Phil Collins shares a remarkable connection with his son, Nic Collins—a bond beautifully captured during their heartfelt performance of one of Phil’s more underrated songs, “You Know What I Mean.”
In a touching video from the 2019 Not Dead Yet Tour, Nic, who was playing drums on the tour, stepped up to the piano while Phil sang the emotional 1981 ballad. Their playful banter delighted the crowd, with Phil joking that this was the only song from his massive catalog that his son actually liked—setting the tone for a memorable moment in Houston.
Phil Collins officially retired from performing after his final show with Genesis at London’s O2 Arena in March 2022.
In an emotional farewell, Phil addressed the audience and jokingly said he might need to find a “real job” now. His retirement followed years of health struggles stemming from back surgery that had significantly impacted his ability to play the drums.
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Back in September 2009, it was revealed that Phil had undergone surgery for a dislocated vertebra in his neck, which left him unable to drum. In 2010, he opened up about his emotional and mental challenges, including depression and a sense of lost identity.
“After five decades of drumming, I had to stop,” he explained at the time. “My vertebrae were pressing on my spinal cord because of the way I played. I couldn’t even hold drumsticks without being in pain. At one point, I had to tape them to my hands just to keep playing.”
Despite the setback, Phil reassured Genesis fans: “Don’t worry, I can still sing.”
Speaking to Rolling Stone a year later, he accepted his new role with contentment: “I was going to stop drumming anyway. I had already stopped. And I don’t miss it.”
After a second surgery in 2016, Phil’s health improved enough to return to the stage. He launched the Not Dead Yet world tour in 2017—and that’s when Nic Collins, then just 17, joined the band as his drummer.
“It’s not because he’s the boss’s son that he’s behind the drums—it’s because he’s earned it,” Phil told The Project during an interview. He added that Nic had been drumming since he was two years old.
“The band fell in love with him… He knew what he was doing and didn’t let the moment overwhelm him. It’s been wonderful for both of us to experience this together.”
Beyond his work with his father, Nic leads his own band, Better Strangers, which released their debut EP Luna’s Daydream in 2021.
Reflecting on their time together on tour in a 2019 post, Nic wrote: “This tour gave me a chance to represent the music I was raised on. I’ve had the honor of sharing the stage with incredibly talented musicians who’ve helped me grow so much.
“I’m especially grateful to my dad—he made this possible and gave everything from beginning to end. The memories we’ve made together are something I’ll always cherish.”
