Phil Collins reaches the end of the rock road

By Daniel Magnowski

LONDON (Reuters) - As a solo artist and with his group Genesis he has sold millions of albums worldwide, but rock musician Phil Collins says he has boarded the band's private jet for the last time.

After a 2007 European tour playing the band's hits including ‘Turn It On Again' ‘Land of Confusion' and ‘Invisible Touch' in front of live audiences for the first time in 15 years, Collins has had enough of life on the road.

"I won't be going out on tour any more," he told Reuters this week.

No matter how luxurious the travel and accommodation, it can't make up for being away from his family for long stretches.

"You can't really complain, we had first class hotels and we had our own plane...but we used to go out for three months, so you'd go away, and by the third or fourth week, you'd realize you've still two months to go."

Singer, songwriter and drummer Collins, who has also acted with Julie Walters in gangster film "Buster," is taking a break not just from touring but from making music, though is wary of saying goodbye to the recording studio altogether.

"I'm a bit cold on writing," he said. "I've been making a train set for my kids, but ‘retirement' suggests doing nothing, living permanently in a pair of golf shoes."

When not at the drum kit or behind the microphone, Collins indulges a fascination with American frontiersman Davy Crockett, killed at the Battle of the Alamo, that's been with him since his school days.