Phil Collins may be gearing up for reunion shows with his band Genesis, but he will not be behind the kit that helped make him famous.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, the drummer and singer said he could barely hold a drum stick because of deteriorating health problems, which had also forced him to sit while singing during live performances.
The 70-year-old, who also found considerable solo success outside Genesis, underwent surgery on his back in 2009 and again in 2015 that affected his nerves. He also has diabetes.
The reunion shows in the US, Canada and UK will see Collins’s son Nic drum for the band.
“I’m kind of physically challenged a bit, which is very frustrating,” Collins said.
“I’d love to be playing up there with my son.
“I can barely hold a [drum] stick with this hand, so there are certain physical things which get in the way.”
Representatives for Collins, who joined Genesis 51 years ago, did not immediately return a request for comment on the interview, which prompted social media users to raise concerns about the eight-time Grammy winner’s health.
Collins had a successful solo career in the 1980s and 1990s with hits like In the Air Tonight and One More Night but announced his retirement in 2011.
He returned to the stage in 2017 for his Not Yet Dead: Live series of shows.
In the BBC interview, Collins described the upcoming Genesis tour as putting the band to bed.
“We’re all men of our age, and I think to some extent it probably is putting it to bed,” he said.
“I don’t know if I want to go out on the road anymore.”
source abc