In 2011, Phil Collins, best known as the drummer and frontman for the iconic band Genesis, retired from performing. His many health problems had become too much for him to continue the rigorous touring and performing that goes along with the life of a famous rockstar. Collins had been struggling with back problems since the early 2000s when he suffered nerve damage caused by dislocated a vertebra in his neck.
The pain was enough to keep him from playing, but things got worse—the trauma extended to his hands and he was left unable to play the drums. In 2015, he woke up to find that he couldn’t move his foot. The only option to repair the years of pain and wear and tear on his body was a complicated surgery.
“I had an MRI and my back and hips were just shot. The doctor had to go in there, work on the sciatic nerve and take my back apart and unscramble the mess,” Phil shared in an interview with Rolling Stone.
It took Collins two years to recover from the surgery. But, it did help many of the issues that had been plaguing him for years. Over time, the prospect of performing again actually seemed possible. But, it took a push from Collins’ sons to encourage him to take that leap.
“They’re always saying, ‘Oh, when you gonna go out again Dad? When you gonna write some new songs?’ And I started to think, ‘Why aren’t I doing it?'” Phil said about his sons Matt and Nic.
At 66 years old, Collins has just started his Not Dead Yet: Live 2017 Tour. “Thanks to the fans, my family and support from some extraordinary artists I have rediscovered my passion for music and performing. It’s time to do it all again and I’m excited. It just feels right.”
Watch Phil perform in 2017 in the clip below and like, and share, the video with a Phill Collins fan!
