Phil Collins facts: Singer's age, wife, children, health and net worth revealed

10 June 2021, 17:40 | Updated: 17 March 2023, 12:24

Phil Collins
Picture: Getty

Phil Collins is one of the world's most successful musicians with a career that has lasted for five decades.

From his huge hits to his acting career and beyond, here are the big Phil Collins facts you should know...

  1. How old is Phil Collins and where is he from?

    Phil Collins was born on January 30, 1951. He celebrated his 70th birthday in 2021.

    The singer was born in Chiswick, Middlesex. His father, Greville Philip Austin Collins (1907–1972), was an insurance agent. His mother, Winifred June Collins (née Strange, 1913–2011), was a theatrical agent.

    His sister Carole was a professional ice skater, and his older brother Clive is a successful cartoonist.

  2. What are Phil Collins' biggest songs?

    Phil Collins scored three UK and seven US number-one singles in his solo career in the 1980s.

    His biggest hits include 'In the Air Tonight', 'Against All Odds', 'One More Night', 'Sussudio', 'Two Hearts' and 'Another Day in Paradise'.

    He has sold an estimated 150 million records worldwide.

  3. Who is Phil Collins' wife?

    Phil Collins with first wife Andrea Bertorelli and daughter Joely
    Phil Collins with first wife Andrea Bertorelli and daughter Joely. Picture: Getty

    Phil Collins was married to Andrea Bertorelli from 1975 to 1980. They met as 11-year-old students in a London drama class, but her family moved to Canada when she was 18. They reconnected when Genesis performed in Vancouver, and they married in England when both were 24.

    He met his second wife, American Jill Tavelman, in 1980. They were married from 1984 to 1996.

    Phil Collins with second wife Jill Tavelman
    Phil Collins with second wife Jill Tavelman. Picture: Getty

    Collins married his third wife, Orianne Cevey, a Swiss national with Mexican ancestry, in 1999.

    Phil Collins and Orianne Collins
    Phil Collins and third wife Orianne Collins. Picture: PA

    They divorced in 2008, with Collins paying £25 million, which became the largest settlement in a British celebrity divorce at the time. In January 2016, Collins said he had reunited with Cevey and they were living together in Miami.

    However, in 2020, it was reported that Phil was suing Orianne after it was revealed she was married to another man.

  4. How many children does Phil Collins have?

    Phil Collins' son Simon Collins
    Phil Collins' son Simon Collins. Picture: Getty

    Phil Collins and first wife Andrea Bertorelli have one son together, Simon Collins, born in 1976, who became the singer and drummer of the progressive rock band Sound of Contact.

    He also adopted Bertorelli's daughter Joely, who became an actress and film producer.

    Joely Collins in 2014
    Joely Collins in 2014. Picture: Getty

    He had one daughter with second wife Jill Tavelman, actress Lily Collins, born in 1989.

    Lily Collins has gone on to become a successful actress and model, most recently starring in the Netflix series Emily in Paris.

    Phil Collins and daughter Lily Collins
    Phil Collins and daughter Lily Collins. Picture: PA

    In 2017, Lily opened up about her relationship with her busy father, writing in a series of essays: “I forgive you for not always being there when I needed and for not being the dad I expected.

    “I forgive the mistakes you made. And although it may seem like it’s too late, it’s not. There’s still so much time to move forward.”

    With Orianne Cevey, he has two sons, Nicholas and Matthew.

    Phil Collins with third wife Orianne Cevey and their sons Matthew (left) and Nicholas (right)
    Phil Collins with third wife Orianne Cevey and their sons Matthew (left) and Nicholas (right). Picture: Getty

    Nicholas has since started playing drums like his dad, and has even played alongside his father at live concerts.

  5. What films has Phil Collins been in?

    Buster Official Trailer #1 - Ralph Brown Movie (1988) HD

    Phil Collins began his career as a child actor, and played the Artful Dodger in the London stage production of Oliver! He was also an extra in the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night in 1964, and he later had a role in Calamity the Cow.

    He appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as one of the children who storm the castle, but his scene was cut. He auditioned for the role of Romeo in 1968's Romeo and Juliet but the role went to Leonard Whiting.

    He later played the title role in the 1988 movie Buster and had a cameo in Steven Spielberg's film Hook.

  6. What health problems has Phil Collins had?

    Phil Collins
    Picture: Getty

    In September 2009, it was reported that Collins could no longer play the drums, due to a recent operation on a dislocated vertebrae in his neck. A year later, he spoke of feelings of depression and low self-esteem.

    In October 2014, Collins told the BBC that he still could not play the drums, and that his problem was an undiagnosed nerve issue where he was unable to "grip the sticks". He confirmed in 2016 that he was still unable to drum with the left hand.

    Read more: The Story of... 'In the Air Tonight' by Phil Collins

    In June 2017, he announced that he suffered from ‘drop foot’ as a result of a back operation, which makes it difficult to walk. He slipped in his hotel room and hit his head in the fall on a chair. He was taken to hospital to have stitches for a severe gash on his head close to his eye

    In 2018, it was reported that Collins walked with the assistance of a cane, and had to perform concerts while sitting in a chair.

  7. What is Phil Collins' net worth?

    Phil Collins has an estimated net worth of around $260 million (£198m).

  8. Has Phil Collins won an Oscar?

    In 1999, Phil Collins performed the soundtrack to the Disney movie Tarzan. The film's lead song, 'You'll Be in My Heart', spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart—the longest ever up at the time. He also sang German, Italian, Spanish and French versions of the Tarzan soundtrack.

    The song won him an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and was performed at that year's ceremony and a Disney-themed Super Bowl halftime show.