Phil Collins

Legendary musician Phil Collins joins Vernon Kay for a special edition of Tracks Of My Years, choosing ten songs that have soundtracked his life.

In a conversation based around the tracks he loves from Stevie Wonder, The Who, Taylor Swift, the Travelling Wilburys and more, Phil discusses the influence and impact these songs have had on him. Taking Vernon through his life, he talks about getting his family’s help to assemble his first drum kit as a child and then auditioning for various groups as a teenager, through to joining Genesis and writing his solo music, including the story behind creating In The Air Tonight. Plus, he tells stories about crossing paths with the likes of Brian Wilson, Martha Reeves, Bruce Hornsby and Taylor Swift.

Born in 1951 in London, Phil loved music from an early age and was auditioning for bands as a teenager, joining Genesis as their new drummer in 1970. Five years later he replaced Peter Gabriel as the vocalist in the band, continuing their huge success. In 1981 he began his solo career with the debut album Face Value, and to date has sold more than 150 million solo records worldwide. His accolades include an Oscar, six BRITs, two Golden Globes, and eight Grammys. This November, he’ll be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for a second time, following Genesis' induction in 2010.

Every week on Tracks Of My Years, Vernon is joined by a special guest who chooses ten songs that have soundtracked their life. You can watch every episode on BBC iPlayer.

You can listen exclusively to Phil Collins on Tracks Of My Years on BBC Sounds and watch on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday 2nd August.

A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 2.