Sad Last Days: Phil Collins, 74, Makes Heartbreaking Confession — I’m ‘Very Sick’ After Losing Drumming Ability
Phil Collins is 'very sick,' as the legendary musician's health falters.
Feb. 21 2025, Published 5:07 p.m. ET
Phil Collins has admitted he's not doing so well these days as his health continues to falter.
The iconic drummer's confession comes as concerned fans believe his days are numbered, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Collins has admitted to being 'very sick' as his health continues to take a hit.
In a new interview with Mojo Magazine, Collins explained how his passion for music just isn't there anymore: “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…”
The 74-year-old – who is now a retired musician – admitted his drumming days are long gone due to his health.
Collins last performed for his band Genesis back in March 2022 during their The Last Domino? tour – as the music star appeared in a chair on stage.
The 74-year-old last performed with his band Genesis in 2022.
Collins' former bandmate Peter Gabriel did not perform, however, he was at the London show and admitted the drummer was not looking well.
He recalled: "Phil wasn’t in as great a shape as he used to be, but they did a great job. Me going was a rite of passage, really. I’d been part of the creation of Genesis, so I wanted to be there at the end.”
During the performance, Collins sang from his chair while his 23-year-old son Nic replaced him on drums.
This is not the first time Collins has opened up about his poor health getting in the way of his drumming passion, as he also touched on the topic in the 2024 documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First.
He said: "If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I'll have a crack of it. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles. It’s still kind of sinking in a bit. I've spent all my life playing drums. To be suddenly not be able to do that is a shock."
"If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything," Collins added.
The music star suffered a brutal injury to his vertebrae in 2007.
Nic also spoke up on his dad in the documentary, explaining how his famous father had "big surgery on his neck that stemmed from all those years playing drums and bad posture."
Collins sustained an injured vertebrae in his upper neck in 2007, which has led to crippling nerve damage following years of drumming.
Two years after first brutally injuring himself, Collins said he was unlikely to ever play the drums again.
He said at the time: "After playing drums for 50 years, I've had to stop. My vertebrae have been crushing my spinal cord because of the position I drum in.
"It comes from years of playing. I can't even hold the sticks properly without it being painful, I even used to tape the sticks to my hands to get through."
Genesis guitarist and bassist Mike Rutherford has also accepted the fact Collins' music days are behind him.
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Collins has admitted his drumming days are over.
"... He's much more immobile than he used to be, which is a shame, but at the (2022) tour, he was in good spirits," Rutherford said last year.
The 74-year-old added: "He’s fine now at home, enjoying life. He's worked so hard over the years, I think he’s enjoying his time at home."
