50 years ago today (9/30/70), Phil Collins joined Genesis as drummer, replacing their third drummer John Mayhew. In 1970, Collins answered a Melody Maker classified ad for “…a drummer sensitive to acoustic music, and 12-string acoustic guitarist”. Genesis placed the advert after having already lost three drummers over two albums. Collins joined the band and their third album Nursery Cryme was released a year later. In 1975, following the final tour supporting the album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, front-man Peter Gabriel left the group to pursue a solo career and Collins became lead vocalist while always further cementing himself as one of rock’s most accomplished drummers. Genesis went on to huge commercial success with Collins as their voice and he launched a solo career in the early 80’s that also made him one of the era’s most successful pop stars and an MTV mainstay. Watch Genesis perform “The Knife” off Trespass (an album Collins wasn’t on) live in ’73.
