…But Seriously, Phil Collins Attended The Alamo Memorial, Is Obsessed

This weekend Phil Collins attended memorial services commemorating the battle of the Alamo in San Antonio because, in his own words, “I’ve stopped being Phil Collins the singer. This has become what I do.” The obsession began, like for most white people, with a movie he saw when he was a child. Since then, he’s managed to collect “hundreds” of cannonballs, documents and other artifacts from the Alamo, and reportedly has one of the largest private collections anywhere in the world, which he keeps at home in Switzerland.

We’re not sure if Phil has any idea of the controversy the Alamo brings up for Tejanos and, well, people who are interested in history versus Hollywood myth. Historians will tell you that many falsehoods are presented at the mission museum as if they were fact. For example, the tall tale that Lt. Col. William Barret Travis, commander of Texas troops during the 1836 battle, drew a line in the sand with his sword and told his men to cross if they were willing to die fighting the Mexican army. It never happened. Others view the so-called Texians who fought there as mercenaries from other states who were only interested in land grabbing and slavery. Perhaps Phil has included this point of view in the diorama light and sound show he recently narrated at the History Shop at 713 E. Houston St., by the Alamo.

Phil isn’t the first rock star to make history at the Alamo. Back in 1982 Ozzy Osborne shed a decidedly different light when he got banned from San Antonio for urinating on the museum while wearing his wife’s dress. Less nerdy, for sure, but Ozzy felt bad upon reflection and returned in October of that year to play a concert and donate $10,000 to the museum.

Alamo is new passion for Phil Collins [San Antonio Express]
TEXAS’ FORGOTTEN HISTORY [Austin-American Statesman]