Phil Collins isn’t the one beloved musician nonetheless ready for his Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame invite.

Basic rockers like Jethro Tull, Warren Zevon, B-52s, Billy Idol, The Replacements, The Monkees and extra additionally lack a Corridor move.

Sure, Collins’ work with Genesis earned him entry into the Cleveland-based venue, however his celebrated solo work stays unrecognized.

Traci Baker needs to do one thing about that.

She’s the one-woman military behind a marketing campaign to get Collins inducted into the Corridor as a solo artist. That quest features a profound connection along with his music, her #getphilvotedin marketing campaign push and a petition rallying the musician’s followers from throughout the globe.

HiT: Your bond with each Phil Collins and Genesis has a deeply private component. Are you able to share that a part of this story?
Baker: After shedding my 58-year-old husband to colon most cancers in April 2021, I turned to music. A lifelong live performance fanatic, I ended up at 11 exhibits on The Final Domino? Tour, met many new pals and even obtained to go to with some members of Genesis, their band and crew.

Because the tour ended with the ultimate three dates at London’s O2 Enviornment in March 2022, these had been to be the final Genesis exhibits ever. After 11 exhibits the place I used to be largely within the entrance row, utilizing an indication that includes a photograph I took at a earlier present, with “Phil, May I Have Your Tambourine?”

Only a few seconds after holding up the signal, a smiling Phil reached for the pink instrument he’d used that complete tour, and with a twinkle in his eye and the precision toss of a grasp, gifted me a bit of music historical past. It was a particular second, one in all many since my husband handed. Virtually prefer it was his stardust serving to me alongside.

He liked Phil.

Engaged on the #getphilvotedin marketing campaign has given me one thing to stay up for. I’m undecided if I used to be, or am, working from the grief. What I do know is that what I’m doing helps me conquer it. And someplace at the back of my thoughts, and in the entire of my coronary heart, I hope that possibly Phil is watching from the sidelines, and that that is giving him one thing to stay up for, too.

HiT: You had been capable of see among the final Genesis touring dates with Phi Collins… how did that impression your efforts to see Phil Collins inducted into the Corridor?
Baker: I used to be very moved by the groundswell of affection and affection towards Phil from followers I met personally on each continents and all over the world by way of Fb fan websites throughout the Genesis tour. Having been crushed up by the media within the 90s, after his large success within the ’80s, having his private life dissected and privateness invaded, sooner or later Phil Collins was uninterested in being Phil Collins.

Having dropped out of the music world for a while, with ups and downs, his return in 2016 along with his memoir, “Not Dead Yet,” world tour of the identical title, and the current Genesis Tour, that feel-good power was again. Even the media was being variety, one thing, Phil Collins couldn’t at all times rely on the final 20-plus years.

HiT: Your numerous websites share loads of details about the singer/songwriter. Are you able to share one or two small however intriguing details that many aren’t conscious of?
Baker: Listed here are two intriguing Phil-facts that is probably not within the mainstream.

Phil Collins is an avid collector of Alamo and Texana artifacts. In 2014 he donated his huge assortment, thought of priceless, however estimated to be valued at greater than $20 million, to the State of Texas.

Most objects from his assortment debuted for the primary time earlier this 12 months and are on show within the new Ralston Household Collections Middle on the Alamo. I attended the preview occasion, photographed the objects, and made a brief film that may be seen on the #getphilvotedin YouTube Channel.

And for individuals who are questioning how a British rock star got here to be fascinated by the Alamo…a 5-year-old Phil noticed Fess Parker’s “Davy Crockett” TV present and was hooked.

And one other intriguing truth about Phil, that is probably not well-known is that he was a a lot sought-after producer of different artists. Phil has the ‘Midas touch,’ and plenty of artists wished to learn from that.

Phil produced albums and made hit songs for Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Frida from Abba, John Martyn, Howard Jones, Adam Ant, Philip Bailey, The 4 Tops and David Crosby, amongst others.

He additionally performed drums for a lot of of those artists, even being the touring drummer for each Eric Clapton and Robert Plant within the early ‘80s. All while recording and touring with Genesis, making his groundbreaking debut solo album, “Face Value” and pretty much ruling the world then.

HiT: What’s been essentially the most extravagant measure you’ve taken, so far, to attract curiosity to your marketing campaign?
Baker: By far my most formidable single effort was the quick film I produced to have fun Phil’s 72nd birthday. It featured 72 whole individuals from actually all around the world … 58 Superfans and 14 pals/colleagues, with well-known names like Steve Hackett and Leland Sklar, amongst them.

It took me 4 months, and once more, tons of of hours to wrangle that many individuals, not to mention edit their submissions, and create an actual film that celebrated his 72 years.

