Phil Collins Returns to Band on “Drummers First”

Phil Collins, widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time, talks about his enduring passion for music and the struggles he faced in it. Phil Collins: Drummer No. 1premiering on the Drumeo YouTube channel on December 18th.

The documentary captures Collins revisiting his drums for the first time in years, a moment that is both poignant and powerful. “It’s still hard to wrap your head around,” Collins said in the documentary. “I’ve been playing drums my whole life. It was shocking to suddenly not be able to do this.

Collins, 73, faces many health challenges due to a spinal injury in 2007 that limited his mobility and developed complications such as foot drop. His drumming was once central to Genesis and his solo career, but has been marginalized in recent years. During Genesis’ 2022 farewell tour, Collins passed the torch to his son Nick, who serves as drummer. Still, his connection to the instrument remains unshakable.

“If I can’t do what I do as well as I used to, I’d rather just relax and do nothing,” he reflects. “But if I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of chicken legs, then I’ll give it a try. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles.

He recalls Peter Gabriel recognizing his talent the first time he played with him and Eric Clapton doing an incredible job with his drumming reaction: “What the hell is that?!” These moments underscore Collins’ identity as a drummer in the first place. “I’m not a singer who plays drums,” he asserts. “I’m Phil Collins and I’m a drummer.”

Nic Collins opened up about his father’s struggles, revealing that years of drumming took a major toll on his posture and spine, ultimately requiring major neck surgery.

Despite his physical setbacks, the elder Collins found joy in revisiting his instrument, even if briefly. Picking up the drumsticks again, he admitted, “It felt weird holding a pair of drumsticks.”

Collins achieved extraordinary success on the Billboard charts throughout his career, especially in the 1980s. As a solo artist, Collins has had seven No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” “Sussudio” and “Another Day in Paradise,” which The song spent four weeks on the album.

his 1985 album No jacket required Dominated the Billboard 200, was certified Diamond and won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In 1986, Collins scored a No. 1 hit on Genesis with “Invisible Touch.”