Phil Collins' rarely-seen sons issue public tribute to the 'absolute greatest' father

The Genesis frontman's sons celebrated his 75th birthday with rare family photos

February 2, 2026Feb 2, 2026, 4:10 PM GMT

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Phil Collins was showered with love by his family for his recent milestone birthday amid his ongoing health woes. After his daughter, actress Lily Collins, gushed about how 'grateful' she was for her dad, Phil's rarely-seen son shared a heartwarming tribute to the 'inspiring' singer.

Phil has five children from his previous relationships: sons Nicholas, Matthew and Simon, and daughters Joely and Lily. While Lily, who currently stars in the Netflix drama series Emily in Paris, is often in the spotlight, the musician's other children tend to keep their private lives more on the down low. For his dad's 75th birthday, Nicholas, 24, shared a rare family photo alongside his dad and his 21-year-old brother Matthew.

"Happy 75th birthday Dad! I’m so proud of you," Nicholas gushed on his public Instagram account. "Thank you for always inspiring me and for being the best dad I could ask for. Love you tons man [red heart emoji], he added, while his brother Matthew left two red hearts and celebratory birthday emoji in the comments. Phil was pictured sitting between his two sons, whom he shares with his third wife Orianne Cevey, as they shared a laugh.

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Both his daughters extended their love for their family beneath the post. Phil's eldest daughter Joely, 53, whom he shares with his first wife Andrea Bertorelli, wrote: "What great photos!! Happy birthday Dad!"

Meanwhile, Lily commented: "The absolute greatest", with several red heart emojis.

Phil Collins with his sons Matthew Collins (left) and Nicholas Collins (right) and his wife Orianne Cevey

Nicholas has followed in his dad's footsteps

Nicholas clearly got the music gene from his famous dad, and has followed in the Genesis frontman's footsteps to become a drummer. Nicholas has even shared the stage with his father, playing the drums on the singer's 2017 comeback tour when he was just 15 years old.

"I’ve been really exposed to my father’s music my entire life, so it’s second nature. But it’s completely different when you know the song as compared to when you’re actually playing it," Nicholas told Rolling Stone ahead of the tour at the time.

Nicholas Collins performs on stage for Phil Collins at Mediolanum Forum of Assago on June 17, 2019 in Milan, Italy

After including Nicholas in his band for his 2019 tour dates, Phil told Australian chat show The Project: "It's not because he's the boss' son that he's playing the drums, it's because he's good enough."

Nicholas also filled in for his dad as a drummer on Genesis' 2021 tour, toured with English rock supergroup Mike + The Mechanics, and has his own band called Better Strangers.

Lily's heartwarming birthday message

Lily Collins and her famous dad Phil — Lily Collins shares a rare photo with her famous dad Phil for his birthday

Lily is the only child Phil shares with his second wife, Jill Tavelman. For her dad's 75th birthday, Lily shared heartwarming selfies of her and her dad amid his recent health struggles. The singer recently shared he has undergone five knee operations and requires a 24-hour live-in nurse to manage his medication.

"Yesterday Dad turned 75 and I feel so grateful to have celebrated together," Lily gushed on Instagram. "For all you've accomplished, all the joy you've brought so many all over the world for all these years… all the lessons we've learned, all the memories we've shared, and all the new ones to come, thank you."

"I count myself so lucky to have hugged you, laughed with you, and reminisced with you on such a monumental day. Proud is an understatement. Love you to the moon and back again."