Phil Collins has shared a heartbreaking health update three years after he was forced into retirement.
The 74-year-old Genesis rocker – whose daughter is Emily in Paris star, Lily Collins, admitted his health is deteriorating after suffering from several issues over the years.
Phil admitted in a new interview that due to his ailing health, he has lost his “hunger” to make music.
“I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens,” the Grammy winner told MOJO magazine. “But I’m not hungry for it anymore.”
He added: “The thing is, I’ve been sick. I mean very sick.”
Phil officially retired in March 2022 after his final show alongside his Genesis bandmates Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks at London’s 02 Arena.
Seven months later, he opened up about his career and its physical toll in the YouTube documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First.
Reflecting on his journey, Phil admitted: “It’s still kind of sinking in a bit… I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”
The artist, who began drumming at just five years old, described how decades of performing have taken its toll on his body.
© Redferns“Drumming has taken its toll on my hands and legs,” he shared. Explaining his decision to retire, Phil added: “If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything.
“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.”
The musician’s son, Nic Collins, who took up the mantle as Genesis’ drummer during their final tours, spoke candidly about watching his father come to terms with his limitations.
© GC Images“Musicians, people in bands in general, had this thought that they were invincible,” Nic said in the documentary. “I think that’s really what it is with my dad — this kind of sense of ‘you’re a drummer, you’re invincible, you do what you do.’ But you don’t know it’s gonna take a toll in the long run.”
Nic revealed that Phil underwent major neck surgery in 2015, which he believes contributed to his father’s current challenges.
Years of drumming and bad posture had taken their toll, leaving Phil with lasting health issues, including drop foot — a condition that makes lifting the front part of the foot difficult. Phil now uses a cane to assist with walking.
© Getty ImagesPhil has been suffering health issues since 2007 when he dislocated a vertebrae in his neck, leaving him with severe nerve damage to his hands.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2009, he explained: “My vertebrae have been crushing my spinal cord because of the position I drum in. It comes from years of playing. I can’t even hold the sticks properly without it being painful, I even used to tape the sticks to my hands to get through.”
© Getty ImagesSix months before his final performance, Phil spoke about his health struggles during an appearance on BBC Breakfast in 2021.
“I’m kind of physically challenged a bit, which is very frustrating because, you know, I’d love to be playing up there with my son,” he said. “I can barely hold a stick with this hand, so there are certain physical things which get in the way.”
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