Phil Collen

Collen was born in Hackney, London. He got his first guitar, a red Gibson SG, on his 16th birthday, and taught himself how to play. He played with several bands including Lucy, Tush, and Dumb Blondes. He left school to work as a motorcycle dispatch rider for a typesetter until his band Girl got their first record contract. During his tenure with Girl, Collen's career began rising, spurred by the relative success of the albums Sheer Greed and Wasted Youth, which allowed him the opportunity to play at more significant venues. A young Collen can also be seen on the back cover of Deep Purple's live album Made in Japan as the live photo was actually taken at the Rainbow Theatre in London, a concert Collen attended, and not in Japan. In an interview, Collen revealed that he was approached by Steve Harris to join Iron Maiden replacing guitarist Dennis Stratton.

Collen has lived in the United States for 35 years and resides in Orange County, California. He commented, "I'm almost a California native now." He has five children: Rory (b. 1990), Samantha (b. 2004), Savannah (b. 2009), Charlotte (b. 2014) and Jaxson (b. 2018). He was married to actress Jacqueline Collen-Tarolly (1989) and Anita Thomas-Collen (1999). He married actress and costume designer Helen L. Simmons in 2010. Collen is a vegan and has been a vegetarian for 35 years. Collen is also colorblind. Collen is known for his dedication to fitness and has trained extensively in martial arts for over 20 years. He began his martial arts training in Kenpo Karate, earning a black belt. He also has studied kickboxing with Benny Urquidez and Muay Thai with Jean Carillo.