Phil Collins comeback: Genesis singer announces he is 'no longer retired'

Collins, who announced his retirement in 2011, is planning his first new studio album since 2002 and a world tour

Collins: 'It would be silly to not make more music' (EPA)

Phil Collins is plotting a comeback after the musician, who has not recorded any new songs for 13 years, announced that he was no longer “officially retired.”

The singer and drummer, who sold 100 million albums as a solo artist and a member of Genesis, announced his retirement in 2011 in order to spend more time with his family.

Collins, 64, has suffered a number of health issues. In 2000 he lost all the hearing in his left ear. Seven years later a dislocated vertebra in his neck caused nerve damage in his hands and left him unable to play the drums.

But in an interview in Rolling Stone, Collins said: “I’m no longer officially retired. The horse is out of the stable and I’m raring to go.”

He is planning his first album of new studio material since Testify in 2002 and plans to embark upon a world tour. A further reunion with Genesis is on the cards too.

During his absence from the studio, Collins’s chart-topping 80s pop-soul period has undergone a critical rehabilitation. The atmospheric In The Air Tonight, with its pounding drum break, has been sampled by hip-hop stars and been incorporated into a cult Cadbury’s chocolate advert.

Collins said: “If people rediscover the old stuff and show interest, it would be silly to not make more music.”

The London-born star said his health deteriorated following his third divorce, in 2008, from Orianne Cevey, who took their sons to live with her in Miami while he remained in Switzerland.

Collins said: “I went through a few bits of darkness; drinking too much. I killed my hours watching TV and drinking, and it almost killed me. But I haven’t had a drink in three years.”

Doctors have told Collins “If you want to play drums again, all you have to do is practice.” But attempts to revive his skills left him in considerable pain once more. He will play piano and sing on the forthcoming tour.

Another Genesis reunion is a possibility. “Let’s start with this (solo) bit first,” Collins said. “I love the guys. I would just prefer to do this first. For now, let's just see how this goes.” However Collins said he does not believe original singer Peter Gabriel would ever join forces with his former colleagues.