Paul Vincent Collins (born 1956, New York City) is an American writer, author, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work in the power pop groups The Nerves, The Breakaways and The Beat. Biography Collins was born in New York City. As a child, he lived in Old Tappan, New Jersey and Manhasset, New York. While a resident of Leonia, New Jersey, he formed a band called Home Grown. Collins has released several solo projects with his alternative country group The Paul Collins Band, who play Americana music inspired by country rock and folk rock. Collins also continues to tour with his The Beat, an ever-changing lineup rock group which combines power pop with alternative rock and punk rock. Collins began his career as the drummer (and sometime singer & songwriter) in an influential Los Angeles power pop trio The Nerves, alongside Jack Lee and future Plimsouls frontman Peter Case. The band are best remembered for "Hanging on the Telephone", a song later made famous by Blondie. Hanging on the Telephone was written by Jack Lee. After Jack Lee left the Nerves, Collins and Peter Case continued practicing and recording with a variety of guitarists as the Breakaways; their best known song is "Walking out on Love", a song frequently performed by the Nerves in concert but never recorded by them. Tapes of their sessions surfaced in the late 2000s and were released on a compilation album in 2009. Next, Collins formed his own group as singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter for The Beat, sometimes called The Paul Collins Beat to avoid confusion with the British ska group also called The Beat (or The English Beat in the US). The Beat also known as The English Beat, were sued by Sony/Columbia in 1979. The same year, Sony/Columbia released Collins' self-titled debut in 1979. Renamed the Paul Collins' Beat in the early 1980s, the band became icons in the genre of indie rock Paul Collins' Beat were in a constant state of touring and recording around the world. They appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand and contributed a song to the Caddyshack soundtrack, alongside Journey and Kenny Loggins. The band broke up in 1989, following the release of their sixth album, One Night. Paul Collins continues to perform to this day with ever-changing versions of Paul Collins' Beat, in addition to his solo project, country-rock band called the