When Phil Collins is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month, it will be the second time he’s been honored by the institution.

The first nod came in 2010 with Genesis. The English progressive rock legends received a worthy tribute from Phish, who performed two songs that night, including a particularly potent version of “Watcher of the Skies” from the Peter Gabriel era of the band.

The group’s Trey Anastasio gave the speech to induct Genesis, as several of the members, including Collins, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, keyboardist Tony Banks and guitarist Steve Hackett looked on.

READ MORE: Tony Banks on Genesis’ Early Days

Why Genesis Didn’t Play Live at Their Rock Hall Induction

Now more than a decade later, Hackett recalls that it was an interesting evening on a number of levels. “I know they wanted the band to perform, and at that point, you know, Phil was very unwell,” he tells UCR. “That particular lineup of the band [also] had not worked together for very many years.”

“But the lovely thing was, you know, [Anastasio] got up and started saying nice things about not just Genesis, but also some of the techniques I’d come up with, and this was [his] opening salvo,” he remembers with a smile. “I thought that the guys are sitting here having to listen to this, and they’re probably getting really peeved about this.”

Watch Trey Anastasio Induct Genesis Into the Rock Hall

“But the fact is, we weren’t performing, and another band [that] was an American band was,” he continues. “Let me say straight away, I think that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a great American institution. We haven’t got anything like that in the U.K. The wonderful thing is that people are not just celebrated while they’re living, but also, when they pass. Some people get inducted too late to attend the ceremony, literally.”

Hackett Advocated for Yes to Be Inducted

As the guitarist shares, he’d been in the midst of a collaboration with Yes bassist Chris Squire, which was eventually released under the band name Squackett and their 2012 album, A Life Within a Day.

Unfortunately, Squire passed away in 2015 before Yes found their way into the Rock Hall. But he hoped to be there for Hackett and Genesis. Though Steve wasn’t able to make that happen, he found a different way to make sure his mate was part of the evening.

“He  wanted to come along to the night that we were inducted and I literally said, ‘Look, I can’t get you in,'” Hackett says now. “He thought I was trying to keep him out and I said no, I wanted him there. That would have been great.”

“When I got to meet the press I said, ‘You know, I think that Yes should be inducted too’ and that caused a bit of a stir with Genesis,” he chuckles. “[They] were standing four feet away from me, saying, ‘Is he with you?'”

“But indeed, that’s what [later] happened [when Yes were inducted]. So I was proven right and I think it’s important,” he explains. “Okay, so you could say Genesis were the first progressive band, or a band that had one time been progressive, the first progressive band, to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But shortly to be followed by the guys who had preceded us, and that was Yes.”

Watch Phish Perform Genesis’ ‘Watcher of the Skies’ at Rock Hall Induction Ceremony

What Fans Can Expect From Hackett’s 2027 Tour

Next year, the Genesis guitar legend will bring his highly anticipated Best of Genesis and Solo Gems tour to North America. The trek, which has been doing busy business this year overseas, will open here on April 10 in Atlanta and will run for close to a month, culminating with a trio of special symphonic shows in Quebec. You can see all of the dates below.

Surprisingly, material from the Squackett album he did with Squire is one area that Hackett hasn’t visited with his solo band. He tells UCR he’s open to the idea.

“Well, you know that would be a very interesting thing to do one day,” he says. “I think ‘A Life Within a Day’ was an interesting track, which we we kicked off the album with. [But] no one suggests that [we play songs from that record in concert now]. We didn’t get to do any live gigs together [and] there’s more than one great song on that album.”

“I think that it started very strong and ended very strong. That’s how I saw it,” he adds. “And [Chris] was open to all my lyrical ideas, so that was very interesting. We strayed into some unlikely areas [like] ‘Can’t Stop the Rain,’ which was very laid back but very beautifully produced, if I may say so.”

Listen to Squackett’s ‘A Life Within a Day’

Steve Hackett, 2027 Tour Dates

April 10 — Atlanta, GA — Center Stage Theater
April 13 — Washington, DC — Warner Theatre
April 15 — Collingswood, NJ — Scottish Rite Auditorium
April 16 — Collingswood, NJ — Scottish Rite Auditorium
April 17 — Lansdowne, PA — Lansdowne Theater
April 19 — Ridgefield, CT — Ridgefield Playhouse
April 20 — Ridgefield, CT — Ridgefield Playhouse
April 21 — New York, NY — The Town Hall
April 23 — Albany, NY — The Egg – Hart Theatre
April 24 — Boston, MA — Berklee Performance Center
April 27 — Akron, OH — Goodyear Theater
April 28 — Buffalo, NY — UB Center for the Arts
April 29 — Ithaca, NY — State Theatre of Ithaca
May 1 — Toronto, ON — Massey Hall
May 2 — Ottawa, ON — Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa
May 4 — Montréal, QC — Théâtre St-Denis
May 6 — Québec, QC — Palais Montcalm