File this under most random celebrity obsession: British rock star, former Genesis man, and one of those rare drummer/front men, Phil Collins, has an obsession with the Alamo. In fact, he has the largest private collection of Alamo memorabilia in the world. He will be in Dallas on May 10 to speak about his life and the collection at the Dallas Historical Society. There is more information in the release after the jump (but please ignore the ridiculousness of the unqualified remark about Collins being the best drummer in the world contained therein). Also, note to Phil Collins: Begin every lecture with the drum intro from “In the Air Tonight” and your audiences will swell.
Alamo History Buff, Rocker Phil Collins, To Speak To Dallas Historical Society May 10
DALLAS (May 3, 2010) – British rock star, Phil Collins, who says his life now revolves around the Alamo, will be in Dallas May 10 to speak to the Dallas Historical Society at the Hall of State in Fair Park.
While the singer, songwriter, and “best drummer in the world”, has not given up the music business entirely, his Dallas appearance entitled, “A Conversation with Phil Collins”, will be a wide-ranging discussion of his life, career, family and his unparalleled collection of Alamo memorabilia. Longtime friend and Dallas civic leader Lindalyn Adams will join local entertainment mogul Angus Wynne in interviewing Mr. Collins on the stage of the Margaret and Al Hill Lecture Hall in the Hall of State at Fair Park.
“We’re so excited to have this unusual opportunity to present this internationally known Alamo expert,” said Jack Bunning, executive director of the Dallas Historical Society. “You don’t usually think of rock stars as historians but Phil Collins has immersed himself in Texas history for a number of years to the point that even his youngest children, ages 5 and 6, can identify Travis, Crockett and Santa Anna when they see their pictures.”
Mr. Collins dates his interest in the Alamo back to his childhood when he became fascinated with Fess Parker’s portrayal of Davy Crockett in the long-running TV series. Over the years he has amassed what has been called one of the largest private collections of Alamo memorabilia in the world.
Among his most prized possessions is a receipt signed by Alamo commander William Barrett Travis for 32 head of cattle to be used to feed the Alamo defenders. By his own estimates, Mr. Collins has hundreds of cannonballs, documents and other artifacts from the Alamo at his home in Switzerland. He is currently co-authoring a book on the Alamo and the Texas Revolution with Gary Zaboly that will be published early 2011.
Best known for his musical accomplishments, Mr. Collins has won seven Grammy Awards and his solo albums have sold more than 70 million copies. A member of the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, both Collins and Genesis were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. His hit songs have included “In the Air Tonight”, “One More Night”, “Take Me Home”, “Another Day in Paradise”, “Two Hearts” and “Against All Odds”.
Collins wrote six songs and made his film score composing debut (in collaboration with Mark Mancina) on Disney’s Brother Bear and also composed the score for Tarzan II. Due in mid-September is a new CD called “Going Back” that features a collection of his favorite Motown songs from the 60’s.
Tickets for the program are $35 for Historical Society members and $50 for non-members. A very limited number of VIP tickets at $150 are available that also include a reception with Phil Collins after the program. Tickets to the event may be purchased at www.dallashistory.org or by calling 214-421-4500.
About The Dallas Historical Society
The stories of Dallas are shared each day at the Dallas Historical Society through the three million items that comprise our archives and artifact collections. Established in 1922, the Dallas Historical Society collects, preserves, and exhibits the unique heritage of Dallas and Texas to educate and inspire future generations.
Housed at the Hall of State in Fair Park since 1938, DHS presents these collections through education programs, exhibitions, tours, access to research materials and workshops.
Among the three million historical artifacts at DHS are such treasures as Sam Houston’s handwritten account of the Battle of San Jacinto, the original Juneteenth document, James Fannin’s watch, and Santa Anna’s spurs. The G.B. Dealey library at the Hall of State houses over 10,000 bound volumes, and receives more than 1,500 research requests annually.
Each year, the Dallas Historical Society is visited by more than 160,000 people and serves more than 20,000 students through guided tours and educational programming at the Hall of State, as well as outreach programs at school locations.
(Photo: Andrew St.Denis via WikiCommons)
