Phil Collins announces his retirement

It looks like the other guys in Genesis will have to give Peter Gabriel a call if they want to do any future reunion tours: Phil Collins has announced that he is retiring from music. The 57-year-old Englishman told the Times that, although he will probably continue to write music, he has no plans to record or perform live in the future.

Collins started drumming on a toy kit at the age of five. After a stint as a child actor, he rose to fame as a member of the progressive-rock band Genesis. He started as the band's drummer, but took over as the singer when Gabriel left. Collins also had a hugely successful run as a solo artist.

To many of his fans, Collins's retirement is not news: he brought his solo career to a close with a farewell tour in 2005 (documented in a film, The Long Goodnight, which was released on DVD last year). However, his Genesis bandmates convinced him to rejoin them for a successful reunion tour last summer.

Here's a clip of Genesis performing the still-creepy "Mama" at Wembley Stadium in 1987.

And for a jaw-dropping trio between Collins, the great Chester Thompson, and percussionist Luis Conte, click here.