All right, now that I have had time to decide if I will ever speak to Dusty again... 
Allow me to retort. I personally LOVE Phil Collins, and here are some of the reasons why:
1. He allowed his personal suffering (from the divorce of his first wife) to directly affect the mood and lyrics of his first solo album, FACE VALUE.
2. He personally answers every single fan letter that he receives, in his own hand - not typed.
3. He decided on his own (in 2004) that he had done enough touring, and stopped for good... until 2007 when his Genesis band mates went out for one last time. But you won't see Phil doing endless "Farewell Tours." (Ironically, he titled his final tour in '04 the "First Final Farewell Tour.")
4. He has played with literally everyone: B.B. King, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant... even simpleton Howard Jones!
5. He was the only person on the planet with the balls to play both Live Aid shows... and for the record, Dusty, Phil was ASKED to do this by the show's originator Bob Geldof... how could he refuse? Same with MIAMI VICE... he was a invited to do the show, as were many celebrities in the '80's. Why say no?
6. He had the talent to step in front of the mic when Gabriel departed from Genesis... and yet he continued to play the drums not only on record but in concert as well!
7. He had the talent to step back behind the drum set and go out on tour with his own Big Band (in 1996/'97) in which he re-worked some if his greatest songs into jazz band staples.
8. He had the endurance to record albums (both solo and Genesis) and tour for said releases almost every single year from 1976 through 1987. In addition, he juggled a solo career AND his Genesis career without EVER alolowing the two to conflict. I never saw Mark do this when he was in Dire Straits!
9. He writes, records, sings, drums and plays keyboards/piano on every solo album, as well as produced (with his pals Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks) every Genesis release since 1981.
10. He has been an advocate for abused children and autistic children worldwide. Okay, so he dumped his second wife via fax, and his third wife left him high and dry. The guy has poor marriage skills. But he has never been busted for drug use or picking up undercover Cops in men's bathrooms, in fact he has never been arrested for ANYTHING, and he constantly gives the fans what they want. You won't hear Phil fans complaining that he never releases live material... unlike our beloved MK!
Take that all you PC haters! 
Peace.
OK, let's see...
1. So what? I'm sure most songwriters have used the breakdown of personal relationships as inspiration, you can go back to Hank Williams or even many before that (Gershwin, Cole Porter) to find songs about that, big deal.
2. That is good, I must admit. Have you written to him?
3. So has he stopped touring or not? Hopefully he has.
4. Again, not really that big a deal. I've conceded that he's a fine drummer so it's not surprising that he should play drums with a lot of different artists.
5. OK, I'll take your word for it that Bob Geldof asked him to do both, and since it was for charity, fair enough. But on your second point, this is where I have a real problem with him. Just because he was
asked to "act" (and I use the term loosely) on Miami Vice, doesn't mean he had to do it. He could have said no. But his ego was big enough to want to have an acting career as well as a succesful music career. MK was asked to record with Michael Jackson. By your rationale, he should have done it, just because he was asked even though
Jackson was a classic child molester who manipulated and coerced his victims into doing things that they knew were wrong. He was accused more than once, and I don't care how "great" of a pop icon he was...
One of my favourite films is the second Dirty harry film, Magnum Force. Clint Eastwood has a great line in that "A man's got to know his limitations." I bet MK was offered films in the 80s, but he turned them down because he knew his limitations and stuck to what he was good at, ie music. But Collins, and others, like Sting, just couldn't do that. "It isn't just the records, you must have Hollywood." Lots of musicians have tried, they almost always fail. Kristofferson's the only one who ever pulled it of I would say.
6. He's not half the singer Peter Gabriel is. Just my opinion, but I know a lot of people would say that Genesis' best period was in the 70s before Gabriel left. (Incidentally, a very good friend of mine went to public school (Charterhouse) with Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks in the 60s
)
7. Good that he went back behind the drum kit, but re-working sons into a big band format is boring and lame. Just my opinion, but if MK said he was doing that I would roll my eyes. Good thing MK doesn't look back in this way and instead challenges us with new material in different directions.
8. Arguably, MK didn't HAVE to have a solo career, because he controled Dire Straits. He still kept busy enough. Familiarity breeds contempt they say. Maybe that's why I have contempt for Phil fucking Collins, because I got fed up of seeing him all through the 80s.
9. Fair enough, we know he is a good drummer and keyboard player. Still no excuse for not bringing in a proper guitar player for the Both Sides album, just so he could say that he did everything to urther bolster his ego.
10. I certainly don't complain that Phil Collins doesn't release live material. If anything, there are surely too many Phil Collins records in the world. MK got done for speeding once, so I guess that makes Phil Collins a better person.
Oh, and on your last point, well, yes, if Miles Davis was acting in Miami Vice, then yes, he should stick to music. Similarly, Bruce Willis is an actor so fair play (but he did try to have a music career, eurghhh). I wouldn't have any problem with any TV show using Phil Collins' music, but Phil Collins trying (and failing) to act is just sad.
