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Phil Collins is going back on tour after retirement drove him to drink

Ainhoa Barcelona
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Phil Collins is making a comeback!

The 65-year-old singer has announced that he is going on tour next June and will perform for five nights each in London, Cologne and Paris.

Speaking to HELLO! Online and other media at a press conference at the Royal Albert Hall, Phil said: "The first final farewell tour in 2004 was meant to be me stopping. But I've been trying to stop the oil tanker since 2005. It took a while."

phil collins1© Photo: PA

Phil Collins said he started drinking after the breakdown of his family

"It's kind of a funny word 'retired'," he said. "I 'stopped work' because I wanted to be a dad at home. And as bad luck would have it, as soon as I retired my family split up. So I didn't have anything to go home to really and that's when I started drinking.

"This retirement, coming out of retirement, I changed my mind. I'm living with my young kids and they want me to go out on the road, do some new things, there's no reason why not."

Phil divorced his third wife Orianne Cevey in 2008. The couple, who have two sons Nicholas and Matthew, are now back together.

phil collins3© Photo: PA

He said his younger children encouraged him to go on tour

The Another Day in Paradise singer also has two children, Simon and Lily, and one adopted daughter, Joely, from his two previous marriages.

Phil revealed that his son Nicholas will be joining him on tour.

"He's a fantastic drummer," said the dad-of-five. "My oldest son Simon is also a fantastic drummer but he has his own career. Nicholas is in the learning stage and we did three charity shows in Europe this year and he played and he was fantastic. The band were very impressed. He'll be 16 by next June."

phil collins4

Phil will be joined by his son Nicholas on tour next June

Because of nerve problems with his left hand, Phil said he will most likely focus on singing while Nicholas might "do something on piano".

"I think I'll just be singing," said Phil. "I've got a drum kit in the garage and I will be getting to that to see if I can play, if I can do In The Air Tonight, because that would be something I feel I should do.

"I play with my fingers, a lot of it comes from dexterity with fingers and that's the thing that has clammed up over the last few years, so it's just a question of getting strength back in those fingers."

He also explained the name of his tour and new autobiography, Not Dead Yet: Live, which will be published this week.

"It is English humour. A bit Python-esque," laughed Phil. "I decided to call the book that because a lot has been made of my health and also because there are still some things to do."

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