Phil Collins is one of the most successful artists of all time, only rivaled by big hitters Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson for the number of records sold.
But now his legion of fans around the world have been left heartbroken after he bid farewell to them in an emotional final concert where he joked that now he would need to find “a real job.”
Amid ongoing health issues he bowed out from four decades of performing at his final show ever at London’s O2 where he was joined on stage by his Genesis bandmates Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks.
The band had reunited for their ‘The Last Domino?’ Tour, which had been postponed due to COVID-19. The final tour came after a 14-year live performance hiatus.
Following the show a noticeably frail Collins stood with his bandmates and joked to the crowd, “After tonight we’ll all have to get real jobs.”
In April 2009, Collins had surgery to repair dislocated vertebrae in his upper neck, which happened while drumming on the 2007 Genesis tour.
Following the operation, he lost feeling in his fingers and could only grip drum sticks if they were taped to his hands. He’s been using a cane since 2015. His health issues led him to feel depressed and having low self-worth. Last September he admitted that he could barely hold a drumstick and his son Nicholas Collins will take care of the drums.
Speaking on the BBC Breakfast Show, the legendary musician hinted that it may be his last tour.
“I’d love to but you know, I mean, I can barely hold a stick with this hand. So there are certain physical things that get in the way,” he said, adding that it might be the last time he will ever be on tour.
“We’re all men of our age, and I think to some extent, I think it probably is putting it to bed,” Collins said. “I think yeah, I think just generally for me, I don’t know if I want to go out on the road anymore.”