Phil Collins, 73, admits ‘drumming has taken a toll’ in rare health update
Share:
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Up Next. Phil Collins has shared a rare health update, explaining that it’s ‘still sinking in’ that he can no longer play the drums, and that his health has deteriorated.
![[Drummer Phil Collins, 73, has picked up a pair of drumsticks for the first time in years ? after fearing he?d never sit behind a kit again. An emotional Collins, looking frail, appeared overwhelmed by returning to his instrument after having to quit due to neck and back issues. New pics show the former Genesis star at home making the brave step under the watchful eyes of son Nick - who had drummed for him during his farewell tour. In a new documentary about his career, he says: ?If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks then I will have a crack at it. I just feel like I've used up my air miles. It just feels so strange to hold a pair.?(with new pics) Provided by Molly Clayton]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_232816943-c5af.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The legendary musician has been in the spotlight for decades, thanks to his work with Genesis as well as his solo career. The 73-year-old has struggled with his mobility recently, following a spinal injury in 2007 – he has undergone a string of operations over the years, but was eventually forced to retire from performing in 2022.
![[British Pop and Rock musician Phil Collins of the group Genesis performs onstage at the Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois, November 11, 1983. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_214219889-6630.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
In a new Drumeo documentary titled Phil Collins: Drummer First, released on Wednesday, he became emotional as he sat at a drum kit for the first time in years, before shedding light on his health. ‘It’s still kind of sinking in a bit…,’ he told the cameras in the footage, which was recorded in 2022. ‘I’m 71. I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.
![[Genesis File Photos]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-104792639.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘The drumming has taken it’s toll on my hands, legs…. ‘f 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.’.
