Phil Collins will always remember the Alamo. The British rock star is such of fan of the Texas battleground that he even has his own historical collection on display at the Alamo.
The Alamo previewed the "Phil Collins Collection" on Texas Independence Day, March 2. The temporary exhibit is on display until April 25 and includes more than 200 Alamo-related artifacts donated by the Genesis frontman.
The Phil Collins Collection will eventually become a permanent display at the Alamo Exhibition Hall & Collections Building, set to open in the spring of 2022.
Collins became obsessed with the Alamo as a 5-year-old boy growing up in suburban London after watching the Walt Disney series “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier." He used to reenact the 1836 battle of the Alamo with toy soldiers and his grandmother even made him a coonskin cap, according to History.
He didn't get to see the Alamo in person until 1973 while Genesis was on its first U.S. tour. Collins said he was "spellbound" when he first saw it.
He started collecting artifacts shortly after that and once owned Davy Crockett's rife, Jim Bowie's knife, and a bronze cannon used by the Mexican Army.
“To me, these items aren’t just about a battle. They are about the idea of these men and women having a choice and staying to fight for what they believed to be just and right. That’s what makes these things special," Collins said.
He donated his collection in 2014 and the state legislature named Collins an honorary Texan the following year.
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