A visibly frail Phil Collins makes a powerful and emotional return to the drum kit after years away, following a forced retirement due to chronic neck and back problems.
The 73-year-old music legend and former Genesis frontman, celebrated for both his thunderous drumming and soul-stirring vocals, takes center stage in a new documentary titled Phil Collins: Drummer First.
Set to premiere next week, the film offers an intimate portrait of Collins in his own words—shifting the spotlight away from his chart-topping hits and focusing instead on the rhythmic heartbeat of his career: the drums. It’s a deeply personal reflection from an artist determined to remind the world where it all began.
‘I’m not a singer who plays the drums,’ Phil said in one clip from the trailer.
‘I’m more of a drummer who sings a bit.’
In one emotional scene, Phil is seen walking toward his drum kit with the help of his son Nic, 23, who stepped in as Genesis’ drummer during their farewell tours.
A frail-looking Phil Collins is making an emotional return to the drum kit after being forced to retire due to long-standing neck and back issues
The former Genesis frontman, 73, known for his iconic drumming and powerful vocals, is set to open up in a new documentary, Phil Collins: Drummer First (pictured with son Nic)
Premiering next week, the documentary will see the music icon recount his life story in his own words, focusing on his passion for drumming rather than his singing career (pictured in 1980)
Clutching a pair of drumsticks for the first time in years, an emotional and visibly overwhelmed Phil Collins confessed, “It just feels so strange to hold a pair.”
“I always said, if I wake up one day and can hold drumsticks again, I’ll give it a go,” he added quietly. “But honestly… I feel like I’ve used up my air miles.”
His powerful words are captured in Phil Collins: Drummer First, a new documentary from online drum platform Drumeo. The film not only revisits Phil’s legendary career but features heartfelt tributes from fellow drumming icons.
Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers called Phil’s style “instantly recognizable,” while Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy declared him “criminally underrated as a prog icon.”
But perhaps the most profound tribute comes from the late Dom Famularo, who said: “Living in the time of Phil Collins is almost like living in the time of Mozart.”
Phil’s health battle began in 2009, when a severe vertebra injury led to lasting nerve damage. At the time, he told the Daily Mail: “After playing drums for 50 years, I’ve had to stop. My vertebrae have been crushing my spinal cord because of the position I drum in.”
Now, against all odds, he picks up the sticks once more — not just for rhythm, but for redemption.
Holding the drumsticks for the first time in years, a visibly overwhelmed Phil admitted: ‘It just feels so strange to hold a pair’
The documentary, created by the online drum education platform Drumeo, also features tributes from other drumming legends
