Phil Collins announces his retirement

Phil Collins has hinted at retiring over the years, and now he's made it official. In a statement on his website titled "BREAKING NEWS - A Message From Phil..." the 60-year-old superstar, who enjoyed worldwide success as a member of Genesis and as a solo artist, says that he really must be going, and he explains why.

According to Collins, in his own words:

1. I'm not stopping because of dodgy reviews or bad treatment in the press.

2. I'm not stopping because I don't feel loved, I know I still have a very large fan base that loves what I do. Thank you.

3. I'm not stopping because I don't fit in, this was proved with Going Back reaching No 1 in the UK, and doing incredibly well worldwide.

4. I'm not stopping so I can dive full time into my interest for the Alamo.

I am stopping so I can be a full-time father to my two young sons on a daily basis.

"Some of the things mentioned above have been said by me in various interviews, but said as asides with a smile on my face and in passing," he continues. "They were not meant to be 'headlines', they were small parts of a conversation. This clearly doesn't come over in print and I should know better."

Collins points out that some press coverage has portrayed him as a "tormented weirdo," but he reassures fans there is "no need for the straitjacket."

A couple of years ago, the drummer suffered a spine injury, caused by years of bad posture while playing, that prevented him from being able to hold his sticks. In his post, Collins makes no mention of his condition.