Phil Collins gives rare update on his health struggles, reveals if he'll ever tour or release new music again

Phil Collins has given a rare update on his debilitating health struggles, which have left him unable to play the drums.

Key Points

• The British musician — who'll be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November — revealed if he plans to release new music or ever tour again.

• In January, Collins said he has a 24-hour live-in nurse to help him manage his medications after years of health setbacks.

Phil Collinshas struggled with debilitating health issues in recent years, but his days of performing may not be over.

The legendary singer and drummer offered a rare update on his physical condition this week, specifically addressing how it has affected his plans to release new music and tour again.

Though he'll be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his solo work in a ceremony this November, Collins won't be celebrating the honor with a set of his greatest hits. "They asked me if I would perform," he said in aninterview with the U.K.’sBBC Breakfaston Friday. "And I said no. You've gotta be match fit to do something like that. You can't just go on stage. You're gonna have to rehearse, and then by that point, if you've not been singing your voice is gonna be shot, and then that's not gonna be good. So I'd rather not do it."

Collins hasn't played live since hisGrammy-winning prog-rock band, Genesis, wrapped their Last Domino Tour in March 2022. This past January, he revealed thathe has a live-in nurse to assist with his medications and is under 24-hour care, partly due to complications from a 2007 spinal injury that caused lasting nerve damage, leaving him unable to play the drums (his son Nic filled in for him during the Genesis tour while he handled vocals). He also said he'd undergone five surgeries on his knee, making it difficult for him to walk, and that he'd gotten sober after he'd developed kidney problems because of his heavy drinking.

If the British musician hasn't recovered enough to perform at the Rock Hall ceremony, Collins hasn't totally ruled out returning to the stage one day. "I can't really see it happening,” he toldBBC Breakfast, "but I'm healthier now than I have been for quite a while."

Upon further reflection, Collins was more optimistic. "Whether or not I would go out again… I would contemplate, yeah," he said. "I mean, I'm constantly saying to myself, 'I've got to go back down into my studio at home.'"

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A new album would mark Collins' first release of original music since his 2002 record,Testify. While he has nothing concrete on the horizon, he does have some material brewing. "I've got lots of lyrical ideas that I write down, and there are things that are half-formed and a couple of things that are finished," he said. "So, you know, there's things that I can get my teeth into to start working on."

While he has kept a low profile since wrapping the Genesis tour, Collinsmade a rare public appearancein London last weekend. His ex-wife Jill Collinsshared a photo on Instagram of themwithRod Stewartand his wife, Penny Lancaster, at Buckingham Palace as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of the youth charity The King's Trust.

In an interview earlier this month, Collins said he was surprised to learn he'd beeninducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, especially considering Genesis had already been inducted in 2010. "I've always followed up after [Genesis was inducted] — the results of who got in and who didn't," he told host Eddie Trunk on the SiriusXM showTrunk Nation. "But I'd kind of thought that that was it for me. I didn't expect it. And I'm very, very flattered and pleased that I was thought of… It’s very nice to be there."

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Collins — along with Oasis, Sade, Joy Division/New Order, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan — will officially be inducted into the Rock Hall on Nov. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Fans can watch the telecast of the ceremony in December on ABC and Disney+.

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