Phil Collins says he can 'barely hold' a drumstick as his health continues to deteriorate
- Phil Collins said he can no longer play the drums due to his deteriorating health.
- The musician is about to start a reunion tour with his band Genesis.
- "I can barely hold a [drum] stick with this hand," he said.
British musician Phil Collins discussed how his deteriorating health has impacted his ability to perform live in a new video interview with the BBC.
"I'm kind of physically challenged a bit, which is very frustrating because I'd love to be playing up there," Collins told the broadcaster while discussing his band Genesis' upcoming reunion tour.
When asked whether he was still able to play the drums, Collins said: "I can barely hold a [drum] stick with this hand, so there are certain physical things which get in the way."
Collins later added that he believed this upcoming reunion tour would probably be his last time on the road.
"We're all men of our age, and I think to some extent, I think it probably is putting it to bed," he said. "I think yeah, I think just generally for me, I don't know if I want to go out on the road anymore."
Collins, who is best known for his distinctive drumming style and is widely considered to be one of the most influential musicians of his generation, has suffered a series of serious physical injuries throughout his career. In 2016, he told Billboard that he feels like he is walking "on sticks" due to a back operation. He also revealed that he suffers from nerve damage and has had multiple foot fractures.
"I don't know if I'll ever be fit enough to play the drums again on tour," Collins said at the time. "My left arm has changed - it's a neural thing. The back surgery I had was great - I mean, how good can surgery be?"
In 2017, Collins was forced to cancel the last two shows of his highly-anticipated solo comeback concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London after he suffered a serious fall in a hotel room where he hit his head on a chair.
Collins' 20-year-old son Nic, who is the drummer for the band Better Strangers, is set to replace his father on the drum kit for the Genesis reunion tour.