Phil Collins admits he's ‘very sick' following retirement announcement
The British singer-songwriter, Phil Collins has revealed that he is 'very sick' just three years after announcing his retirement from live performances.
The former Genesis drummer announced his retirement from live shows in 2022 having previously said he can 'barely hold a drumstick' after suffering a spinal injury in 2007.
His final concert with the group was at London's O2 Arena. The concert was billed as the band's last ever together and saw Collins say goodbye to his fans.
Now speaking to Mojo magazine, the musician revealed the full extent of his health problems and how it has impacted his desire to continue making music.
The 74-year-old told the publication: 'I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens but I'm not hungry for it anymore.'
'The thing is. I've been sick, I mean very sick,' he added.
The final Genesis concerts did not feature vocalist Peter Gabriel but the singer did explain to Mojo why he still chose to attend the group's last show.
'Phil wasn't in as great a shape as he used to be, but they did a great job,' said Gabriel. 'Me going was a rite of passage, really. I'd been part of the creation of Genesis, so I wanted to be there at the end.'
Last year, Collins opened up about his music career in Phil Collins: Drummer First, which premiered on 18 December on the Drumeo YouTube channel.'It's still kind of sinking in,' he said as he surveyed his drum kit. 'I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.'
He reflected: 'If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything. But if I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I'll have a crack at it. But I just feel like I've used up my air miles.'
Yet he was evidently still passionate, holding drumsticks as he commented: 'It just feels so strange to hold a pair.'
The documentary demonstrated Collins's immeasurable impact on music by interviewing a number of fellow musicians who spoke about his talent and influence.
A number of younger musicians said they discovered his music through a famous advert for Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate, which featured a gorilla playing one of his best-known songs, 'In the Air Tonight'.
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