rights and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and he donated an autographed drumstick in support of PETA's campaign against Kentucky Fried Chicken).

In March of 2011, Phil announced his retirement.  He was having health problems and also wanted to focus on his family.

Happy birthday to a true musical icon!