Phil Collins' Steady Beat
After 35 years of performing in concert, Phil Collins is on tour for what he says is the last time. Correspondent Rita Braver catches up with him to talk about his career, from Genesis to his Oscar-winning score for Disney's "Tarzan." The interview aired on CBS News Sunday Morning, Sept. 19.
If you ask Phil Collins, he'll tell you he's most at home when he's banging on his drums or letting someone else in on the fun.
"There's something about it but I've never wanted to be a racing driver, never wanted to be an astronaut, never wanted to be a fireman or policeman. I just always wanted to be a drummer."
In fact it strikes him as somewhat strange that it's not his drumming that has made him a household name, but his singing.
The critical moment took place in the mid-'70s, when Collins, the drummer for the progressive rock group Genesis, was asked to try out on lead vocals after the departure of front man Peter Gabriel. The changeup brought more fans to the band, and Collins saw even greater success when he struck out for a solo career in 1981.
He's also taken on the work of film, appearing in the title role in 1988's Buster, and voicing characters in the animated films "Balto" and "The Jungle Book 2." And his work on the soundtrack to Disney's "Tarzan" earned him the 1999 Academy Award for Best Original Song, for the track, "You'll be in my Heart."
To date, Collins has sold more than 250 million albums and won eight Grammys, a staggering achievement for a man who, by his own admission, wasn't cut out to be a rock star.