Travis Barker looking forward to playing drums again after crash

Travis Barker

has given his first interview since the plane crash which tragically took the lives of four people just a few weeks ago.

Speaking to

US Weekly Magazine

Travis, who has always been afraid of flying, says he's glad to be alive after suffering severe burns in the crash. "I hate planes," he said in the interview. "My biggest fear ever is to be involved in a plane crash, so when that happened ... well, I'm just thankful to be alive! I'm just grateful to be here at all."

Barker was released from a Georgia hospital last week and is now being treated at a burn center in Los Angeles. He was too afraid to fly cross-country back to LA, so arranged to travel by bus with his father and ex-wife Shanna Moakler for company.

"I am doing the best I can possibly be," he continued. "I'm so anxious to get out of here. ... I've just been in surgery after surgery. I have third-degree burns basically from my feet up to my waist and both hands. One of my hands has second-degree burns and one has third-degree burns.

"I'm trying to have a quick recovery and play the drums again and be able to hold my kids again," said Barker.

Reports suggest that, if all goes well, Barker can expect to leave the hospital within two weeks.

Chris Barnes

I'm MusicRadar's eCommerce Editor. It's my job to manage the buyer's guides on MusicRadar and help musicians find the right gear and the best prices. I'm a guitarist and a drummer and I've worked in the music gear industry for 18 years, including 7 years as Editor of the UK's best-selling drum magazine Rhythm, and 5 years as a freelance writer working with many of the world's biggest musical instrument brands including the likes of Roland, Boss, MusicRadar and Natal.