Phil Collins, the legendary lead singer and drummer of Genesis, has had a tremendous amount of success in the music business throughout his remarkable career. He is honored to be included in the select group of musicians, including Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, who have together sold over 100 million records in both solo and group projects. Born in London, England on January 30, 1951, to parents with a passion for the arts, Collins was surrounded by music from a young age.
Collins’s uncle gave him a homemade drum kit when he was five years old. His unique sound would be shaped by this kit, which included miniature drums, triangles, cymbals, and tambourines, and it would also set the path for his musical career.
Collins was enthralled with the burgeoning English beat culture as a child, led by bands like The Shadows. Playing often at parties thrown by his parents’ boating club, he embraced the new and vibrant musical scene that was developing.
Collins was intrigued to the rock and roll genre after being exposed to it. He bought a record player and The Beatles’ “Please Please Me” album when he was fourteen years old. He put his drum set in front of a mirror and turned up the sound so he could practice drumming more. He could participate in this way without having to look away.
Collins was motivated to learn how to read drum sheet music, so he started tutoring students. He was aware of the usefulness of written music for playing in orchestras or dancing bands, but he soon found that playing purely intuitively spoke to him more.
Collins’ life unexpectedly took an unexpected turn in the 1970s when he came across an ad looking for a drummer for the band Genesis. Collins took a chance and contacted them, and they accepted him, ushering in his remarkable musical career.
Collins was essential to Genesis during his tenure, eventually taking over as lead vocalist when other acceptable alternatives failed to materialize. Collins overcame difficulties in adjusting to his dual duty as drummer and vocalist and went on to become one of the best musicians in the business.
Collins had enormous success both as a solo artist and as a member of Genesis. He produced singles that will never be forgotten, including “In The Air Tonight,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” and “I Don’t Care Anymore.” He chose to pursue other musical endeavors after 25 years with Genesis, concentrating on solo work, film music, and jazz ventures. But he got back together with his old bandmates in 2017 to go on the world tour for Last Domino.
Sadly, the tour had to be postponed because of the epidemic. Concerns regarding Collins’ health surfaced during an interview with BBC Breakfast, just before the tour started. With Collins returning to the vocals and his son Nicholas Collins taking up the drums, the band is optimistic about upcoming shows.
Although Nicholas is a superb drummer, Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks recognizes that he adds a special force to the songs from the early Phil Collins catalog. Phil said, “I’d like to, but I can scarcely grip a stick with this hand,” in response to a question regarding his absence from the drum kit. Collins is adamant about pursuing his musical dreams despite his physical restrictions and is willing to get over any barriers that stand in his way.
The narrator himself, a man our age, spoke openly and with a deep sense of loss about his physical struggles in a recent interview. He thought about how he could never travel with his son or share in his travels. He had to make a tough choice on whether to pursue his musical career further or give it up. It was obvious that either because of physical constraints or deliberate decisions, he would have to give up something that was important to him. He worried a lot about the consequences of missing out on life’s prospects because things were changing so quickly.
Despite everything, Phil Collins continues to be an inspiration, exhibiting fortitude and a strong love of music despite hardship. His story offers as a monument to the strength of pursuing one’s goals in spite of obstacles. We celebrate the lasting impact he has made on the music industry and look forward to his potential future musical efforts as we reflect on his incredible career.
4 times Taylor Swift went makeup-free and looked flawless
Not only is Taylor Swift famous for her musical talent and romantic endeavors, but many Swifties are also frequently blown away by her stunning makeup looks. The musician has rocked various makeup looks since her first single, “Tim McGraw,” hit the Billboard charts in 2006. She has sported dark smokey eyes, blue eyeshadow, long lashes, peachy tones, and cat eyes “sharp enough to kill a man.” And don’t forget about all the red lipsticks Taylor Swift has worn! But do you ever think about what she looks like without makeup?
As strikingly perfect as the celebrity appears, she’s had a relatable, not-so-great habit of failing to remove her makeup. “Sometimes I forget to wash off my makeup. Okay—almost all the time,” Swift admitted to Allure back in 2011. But unsurprisingly, the pop star is still just as beautiful without makeup as when she wears a full face on TV and at her sold-out concerts — and her makeup-free photos prove it.
Tied together with a smile
On January 22, 2019, Taylor Swift posted a casual selfie rocking a denim jacket, adorable dirty blond bangs swept to the side, and what looked like no trace of makeup. The singer smiled next to her “Cats” character name, Bombalurina, and appropriately captioned the post, “Meow.”
Despite not wearing makeup, the celebrity still had bright eyes, clear skin, and full lips. Between Swift’s raised eyebrows and somewhat mischievous-looking smirk, this selfie exudes a playful mood, and the lack of makeup contributed to that fun energy.
But what can we say? You’re gorgeous
On October 24, 2022, Taylor Swift proved you don’t need makeup to capture a moody photograph (or when you’re announcing the release of your newest album). Wearing no makeup, the musician looked genuinely beautiful with her hair up in a braided bun as she stared off into space, wearing a fairytale-esque ensemble.
Part of the singer-slash-songwriter’s promotional post caption consisted of, “Midnight, what a storied and fabled hour… On this sparkling evening I’ll be releasing my twist on a fairytale we all know.” Not only did this picture prove Swift looks stunning without makeup, but considering the success of Swift’s “Midnights” album, it’s safe to say she’s bejeweled inside and out.
He said the way her blue eyes shined …
Every true Swiftie knows that Taylor Swift enjoys rocking sweaters (or cardigans, shall we say?). On October 24, 2018, the musician proved that her love for turtlenecks likely outweighed her liking for makeup. In a selfie showing off her famous blond bangs and enchanting blue eyes, the pop star rocked a dark, cozy-looking turtleneck.
She captioned the post, “Here we can observe an Australian swiftlet in her natural habitat, a turtleneck.” The selfie gives off a down-to-earth, nature-focused vibe. Swift walked around an Australian nature landscape in her monochromatic black outfit in the post’s second and third photos.
It’s nice to have a friend
Everyone loves an adorable buddy picture — especially when it consists of two famous and ultra-talented musicians. On November 10, 2022, Taylor Swift focused on silly fun rather than makeup when posting a cute picture with fellow songwriter Jack Antonoff.
Swift wore a relatively casual outfit with no makeup and held up a drink as Antonoff stood in a jokingly tired-looking pose by the piano. The post’s caption reads, “Anti hero but make it acoustic.” Why bother with makeup when you already have friendship and music in the picture?
Poke that bear ’til her claws come out
Yes, Taylor Swift wore a bear costume and posted it on Instagram at the end of 2020. Of course, she went makeup-free in such an already daring and random picture. Unafraid to show off her silly side, the musician appropriately captioned the hilarious New Year’s Eve picture, “Bye 2020, it’s been weird.”
While her bangs were mostly covered by the costume, followers can still easily recognize her famous blue eyes and adorably round face shape. Not many people could look flawless wearing no makeup in a bear costume, but Swift did. Are we even surprised?
Never go out of style
Every active social media user who experienced the COVID-19 lockdowns likely posted at least one no-makeup selfie at home with a boredom-related caption. Even Taylor Swift jumped on board the Instagram trend, posting a flawless makeup-free selfie on April 27, 2020.
The pop star stared into the camera with her iconic blond curls slightly longer than her clavicle, captioning the photo, “Not a lot going on at the moment.” While the post’s caption was relatable, many viewers were likely shocked (or, let’s be honest, maybe not so shocked) by how perfect Swift looked without makeup.
Leave a Reply