Phil Collins has ruled out performing at his 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
Previously honored as a member of Genesis back in 2010, in recent years the legendary singer/songwriter has suffered a string of health issues, and though he’s in better shape now than he’s been in “quite a while”, Collins admitted it is unlikely he will be singing at the November ceremony.
In a BBC Breakfast interview about performing live, the 75-year old musician said:
“I can’t really see it happening, but I’m healthier now than I have been for quite a while.” “I mean, this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thing, they asked me if I would perform and I said no, [because] you’ve got to be match fit to do something like that.” “You can’t just go onstage – you have to rehearse, and by that point if you’ve not been singing then your voice is going to be shot, and then that’s not going to be good, so I’d rather not do it.”
About a possible full tour, Phil added “But whether I’d go out again, I would contemplate, yes.”
The British born musician, who performed from a chair while son Nic took on drumming duties during Genesis’ final shows in 2022, insisted his health is “fine” now, adding “The last 18 months has been fine. Before that, not so good.” “Everything health-wise caught up with me at the same time. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, but everything is fine now.” “I had problems with my knee, which I had for a while but I played through it, I toured through it.” “But eventually I had to have a knee operation and I had to have it done five times because it either kept getting infected or it broke.”
Addressing the physical limitations that forced him to step away from the drum kit years ago, in a rare conversation with Zoe Ball for BBC Two’s Phil Collins: Eras – In Conversation, Phil admitted the adjustment has taken its toll emotionally, stating “It’s still kind of sinking in.” “I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”
Not ruling out a live return should his health permit, the Grammy award winner concluded “If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything. But 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.”
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Author: Al Dente
Photo: Raph_PH