Perhaps some may take into account this extravagant…. I fund all of it myself, something associated to the marketing campaign. There are prices I by no means considered, for instance, I personal each area title for #getphilvotedin; .com, .org, .biz, and many others. – and they’re costly.

Software program to switch giant recordsdata, YouTube Premium, the Podcast web site and software program, the web site, logoed objects for presents to interview visitors, stationery, marketing campaign enterprise playing cards – I even did marketing campaign Christmas Playing cards final 12 months.

However there isn’t any promoting or promoting – ever. And I’m primarily a one-woman present. To be trustworthy, I’m a little bit of a management freak. I do have three nice volunteer moderators in several time zones to assist me handle the Fb web page. And my pal Kathy who’s a 38+ 12 months Phil-fan, she helps preserve me sane. She additionally made it attainable to have our first “#getphilvotedin The Podcast” visitor – the bass legend, Leland Sklar.

He was a game-changer for the marketing campaign.

His “yes” to the interview paved the trail for the others to observe. Once they heard Lee did it, they felt it was OK for them to do it, too. I can by no means thank him, or Kathy sufficient.

HiT: The Corridor of Fame has its justifiable share of critics. They complain that it encompasses too many sub genres. Others say too many nice artists are nonetheless ready to be inducted (like a sure Genesis musician). Has that impacted your marketing campaign in any method … or do you continue to see the Corridor as having vital cultural value?
Baker: This can be a dialogue that would go on for days. Right here’s the factor, everybody has an opinion. The Rock Corridor has fallen below a lot criticism through the years for perceived snobbery towards commercially profitable artists, in addition to different rumors about favoritism, and many others.

On the finish of the day, there are lots of worthy artists, and only a few spots every year. And whereas everybody has an opinion, if you end up speaking about an artist whose vital contribution to music is so overwhelming, one should marvel if one thing else is afoot.

I imply Phil Collins has been cited (and it is a much-noted statistic) as being one in all solely three artists to ever promote greater than 100 million data as each a solo artist and with a band. Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney are the opposite two.

Now, the Rock Corridor doesn’t cite gross sales as standards for choice, however Phil doesn’t want that stat.

His groundbreaking masterpiece, “Face Value,” and the enduring “In The Air Tonight,” that options the world’s most well-known drum fill, modified music without end and influenced generations of artists to come back after him.

Lately The Rock Corridor has tried to redefine itself, altering the outline of standards, partaking in additional PR, and are now not disclosing the names of the members of the Nominating Committee, amongst different efforts to, in my view, re-brand.

12 months after 12 months, individuals rage in anger towards the Rock Corridor and their alternatives.

Maybe they’re on the danger, as you mentioned, of changing into culturally insignificant…however I feel there may be nonetheless nice worth on this establishment of friends that identifies the best musical contributors of all time and ensures that these contributions aren’t forgotten.

So, I’m holding out hope for the Rock Corridor. Certainly, they will begin by together with Phil in 2024, that’ll go a great distance with me.

HiT: We’re residing in a time when followers can transfer the needle on popular culture fronts. Followers introduced again “Family Guy,” for instance, and sustained fan curiosity doubtless helped make “Justice League: The Snyder Cut” a actuality. Are you optimistic your efforts may ultimately coax voters to induct Phil Collins … and why?
Baker: Nice query, and definitely a singular phenomenon within the age of social media.

I’m greater than optimistic that my efforts with the #getphilvotedin marketing campaign will make a distinction—I imagine it already has. I had a man attain out to me to say that he’s so comfortable to be part of the #getphilvotedin Fb web page as a result of, as a lifelong Phil-fan, he loves the current renewed curiosity in Phil.

He calls it a “Phil Collins Renaissance,” and cites the marketing campaign and associated efforts as the rationale. Now that is one man—but it surely’s not the primary time I’ve heard it.

I’m steadfast in my persistence, within the professionalism on the pages (and in every thing I do with #getphilvotedin,) and in utilizing clear, constant messaging.

It’s about two issues; reminding individuals in regards to the issues Phil did to considerably contribute to music as a solo artist–and that may be a lot—and reframing among the completely false generalizations about Phil as an overly-present, Eighties sappy, hit-making machine who carried out his life by fax.

Simply not true.

The extra dialog I can encourage, the extra individuals I can get speaking about Phil, the higher likelihood the Nominating Committee could have him on inheritor minds when it’s time to select for 2024.

HiT: For those who may share a beverage with Phil Collins together with a quick however pleasant chat …, what would you ask him or inform him first?
Baker: First, I’d thank him for the tambourine. I’d thank him for being human being. And I’d ask him what he thinks I ought to put on once we attend his RRHOF Induction ceremony collectively!

After that shared snigger, I hope we may speak about life … who his favourite cricket participant is nowadays, what motion pictures he’s been watching, you understand…stuff individuals speak about.