Phil Collins is currently on the mend following knee surgery. The 74-year-old star, who earlier this year shared that he is “very sick”, was recently at the centre of false online claims suggesting he was in hospice care – however, his spokesperson has clarified to The Independent that this is not true. Instead, the iconic Genesis lead singer is recuperating in hospital after undergoing a procedure on his knee.
Phil, who lives with type 2 diabetes and faces ongoing challenges from a 2007 spinal operation that severely limits his range of movement, including making it difficult to hold drumsticks, has confessed that his health struggles have diminished his desire to make music.
In an interview with MOJO magazine, he said: “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.”
Despite his love for drumming, the ‘In the Air Tonight’ singer sadly considers his performing days over, feeling as though he’s “used up my air miles”.
In the revealing ‘Phil Collins: Drummer First’ documentary, he shared his feelings: “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.”
Having started drumming at the tender age of five, Phil acknowledges that the intense physical demands of his craft have “taken its toll” on his body.
On his decision to step back from music, he stated: “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.”
Phil has battled ongoing health struggles since damaging a vertebra in his upper neck during a performance in 2009. Two years afterwards, he withdrew from live shows due to debilitating nerve damage that left him unable to play drums, though he made a comeback in 2015.
While publicising Genesis’ reunion concerts, he had previously stated: “I’m kind of physically challenged a bit which is very frustrating because I’d love to be playing up there with my son.”
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