Phil Collins thanks fans and friends like Plant and Clapton at Rock Hall induction

Phil Collins was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, 16 years after first being inducted as a member of Genesis. He was introduced by Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who thanked the British musician for being a major inspiration to him. During his speech, Collins thanked the fans, the late Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, his staff, his family and his close friends Eric Clapton and Robert Plant.

Phil Collins thanks fans and friends like Plant and Clapton at Rock Hall induction

“Thank you so much, I’m really not as bad as it looks. I’m much better. (I want to thank my manager Tony Smith and the late Ahmet Ertegun from Atlantic Records who) “took me under their wing and saw something that was worth nurturing. I’ve really just been very very lucky, I grew up just wanting to play the drums. That’s always what I wanted to do. … Everything else has been a really happy accident. You haven’t heard the last of me. I can promise you that,” he said.

In a recent interview with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he had already said he wants to try to record new music and maybe perform live again. “It’s great (to be inducted), it’s just one of those things you don’t think you’re ever going to get, and sometimes you get proved wrong. (It’s a) pat on the back. I was thrilled,” the rocker confessed. “Because, you know, I turned 75 this year, and I thought, well, it’s all coming together at a certain time, kind of retiring.”

he continued:

“I mean, 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. I’ve got ideas, I’ve got things I’ve finished. I’ve got things that I’ve half finished. So who knows? I’m now back to being where I think I could do it.”

“Once you’ve been on stage all your life and tasted that, it’s difficult to stop. I never say exactly never. 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.”

Recent health issues

Collins’ pancreas is permanently scarred, and his kidneys barely function, but he has spent the past two years recovering and reconnecting with life and his family. His second wife is currently helping him organize a King’s Trust charity auction, and the event also helped end his long-running feud with Paul McCartney. The two got back in touch because of the auction, and their conversations finally brought the dispute to an end. Collins’ final live performance happened on March 26, 2022 when Genesis played their final show in London. He celebrated his 75th birthday in 2026.