Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins LVO (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, keyboardist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for English progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist . His concurrent solo career, heavily influenced by his personal life, brought both him and Genesis commercial success . According to Atlantic Records, Collins's total worldwide sales as a solo artist, as of 2002, were 150 million . He has won seven Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and two Golden Globes for his solo work . His professional training began at fourteen when he entered Barbara Speake Stage School . He began a career as a child actor and model, and won his first major role as The Artful Dodger in the London production of Oliver! . He was an extra in The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night – one of hundreds of screaming teenagers during the TV concert sequence and seen fleetingly in a close-up . He was also in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as one of the children who stormed the castle at the end of the movie but was edited out . He also auditioned for the role of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (1968), a role won by fellow "Artful Dodger" actor, Leonard Whiting . Collins was among the last three finalists for the role of "I .Q ." on the American children's television show The Bugaloos (he lost out to English actor/musician John McIndoe) . Despite the beginnings of an acting career, Collins continued to gravitate towards music . While attending Chiswick Community School he formed a band called The Real Thing and later joined The Freehold . With the latter group, he wrote his first song titled "Lying Crying Dying" . .