Musician Phil Collins' Kids: Meet His 5 Talented Children

Musician Phil Collins is the mastermind behind some of the biggest radio hits that have taken over the airwaves since 1970. The Genesis drummer has had both a huge career with his band and an equally successful solo career full of award-winning work. His five children, Joely, Simon, Lily, Nicholas and Matthew, are equally as talented and have started to take over Hollywood.

When he was just 5 years old, Phil had already begun to play the drums and set his sights on making it into the spotlight. The Oscar winner began his career as a child actor. He appeared as an extra alongside his biggest inspiration, The Beatles, in their 1964 film A Hard Day’s Night. In 1971, Phil recorded his first album with Genesis called Nursery Cryme. It was then that he earned the label as a master of percussions.

The Tarzan composer released his first solo album in 1981 featuring the mega-hit “In the Air Tonight.” Phil was married to his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli, at the height of his success. He officially adopted Andrea’s daughter Joely from a previous relationship. In 1976, Phil and Andrea welcomed their son, Simon. The couple divorced in 1980.

In 1984, Phil married Jill Tavelman. The couple welcomed their daughter, Lily, in 1989 and finalized their divorce in 1996. Phil later met translator Orianne Cevey on tour in Switzerland. They got married in 1999 and welcomed sons Nicholas and Matthew. Phil and Orianne divorced in 2006 but later reconnected, living together and coparenting their sons. Phil announced in 2011 that he was officially retiring from music to focus on fatherhood.

”I am stopping so I can be a full-time father to my two young sons on a daily basis,” he announced on his website in 2011.

The “One More Night” hitmaker told Rolling Stone in 2015 that he was coming out of retirement. He embarked on a worldwide tour from 2017 to 2019 before announcing his return to Genesis. After sustaining nerve damage from performing over the years, dislocating vertebrae in his upper neck and his type 2 diabetes diagnosis, concerns have grown for Phil’s health. His son, Nicholas, has since taken over drumming duties for Genesis during their live shows.

“It’s not because he’s the boss’ son that he’s playing the drums, it’s because he’s good enough,” Phil said in a January 2019 appearance on The Project. “The band fell in love with him … suddenly it was like he knew what he was doing and wasn’t in awe of the situation. I’m very pleased for him, and for me, that we get to go through this together.”

Scroll to meet Phil’s five talented children.

Joely Collins

Phil’s adopted daughter Joely was born in 1972. She was raised in Canada where she began her career as a child actress. She snagged roles in several major Canadian drama television series including a 56 episode run on Cold Squad. In 2004, Joely won Best Actress in a Canadian Film at the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards for her role in The Love Crimes of Gillian Guess.
In 2008, Joely married Stefan Buitelaar in the Netherlands. Phil walked Joely down the aisle and became a grandfather when the couple welcomed their daughter, Zoë Amelie, in 2009. Joely started her own production company and shared a sweet sentiment about her father ahead of the 2013 premiere of her film, Becoming Redwood.
“My dad’s a really, really hard worker,” she told Global News. “I’m able to dream big because I’ve seen what’s possible.”

Simon Philip Nando Collins

Simon grew up in Canada with his sister, Joely, and his mother. Much like his father, Simon began drumming at the age of 5. Phil brought him on tour when he was a child, allowing him to experience the rush of playing live music from a young age. Simon moved to Germany to release his All of Who You Are album in 2000.

The drummer started his own record label in 2003 and went on to release three more albums. He saw the most success with his song, “Unconditional,” which landed on the Billboard charts. In 2012, Simon joined the band Sounds of Contact as the lead vocalist and drummer.

Lily Jane Collins

Lily grew up in England and got her start in acting in the BBC version of Growing Pains. It was her role in the critically acclaimed film The Blind Side that catapulted her to fame. She starred in Love, Rosie in 2014 before snagging a lead role in Rules Don’t Apply in 2016. The actress earned her first-ever Golden Globe nomination, an award her father has won twice.

In 2020, Lily starred in the Netflix series Emily in Paris, earning her a second Golden Globe nomination. The series was renewed for a second season and Lily had so much to celebrate, also announcing her marriage to Charlie McDowell. She also opened up about her strained relationship with her father over the years in her 2017 book, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me.

“We all make choices and, although I don’t excuse some of yours, at the end of the day we can’t rewrite the past,” she wrote in the book. “I’m learning how to accept your actions and vocalize how they made me feel. I accept and honor the sadness and anger I felt toward the things you did or didn’t do, did or didn’t give me.”

Nicholas Collins

Nicholas has been drumming since he was a toddler. When he was 15 years old, Nicholas joined his father on stage at Arthur Ashe Stadium to perform “In the Air Tonight.” Phil later asked Nicholas to play the drums for his comeback tour.

“I’ve been really exposed to my father’s music my entire life, so it’s second nature,” Nicholas told Rolling Stone in 2017. “But it’s completely different when you know the song as compared to when you’re actually playing it. At first, I listened to the live versions they’ve done on the most recent tours and then listened to the studio versions. It’s different to hear how my dad did it compared to what another drummer did [in concert], so obviously I want to be like what he did since he’s the one that played the song and wrote the actual drum part.”

Matthew Collins

Matthew is Phil’s youngest child and has managed to stay out of the spotlight growing up. He has stepped out on the red carpet with his parents and Nicholas and sat courtside with his father at NBA games in the past. Based on his family’s history, the teen could be making his big break in Hollywood like his siblings sometime in the near future.