For the last 15 years now, Phil Collins has inspired and helped me to find my direction in life. When I was 16 years old, I still did not know what to do with my life, as no particular trade interested me. I had started to get into the music of Genesis in a big way and in the summer of 1987 I went to see Genesis perform live, my first ever concert! It changed my life!

As I came out of the concert, the penny dropped... I wanted to be a drummer, just like Phil and Chester! It was Phil however who fascinated me the most, he played much less than Chester on that tour but when he did, it was something else!

Since then, I have focused upon becoming a drummer. I started playing in 1990, aged 19, after I had left home and the objections of my parents! Over the years, I have played with many bands, in many different styles. Now I play mainly for one of the leading UK Genesis tribute bands - Invisible Touch, which I co-founded with keyboard player Richard Mills in 1996.

For a long time I wanted to pay tribute to my mentor and the best drummer ever, Phil Collins. I first came up with this "drumathon" idea in late 1998, with the aim of doing it at the end of 1999. However, because of various issues arising at the time, I had to postpone the project. In late 2000 I decided to ressurect the idea, and restarted the project, which is now scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2001. The "drumathon" will, with your support, hopefully raise a lot of money for the BBC Children In Need Appeal, as well as setting a new world record for endurance drumming!