Phil Collins: Back from the brink after alcohol battle - BBC News

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Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Touring with Genesis in 1974, shortly before Peter Gabriel left the band When Peter Gabriel quit in 1975, Collins reluctantly became the frontman. The band's commercial fortunes increased under his watch and they spent most of the next three years on the road. Back at home, however, his wife Andrea began an affair with a decorator. Collins found out during a "particularly heated phone call" but opted to complete the tour. By the time it ended, their marriage was over. He quit the band and followed his wife to Canada in an attempt to repair their relationship - but admitted defeat after only four months. With Genesis on hiatus, Collins poured his heartache into a solo album, Face Value. It was classic reinvention, reframing the singer in a florid prog rock band as a thoughtful, emotionally-charged everyman with a knack for big pop ballads. Spurred by the success of In The Air Tonight, the album went on to sell more than 25 million copies. And, in what is perhaps the world's ultimate humblebrag, the singer claims to have discovered this statistic on Wikipedia. "In the early days, no-one even told you these things!" he says. "And another part of it was just keeping going and not looking back. "I'm humbled by it because I don't like a fuss."

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