Phil Collins has sparked fresh fears over his declining health after the “crippled” music legend admitted he still wants to keep working despite years of debilitating medical problems that forced him to retire from touring and drumming.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Collins, 75, the former Genesis frontman and one of the most successful solo artists of the 1980s and 1990s, revealed during a candid new interview he continues to think about returning to music from his home studio, even after officially stepping away from live performances following Genesis’ farewell tour in 2022.
The singer and drummer has endured years of spinal injuries, nerve damage, multiple surgeries and worsening mobility issues, while earlier this year he confirmed he now requires a 24-hour live-in nurse and continues to battle kidney problems linked to previous alcohol use.
A source close to the musician said Collins’ latest comments had alarmed his inner circle because of the visible toll his health struggles have taken in recent years.
The source said: “People around Phil worry because he keeps pushing himself mentally even though his body has been through so much. They hear him talking about wanting to work again and it immediately sparks fears about how fragile he has become, and that he could push himself into an early grave.”
Despite officially retiring from touring, Collins insisted he still feels creatively driven and continues thinking about writing and recording music.
He said: “I’m constantly saying to myself, ‘I’ve got to go back down into my studio at home.'”
Collins added: “There are things that I can get my teeth into to start working on.”
The musician also admitted he still could not imagine returning to the demands of touring, although he said his condition had improved compared with previous years and he may eventually “contemplate” going back on the road.
He said he “can’t really see” himself back on tour. However, Collins added: “I’m healthier now than I have been for quite a while. Whether or not I would go out again… I would contemplate.”
Another source close to the singer said Collins remained emotionally attached to performing despite understanding the physical limitations caused by his illnesses.
They added: “Phil spent his entire life working, recording and touring. Even now, after everything he’s gone through, he still struggles to let go of the idea of creating music because it’s been his identity for more than 50 years.”
Collins recently made a rare public appearance at Buckingham Palace alongside former wife Jill Tavelman and is preparing to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this year.
During his new interview, the Grammy-winner revealed he had declined an invitation to perform during the ceremony because he did not feel physically capable.
He said: “They asked me if I would perform and I said, ‘No.’ You’ve gotta be match fit to do something like that.”
Collins continued: “You can’t just go onstage.
“You’re gonna have to rehearse, and then by that point, if you’ve not been singing, your voice is gonna be shot, and then that’s not gonna be good.
“I’d rather not do it.”
Earlier this year, Collins explained during a podcast appearance a spinal injury suffered in 2007 caused severe nerve damage which left him unable to properly play drums.
He later developed “drop foot” after surgery – a condition making it difficult to lift the front part of his foot.
Speaking previously in the documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First, Collins reflected on the emotional impact of losing the ability to perform as he once did.
He said: “I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”
Collins added: “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.”