Yahoo News All About Phil Collins' 5 Kids
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Drumroll, please...introducing Phil Collins' very talented family.
Phil Collins is the father of five children, including three sons and two daughters. He welcomed them with women from three different marriages between 1975 and 2005.
The legendary drummer shares children Joely and Simon Collins with his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli, whom he was married to from 1975 to 1979. Phil wrote "In the Air Tonight" after failing to win her back post divorce.
Phil shares actress Lily Collins with his second wife, actress Jill Tavelman, to whom he was married until 1994. The Emily in Paris star, who was five years old at the time of her parents' tumultuous divorce, has since been vocal about the impact it had on her life.
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The former Genesis member welcomed sons Nicholas and Matthew with his third wife, Orianne Cevey, to whom he was initially married from 2000 to 2006. Ten years after their split, the two reconciled, entering a relationship again after she divorced investment banker Charles Mejjati; they called it quits once more in 2020.
Phil is supportive of all his kids, and they are also vocal in their fondness for their dad. "Thank you for inspiring me and supporting the woman I am today. I love you to the moon and back again…" Lily wrote in an Instagram tribute to her dad.
Keep scrolling for everything to know about the rock icon's five children.
Joely Collins, 50
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Joely was born on Aug. 8, 1972 and is the daughter of Collins and his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli. She was welcomed into their family via adoption, and was raised in Canada where she began her career as an actress and a producer.
The eldest of the Collins siblings, Joely is known for her work on the Canadian TV shows Madison and Cold Squad. She also founded her own production company, StoryLab Productions, in 2009 and produced the feature film Becoming Redwood in 2012.
When her father decided to retire from music professionally for the first time in 2011, Joely was in part the reason why he chose to return to the music scene; Collins recalled her telling him "it's very dangerous" to step away from the sticks, without a plan to return, after playing professionally since he was 19.
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"To stop doing what you've done all your life," the rock elder recalled her saying, "You're taking away something that makes you tick."
He concluded, "That stayed with me. Then you get out there [to perform], and people like what you do, and you think, 'I can do more of this.' "
Now, Joely is married to Dutch-born Stefan Buitelaar, with whom she shares one child, daughter Zoë Amelie. "I love being a mum! I think it is the most rewarding job you can have," she told Canadian outlet Urban Moms.
Simon Collins, 46
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Simon was born in London on Sept. 14, 1976 to Phil and Andrea, and is a musician in his own right.
His love for percussion began when Phil gave him a drum kid on his eighth birthday; he grew up alongside his dad's band and accompanied them when they toured.
"Genesis had a deep impact on my life," Simon said in an interview with Hot Press. "Growing up around such amazing musicians, and such kind and lovely people, definitely got me in the mood for [progressive rock]."
While is father surely laid the foundation of his musical education — "throwing" him albums from bands like Pink Floyd, among other "prog rock" groups — Simon made it a point to pave his own path in the music industry, ultimately embarking on a solo career when signed by Warner Music Group.
RELATED: Genesis Postpones Tour Dates Due to Positive COVID Tests 'Within the Band': 'Hugely Frustrating'
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Simon has shared a stage with his dad in the past, but Phil later shared the studio with his son when recording the track "The Big Bang" off Simon's album U-Catastrophe. "We've worked together on various demos and we've played together on stage, but to actually go into the studio, we've never done that before," the younger Collins told PEOPLE of his father in 2008.
In 2014, Simon was arrested in Wiltshire, England, for the possession and supply of illegal narcotics — but was released on bail. Most recently, Simon opened up about his family dynamic when speaking with Express.co.uk about his father's 70th birthday in 2021.
"Everyone in the family lives in different parts of the world," Simon said at the time. "We're all still in touch — we keep in touch via Zoom."
Lily Collins, 33
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Lily was born on March 18, 1989 to Phil and actress Jill Tavelman, the musician's second wife. While the Emily in Paris star doesn't have any biological brothers or sisters of her own, she does have half-siblings from her father's other marriages.
Lily has pursued the acting route with much success, but similar to Simon, Lily wanted to pave that path on her own. "It was out of the question that people would think that I use a free pass thanks to my name," she told Vogue France in November.
"I'm proud of my dad, but I wanted to be me, not just his daughter," the Mank star continued. "I love to sing. But as I wanted to make my own way, far from the paternal genius — I preferred to be an actress."
RELATED: Lily Collins Says Getting a 'Free Pass' for Being Phil Collins' Daughter Was 'Out of the Question'
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And she's done just that! Lily has appeared on screen since her stint on the BBC sitcom Growing Pains at age two — but her breakthrough role didn't come until the late 2000s when she starred in the Oscar-nominated film The Blind Side.
Lily — who's married to Charlie McDowell, son of actors Mary Steenburgen and Malcolm McDowell — continued to land leads in the years that followed, but she turned heads again with her role as Marla Mabrey in the 2016 comedy Rules Don't Apply, which earned the actress her first Golden Globe nomination.
The critical acclaim followed Lily with the Netflix hit Emily in Paris — her most recent work that not only earned the actress another Globe nod for her role as the titular character, but an Emmy nomination for the show as a whole.
Nicholas Collins, 21
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Nicholas (who goes by Nic) was born on April 21, 2001 to Phil and Orianne Cevey, the musician's third wife. Just like his father and older half-brother, Nic is a drummer in his own right and began at the age of two.
While the young talent had Collins to look up to growing up, he played professionally alongside his father on his solo tour for the first time at age 17 in 2017. "It's not because he's the boss' son that he's playing the drums, it's because he's good enough," Phil said on the Australian show The Project at the time.
"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," the proud father continued of his son. "I'm very pleased for him, and for me, that we get to go through this together."
Now, Nic has a band of his own called Better Strangers, featuring the young Collins on drums as well as vocalist deCasa, guitarist Joey Rodriguez and bassist Yang. Nic recently opened up to PEOPLE about how touring with Genesis inadvertently influenced their sound, specifically the track "Raincheck."
"It's an exciting time for me musically as I'm really finding my footing and discovering who I am as a drummer, musician, and songwriter," the 21 year old told PEOPLE in a statement. "It's hard to ignore the influence that touring with Genesis had on me on a musical and personal level."
He continued, "It's definitely different to what my dad was writing back in the day, however, I definitely think there's a few progressive treats that Genesis fans can enjoy. This track really introduces everyone as to what kind of drummer I am."
Matthew Collins, 17
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Matthew is Phil's youngest child, who he welcomed with Orianne in 2005. Back in February 2016, when Collins confirmed to PEOPLE that he and his third wife resumed their relationship after splitting, the pair said that their kids were "over the moon" about their reunion.
"Matthew was saying it was his wish for his birthday. He was born on the first of December and he said, 'Oh, my wish came true,'" said Orianne at the time.
Matthew remains private, but he has made public appearances alongside his family through the years. Some of those events include sitting court-side at NBA games and posing for photos with his father at red carpet events.
