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Lily Collins has paid an emotional tribute to her dad Phil Collins as the legendary musician marked his 74th birthday amid significant health challenges.
The actress, 35, who previously admitted she had a strained relationship with her father growing up, shared the message alongside photographs on Instagram to celebrate the occasion.
One image showed the pair inside the Duke of York’s Theatre during her recent run in the West End play Barcelona, which concluded on January 11.
The actress wore a sparkling silver and gold jumpsuit, while the former Genesis drummer opted for a black zip-up fleece and black trousers.
Another snap showed the pair at the musician's Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony in 1999, when the Emily in Paris star was just 10 years old. The pic captured the pair hugging and smiling proudly.
In her caption, she wrote: “From a west coast star to the West End stage and everywhere in between — I’m so grateful to be by your side and for the support, experiences, and love we have and will continue to share. The older I get, the greater I appreciate all the little, special moments spent together.”
She concluded: “Happy birthday Dad. I couldn’t love you more or be more thankful to celebrate you today and every day. Truly. To the moon and back again…”
The star also shared a video taken at Hotel Eden in Rome, where she proudly noted that her autograph now appears alongside her father’s on the hotel’s walls.
Smiling at the camera, she remarked: “Like father, like daughter. So proud to share space with you. Happy birthday, Dad.”
The Against The Odds musician, has retired from performing live after struggling with nerve damage and spinal problems that have affected his ability to play the drums.
In his recent documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First, he spoke about coming to terms with his retirement, saying: “It’s still kinda sinking in a little bit. You know, I’m 71. I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”
Footage from the documentary captured the In the Air Tonight singer making an emotional return to his drum kit, assisted by his son Nic, who stepped in as Genesis’s drummer during their farewell tours.
Holding drumsticks for the first time in years, Phil Collins admitted: “It just feels so strange to hold a pair. If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I will have a crack at it. I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles.”
The drummer's health struggles date back to 2009 when he lost the feeling in his fingers following surgery and could only play drums if the sticks were taped to his hands.
Speaking to the Daily Mail that year, he said: “After playing drums for 50 years, I’ve had to stop. My vertebrae have been crushing my spinal cord because of the position I drum in.”
In his 2016 autobiography, he revealed that he had struggled with alcohol abuse following his initial retirement. The following year, he disclosed that he had type 2 diabetes and had received treatment in a hyperbaric chamber after a diabetic abscess on his foot became infected.
Collins’s last public performance was on March 26, 2022, alongside his Genesis bandmates at London’s O2 Arena.
