Does Phil Collins Has Any Other Job Than Using Music To Make Lovers More Romantic?

By Sandra Ijeoma Okoye
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It is not an exaggeration to say that when it comes to penning pop songs about love, both the heart-soaring romance and the devastating heartbreak, that few do it better than Phil Collins.

Collins’ adroitness in writing and rendering songs that usually dwell on matters of the heart cannot be said to be fortuitous as he is known to always pay the price before going to the studio or enthralling his fans on stage.

Backing up the oft-repeated adage about timing being everything, Collins who is reputed to have started off as a drummer before becoming a front man at the Genesis, launched his solo career with 1981’s “In The Air Tonight”, which is no doubt a remarkable debut single pioneering a decade-defining drum sound which went global on the back of heavy rotation on the then embryonic MTV.

Throughout the following decade, Collins morphed into one of the world’s biggest-selling solo stars and somehow managed to balance the creation of multi-million-selling albums such as “Face Value”, “Hello”, “I Must Be Going” and “No Jacket Required”, and their seemingly endless hit singles, alongside his concurrent Genesis career, which also yielded huge titles including 1983’s Genesis and 1987’s “Invisible Touch”.

Given the foregoing background, it was not a surprise that Collins in no time became a musical colossus, and in the same vein became one of only three recording artists (alongside Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson) to have sold over 100 million records both as a solo star and as part of a band.

Unluckily, ill health has dogged his progress in more recent times. However, his reunion with the Genesis in 2021 and Tour show that Collins still commands stadium-sized respect from one of the most loyal global fan base.

In fact, despite how Collins has vicariously through his love songs mended broken hearts, no pop figures is yet to be reviled like him, and notwithstanding, his vast influence as one of the godfathers of popular culture placed him above his contemporaries.

Regrettably, Phil Collins’ influence on lovers may soon not be the same as he recently announced his retirement, saying that his recent performance with the Genesis was the last.

He announced his last performance with Genesis, but his message still made fans worry about him and his health.

On Saturday night, Collins appeared in front of the Genesis fans at their O2 Arena show. Like in the past few concerts, the 71-year-old remained seated throughout the performance before delivering the news about his desire to finally find "a real job."

"Tonight is a very special night. It's the last stop of our tour. And it's the last show for Genesis... After tonight we've all got to get real jobs," he said.

For the last time, he stood up in front of his fans and walked off the stage with his bandmates.

While some fans were left devastated by the news about his last performance, most fans took their chance to deliver their heartfelt wishes to Collins as they begged him to prioritize his health this time.

On social media platforms, fans showered the band and Collins with love as they continued to accept the fact they would no longer see him on stage again.

One fan said, "Last night, I saw Genesis in concert for the first time, and also one of their last. It was amazing but also so poignant. Phil Collins was visibly frail, his voice not as powerful as it once was but was still 'there' under it all. He sang his heart out."

"Phil is in desperate need of a rest. He is someone I would have loved to have seen in concert. Wishing him a happy retirement," another wrote.

Collins changed his mind about retirement multiple times, but his recent farewell message seemingly hinted that he would no longer be back on stage to perform again like he used to.

It has been reported that he first took his time off in 2011 due to health problems. At that time, Collins' representative changed their statement and said that the drummer only wanted time off to be with his family. He finally came out of his retirement in 2015.

It would be recalled that he at the time cited medical issues as the reason for his retirement, saying years of drumming resulted in a variety of health issues, including hearing loss, a dislocated vertebrae and nerve damage in his hands.

But due to his spinal injury, it is highly unlikely that he would show off the version of himself everyone fell in love with. Regardless of what the future holds for him, fans assured Collins that he would still receive the same amount of love he enjoyed for years - or much more than that.

The most resounding takeaway from his announcement is that of saying both himself and other members of the Genesis ‘…got to get real jobs’. He announced, "Tonight is a very special night. It's the last stop of our tour. And it's the last show for Genesis... After tonight we've all got to get real jobs.”

Since he made the announcement, not few of his fans are asking what other job he is really talking about given the fact that as an accomplished drummer, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor he has seen it all. In fact, he is best known for his tenure as the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and for his solo career which began in 1981. Between 1982 and 1990, Collins scored three UK and seven US number-one singles as a solo artist. When his work with Genesis, his work with other artists, as well as his solo career is totaled, he had more US top 40 singles than any other artist during the 1980s. His most successful singles from the period include "In the Air Tonight", "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)", "One More Night", and "Another Day in Paradise". His fans are like asking, “Does Phil Collins has any other job than using music to make lovers more roman tic? While still wondering on the exact meaning of “real jobs” in his words, let me wish him quick recovery.

Sandra Ijeoma Okoye (Author)