Phil Collins made an 'honorary Texan' by the state legislature

Phil Collins walks with Director of the Alamo Endowment Kaye Tucker onto the House floor to be recognized at the State Capitol as an honorary Texan on March 11, 2015. Phil Collins walks with Director of the Alamo Endowment Kaye Tucker onto the House floor to be recognized at the State Capitol as an honorary Texan on March 11, 2015. Photo: Tom Reel, San Antonio Express-News Photo: Tom Reel, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Phil Collins made an 'honorary Texan' by the state legislature 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN – As he walked off the House floor, state Rep. Joe Pickett smiled as he toyed with a gift from pop star Phil Collins.

“Phil Collins gave me his sticks,” Pickett, a Democrat from El Paso, said as he held out a pair of drumsticks.

Collins became an honorary Texan at the Capitol on Wednesday for his "magnificent collection of historical artifacts" that he donated to the Alamo. The status of an honorary Texan was made official by resolutions passed in the House and Senate.

According to the resolution, Collins accumulated the largest known private collection of Alamo and Texas Revolution artifacts.

Collins announced last year that he would be turning over his artifacts to the Alamo. The items, including a rifle and leather pouch owned by Davy Crockett rifle and an original Jim Bowie knife, arrived in the fall, after being shipped from his home in Switzerland.

State Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, talked to the British musician for about 30 minutes before he was recognized in the House.

Larson said Collins told him that his love for the Alamo began as a child watching the Walt Disney television show “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier," in the 1950s.

Collins began collecting artifacts when he was pursuing his musical career in the 1990s, he said.

“He told me about all the strange circumstances that people would present him the opportunity to acquire some of the remnants,” Larson said. “He said it’s been an interesting two decades for him to go out and see how much he can accumulate.”

Larson said Collins’ donation was important to the city of San Antonio and to the history of the site.

“I think no one could ever imagine that someone from England could do this, much less from Texas,” Larson said. “The generosity that he’s demonstrated will have a profound impact on telling the story.”

State Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, presented the resolution in the Senate, and told Collins that his collection would give Texans a greater insight to the historic battle.

“You’ve given the people of Texas a piece of their heritage back,” Menéndez said.

Staff writer David S. Rauf contributed to this report.

ncobler@express-news.net

Twitter: @nicolecobler