Phil Collins To Perform at US Open

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That expression implies that Collins has something up his sleeve. (Photo via Collins’ Facebook page)

Update (August 29): Reminder… Collins performance this evening will be broadcast live in the U.S. on ESPN2. The Oscar winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will perform his debut solo single, “In the Air Tonight,” which is the opening track on his forthcoming hits collection, The Singles. Among those performing with him is his longtime collaborator Daryl Stuermer.

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Rumors about a Phil Collins comeback tour have been swirling for quite a while. The longtime Genesis singer and drummer was forced to delay his comeback in 2015 due to emergency back surgery. But as he tested the waters in March with a performance for his charitable foundation, and with his memoirs scheduled for fall release and a significant reissue campaign of his solo work, it now appears that the classic rock legend is ready to shine once again for his millions of loyal fans. Word arrives this morning, via a tweet from Collins himself that he will be performing at the opening night of this year’s U.S. Open tennis tournament.

Given that the last of the sport’s four Grand Slam events begins three weeks from now, Monday, August 29, it’s remarkable that this news has been kept under wraps until now.

The performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium will be televised live on ESPN2 in the U.S. and on other outlets around the world. Here’s a link for tickets to the tournament’s August 29 evening session. (You can also try here.)

Phil will headline the Opening Ceremony of the @usopen on Aug 29 and he will perform LIVE! https://t.co/d6QBjXMQyv pic.twitter.com/JxlA0knQnz

— Phil Collins (@PhilCollinsFeed) August 9, 2016

The Opening Night Ceremony will celebrate the stadium’s new retractable roof, which contains more than 6,500 tons of steel, is the largest retractable roof in tennis and took three years to complete.

With the book and upcoming release of The Singles collection, it’s logical that Collins would mount a full arena tour to support those efforts. Best Classic Bands will continue to follow this story and provide updates.

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The musician’s solo catalog received a significant overhaul from Rhino this year.

After six years away and a “retirement” that (thankfully) didn’t quite take, Collins returned to performing on March 11 with an eight-song set at The Fillmore Miami Beach to benefit a good cause. Although health issues prevent him from playing drums – which Phil’s son Nick instead did handily – and he needs a cane for walking as he recovers from a broken foot, Collins showed himself in fine voice and spirits at the rescheduled Little Dreams Foundation’s Second Annual Dreaming on the Beach Gala Concert 2016.

After a set from former Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm, Collins opened his show with his 1990 #1 solo hit and protest song “Another Day in Paradise,” followed by another of his chart-toppers, 1984’s “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now).” Backed by a band led by Daryl Stuermer, longtime Genesis guitarist and Collins solo collaborator, the singer delivered his debut solo single “In the Air Tonight” followed by his 1984 duet song with Philip Bailey, “Easy Lover,” with bassist Nathan East (one of the tune’s co-writers) taking Bailey’s part. The set wrapped up with Phil’s cover of the Temptations classic “My Girl” and a reggae-flavored take on Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”

The recent Phil Collins “Take A Look At Me Now” retrospective campaign has inspired a re-evaluation of the multi-platinum artist’s back catalog as several of his albums returned to the charts. Now Collins turns his attention to the biggest tracks throughout his career with the release of The Singles collection on October 14.

The set charts Collins’ entire solo career from his smash hit 1981 debut “In the Air Tonight” to the title track from his most recent studio album, 2010’s Going Back. It encompasses seven U.S. #1s for Atlantic Records, including “Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now),” “Sussudio,” “One More Night,” “Separate Lives,” “A Groovy Kind of Love,” “Two Hearts” and “Another Day In Paradise,” plus seven Top 10 hits (“You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Easy Lover” with Philip Bailey, “Don’t Lose My Number,” “Take Me Home,” “I Wish It Would Rain Down,” “Something Happened On The Way To Heaven” and “Do You Remember?”).

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