Phil Collins Stops Touring Due to Hearing Problems
January 1, 2003
Byline: Jon Wiederhorn

The next time somebody warns you to wear earplugs, don't just respond, "What? I can't hear you?!?" and cackle like mad. Just ask Phil Collins. The former Genesis drummer and vocalist is hardly one of the loudest rockers of all time, so it came as something of a surprise when Collins announced that he won't play another full tour for fear of going deaf. Even his recent set at the Jubilee Concert for the Queen of England was nearly too much for his damaged left ear. At a press conference promoting his new album, Testify, the 51-year-old Collins said, "A few years ago I had a partial hearing loss in that ear. Today I have to be careful not to strain it with too much volume." Collins became convinced of the seriousness of his ailment at the Jubilee Concert. He was scheduled to perform "We Are the Champions" with Queen, but decided at the rehearsal that he didn't want to risk taking the stage with such a rocking outfit. "Queen is the loudest band I've ever heard," he said. "When the band got going, it blew so heavily through my ear that I had to cancel the thing." Collins says that he'll still play live from time to time, but regular gigs are out of the question.

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