Phil Collins is hitting the road again with Genesis, but his ongoing health condition has already proven his ability to perform rather difficult.
Genesis is undoubtedly one of the most popular bands in the history of rock music. The British group has many dedicated fans around the world and their hits are considered endless classics. The news is not surprising about reactivating the band made many music lovers a real euphoria.
However, in their latest tour, the Legendary singer and drummer Phil Collins of Genesis fame stayed seated during a concert in Germany. He said that he could no longer play the drums. That is sad news for many fans who have heard him play in person and on records.
The acclaimed singer, 71, wore a glum expression and remained seated throughout the gig as he performed with fellow bandmates Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, who are also 71.
The ‘In The Air Tonight’ hitmaker has suffered a series of health maladies in recent years, starting with injured vertebrae in his upper back in 2009, which he sustained during a show and has left him with painful nerve damage.
Although fans who gathered to see Genesis perform at the Mercedez Benz Arena were delighted to see Collins in action on the stage, they could not help but be reminded that the singer is not the man he once was.
Many Phil Collins fans, who watched the recordings from Berlin, not only paid attention to the musician’s best looks but also his vocals.
According to some internet users, this is legendary the artist struggled to perform the next hits of Genesis. However, there are voices of recognition on the web for Collins, who, despite his health, has not given up on stage.
Watch the video below:
According to AWM, fans quickly turned to social media to defend Collins and argue that he is not looking too bad despite the health setbacks he has faced during the last few years.
“I’m not a Genesis diehard, but if I had a choice between Genesis as fronted by Peter Gabriel and the band with Phil Collins as lead singer, I’m definitely going with Phil Collins,” one Twitter user wrote on Tuesday.
“Phil Collins is trending because he’s still around for us to tell him we love him,” another person using the social media platform tweeted.
One fan optimistically added: “I saw him back in 2019 as just Phil Collins, then a few weeks ago during the Genesis tour. He looked exactly the same. Trust me, he’s fine, despite the vertebrae issue.”
Collins performed from behind the drum kit during the early years of the band but was relegated to being out front as the singer in recent years as his son offered to take over as drummer.
The legendary musician lost the feeling in his fingers following surgery and could only play the drums if the sticks were taped to his hands. Collins revealed in his 2016 autobiography that he’d struggled with alcohol abuse following his retirement.
Furthermore, he is a type 2 diabetic and reportedly had to be treated in a hyperbaric chamber after a diabetic abscess developed on his foot and became infected. He also suffers from a condition called foot drop after the back surgery, and it has left him needing a stick to walk around.
Watch the video below for more details:
Source: AWM