Phil Collins called his latest honor “a pat on the back” and admitted he felt excited when he learned he was part of this year’s class.
“I was thrilled,” Collins said. “Because, you know, I turned 75 this year, and I thought, well, it’s all coming together at a certain time, kind of retiring.”
Collins said he hasn’t fully embraced retirement. The Hall of Fame recognition has him thinking about what he still wants to do.
“I’ve got a studio that’s totally in working order downstairs in the basement of my house, and I keep saying to myself, I should go down there,” Collins said. “I’ve got ideas. I’ve got things I’ve finished. I’ve got things I’ve half finished. So who knows? I’m now back to being where I think I could do it.”
Collins said part of him enjoys the freedom of not recording or performing, but another part still wants the excitement of performing.
“Once you’ve been on stage all your life and tasted that, it’s difficult to stop. I never say exactly never,” he said. “Every now and again, I think about, well, going out on the road again. You can’t do that kind of thing just for a half a dozen shows, because it’s not financially practical. So I do think every now and again that I haven’t finished.”
Collins’ last concert took place March 26, 2022, at the O2 Arena in London, during Genesis’ farewell tour. He was unable to play drums due to nerve damage and back and hip issues, but performed vocals while seated for the entire show.
Whether Collins will return to the stage is uncertain. He said he isn’t closing the door on performing and is enjoying his latest honor.
“I think getting inducted into the Hall of Fame is a lovely way to end it, a full stop at a lovely sentence,” Collins said. “Being away from music for a few years has allowed me more family time. It’s been a very profound last two or three years for the kids and also for me. It’s got to be very special to have them seeing their dad go up and pick this award up.”