Fotonoticias/WireImageUPDATE: Despite what he told FHM about it being "a good time to stop for a while," Phil Collins' U.K. rep says he "is not, has no intention of, retiring."
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Against all odds, Phil Collins is ditching his music career.
Not without good reason, however.
The famed Genesis drummer and vocalist (and successful solo artist) cited medical issues as the reason for his retirement, saying years of drumming resulted in a variety of health issues, including hearing loss, a dislocated vertebrae and nerve damage in his hands.
Despite his seven Grammy wins, an Oscar, 13 hit singles and more than 150 million albums sold as a solo artist, Collins has seen his share of criticism, with critics panning much of his work over the years years.
"You don't have to be great to be successful. Look at Phil Collins," Oasis member Noel Gallagher famously said, for example.
Collins seemed resigned to the abuse, telling FHM (via Time), "I'm sorry that it was all so successful. I honestly didn't mean it to happen like that. It's hardly surprising that people grew to hate me."
And this isn't exactly Collins' first attempt to exit the music industry. He moved to Switzerland to do just that, and now lives in a remote town in the country with his two sons.
In 2009, Collins hinted at his impending retirement on the Genesis website, after he dislocated a vertebrae in his neck that prevented him from playing the drums or piano.
"I was going to stop drumming anyway," Collins said. "I had stopped. I don't miss it."
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