Phil Collins Comes Out Of Retirement

In an interview with Rolling Stone that was published online today, the former Genesis singer/drummer says, “I’m no longer officially retired. The horse is out of the stable and I’m raring to go.”

Although Collins retired in 2011 so he could be a full-time father to his sons, now he’d like to take them out on the road. He notes that they’re “10 and 14 and they want to see what their dad does. … They love my music and I’d like to take them out so they can enjoy it.”

Collins talked to Rolling Stone five days after having major back surgery. The artist said he had previously had an MRI, after being unable to move his foot, that showed his “back and hips were just shot.” The artist’s health problems had affected his ability to play drums, thanks to a dislocated vertebra in his neck and nerve damage in his hands following 2007’s Genesis reunion tour.

Post-surgery, his doctor has given Collins the go-ahead to play drums again.

Collins plays on starting to record new music in about a month. His last album of original music, Testify, was released in 2002. In 2010 he put out Going Back, a collection of Motown and Soul standards covers.

Rolling Stone reports that a tour is in the works.

“I don’t think I want a very long tour,” Collins told RS. “But I would like to play the stadiums in Australia and the Far East, and that’s the only way to do that. But there’s a part of me that just wants to do theaters, so we’ll see.”

What about a Genesis reunion?

Collins says he’ll see how the solo tour goes first.