Daryl Stuermer has been the one constant through Phil's solo career. From that signature sound at the beginning of In The Air Tonight and his banjo plucking on The Roof Is Leaking to his memorable solos on Don't Lose My Number, Inside Out, I Don't Wanna Know and Something Happened On The Way To Heaven, Daryl has been a key player in Phil's music, both on record and onstage.
Having already energised the playing of Genesis with his fast and fluid jazz stylings when he joined them in 1978, Daryl seemed the obvious choice for Phil when he started his solo career. Not only did Phil find him very easy to get along with but he was also impressed with Daryl's professionalism and capacity for learning a huge body of music (often playing it better than the people who wrote it in the first place!).
Rarely has a sideman been such a vital and enduring part of one artist's recording and performing career. Long may he continue to be a part of the Phil Collins story (a tale which seems, at the time of writing, far from over).