Phil Collins is among the top-selling artists ever, competing with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson in record sales.
His fans worldwide are devastated after he said goodbye to them at his last concert, where he joked about needing to find a “real job.”
He retired from performing after forty years due to health issues. His last show was at London’s O2, where he performed with his Genesis bandmates Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks.
The group got back together for their ‘The Last Domino?’ Tour, which was delayed because of COVID-19. The last tour happened after a break of 14 years from live performances.
After the performance, Collins, looking noticeably weak, stood with his bandmates and humorously told the audience, “We’ll have to find real jobs after tonight.”
In April 2009, Collins underwent a surgical procedure to fix dislocated vertebrae in his upper neck, which occurred while he was drumming on the 2007 Genesis tour.
After the surgery, he couldn’t feel his fingers and had to tape drum sticks to his hands to play. He’s needed a cane since 2015. His health problems made him feel sad and worthless. In September, he confessed he could hardly hold a drumstick, so his son Nicholas Collins will handle the drums.
During an interview on the BBC Breakfast Show, the iconic musician suggested that this tour could potentially be his final one.
He mentioned that he would love to, but his hand makes it difficult to do certain physical activities, and he added that this might be his last tour.
Collins mentioned that we are all products of our time, and he believes that it might be time to move on. He expressed uncertainty about continuing to tour in the future.
Collins’ musical abilities are so impressive, it’s surprising to think he began his career as a child actor, landing his first big role as the Artful Dodger in Oliver! on the West End stage.
After six years, he became a member of the band Genesis in 1970 as their drummer. In 1975, he took over as the lead singer when Peter Gabriel left.
Collins, 19, answered a newspaper ad from a band in need of a drummer.
Once he got his new job, the band became more successful, putting out five albums and going on tour in the US. When Peter Gabriel, the lead singer, left, the band tried out 400 new singers before choosing Collins.
Phil Collins shared with LouderSound that he felt vulnerable when he transitioned from being behind a drum kit to standing in front of a microphone as the band’s lead singer.
The band sounds different from the audience’s perspective. The balance is off and it’s unsettling. Honestly, I didn’t want the job.
I wanted to continue as the drummer. Every Monday, we had people coming in for auditions, about five or six people, and I would show them what to do. We were working on A Trick Of The Tail, and I would also teach them some old songs like Firth Of Fifth. In the end, I sounded better than anyone else.
Genesis was like a family. We had to decide if someone would fit in with us. In the end, no one did, so it was just me.
In the 1980s, he started a solo career and rose to fame as a popular pop singer. He made headlines by performing at two charity concerts for Africa on the same day.
Live Aid collected over $150 million for African famine relief with a show at Wembley Stadium featuring Collins. He then flew to Philadelphia on Concorde to perform for the cause a few hours later.
He came back to acting by appearing in Miami Vice and later starred in the movie Buster, where he played the main role in a story about the Great Train Robbery. The soundtrack included two singles by Collins that reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Last year, the 71-year-old confessed that he doesn’t rehearse at home, even though he did his last performance sitting down.
Collins informed the Guardian in September that he doesn’t do anything at home, especially not practicing singing. He believes that rehearsing is the real practice.
They always criticize me for not doing it their way, but I have to do it my way. My health affects how I perform, doing the show seated changes things. However, during my recent solo tours, it didn’t hinder the audience’s response. It’s not my ideal way, but it’s the reality,” he added.
1. He is a legend who will always be cherished for his extensive body of work throughout the years, regardless of whether he is able to go on tour. We hope for his well-being.
