Phil Collins Teases a Return to the Stage After Rock Hall Induction — But His Drumming Days Are Done
(Illustration: USA Current Affaires)
Phil Collins is not done yet. Less than a day after his tearful induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the 75-year-old music legend has stunned fans with a dramatic U-turn on retirement — hinting that live shows could still be in his future, even though he will never sit behind a drum kit again.
Collins was inducted as a solo artist on Saturday, November 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, joining the Hall for a second time after first entering with Genesis in 2010. He became the 29th individual in history to earn two inductions. He walked slowly onto the stage on two canes, cried as the crowd rose to its feet, and promised the audience: "You haven't heard the last of me."
It was an emotional night from start to finish. Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker did the honours of inducting Collins, praising his rare double career as a drummer and a hit-making pop singer. Then Cynthia Erivo delivered a slowed-down, soaring version of "In the Air Tonight" while Barker himself played the song's famous drum fill — a moment that brought the room to its feet all over again.
"The Door's Not Closed"
But it was backstage, after the ceremony, that Collins delivered the real surprise. Speaking to reporters, he was honest about how close he had come to giving up entirely — and how his thinking has changed.
"At one point, I didn't think I would live, let alone go on the road again," he said. "It's not beyond the realm of possibility of doing some shows."
He was careful not to oversell it. Collins has had five operations on his left knee, and his kidneys and liver began failing during a long run of health problems. "In terms of playing live, I think my drumming days are probably done," he admitted. But the door to performing is open: "The door's not closed," he said, adding that he had talked it over with his children just the other night. "Everyone got excited, including myself."
Back to the Studio in Switzerland
New music could come first. Collins said he wants to get back into the studio in his home in Switzerland — a room he runs himself — simply to enjoy making music again. "I'm not very good at doing nothing," he said. "I would like to get down to my studio to just have some fun, and write some music that I hope would be good enough for people to hear and enjoy."
That is a striking change of tone from February 2025, when Collins told MOJO magazine that he had been too sick to make new music. His last live performance was on March 26, 2022, at The O2 Arena in London, closing Genesis' farewell tour while singing from a seat as his son Nic played the drums.
Collins was part of a star-packed 2026 Hall of Fame class that also included Wu-Tang Clan, Queen Latifah, Billy Idol, Sade, Joy Division and New Order, and the late Luther Vandross — inducted by Oprah Winfrey, with Usher singing a medley of his hits. U2 opened the night as a surprise, playing their new single "Silencio" before launching into "Pride (In the Name of Love)". Oasis and Iron Maiden, both inducted, did not attend.
Fans will not have to wait long to relive the night: the 2026 induction ceremony airs as a three-hour special on Tuesday, December 8, on ABC, streaming on Disney+ and Hulu the next day. USA Current Affaires covered Collins' tearful induction in full, and the backstage news only makes that moment sweeter. After years of health battles, the man who once thought he might never perform again is talking about studios, songs and stages. As he told the crowd on Saturday night: you haven't heard the last of him.
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