Mike Rutherford

If drummer and singer Phil Collins became the superstar of Genesis, it could be said that Mike Rutherford was the secret weapon on their way to fame, fortune and selling out the world's biggest venues. He wrote the lyrics for their first major international single, Follow You Follow Me, which became a UK top ten and a US top 30 hit. He wrote the lyrics to their second UK top ten single, Turn It On Again, two years later. In 1985, he formed another successful project, Mike and the Mechanics. In 1986, Genesis had their greatest success with Invisible Touch, which featured five international hits, two with lyrics by Rutherford, Land of Confusion and Throwing It All Away. In 1988, he created, with B.A. Robertson, the most critically acclaimed song of his career, The Living Years, which became a huge success for Mike and the Mechanics, earning an Ivor Novello Award and millions of plays on US radio. Rutherford was from a distinguished family. His father was naval officer Captain William Ru