Phil Collins, 74, gives grim health update in rare interview: ‘Difficult, frustrating last few years’
Genesis drummer discusses ongoing medical challenges and frustrating journey since retirement from touring
Major Revelations:
- Phil Collins, 74, confirms he has 24-hour live-in nursing care
- Singer admits heavy drinking affected his health, leading to months in hospital
- Collins retired from touring in 2022 and is now two years sober
Candid Health Discussion
Phil Collins revealed that he’s under 24-hour care due to ongoing health issues.
The “You’ll Be in My Heart” singer, 74, gave the grim health update on Monday’s episode of the “BBC Eras” podcast.
“I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do,” Collins told host Zoe Ball. “I’ve had challenges with my knee… I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.”
“I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever,” he added.
Alcohol’s Impact on Health
Collins, who is two years sober and retired from touring in March 2022, also admitted that his heavy drinking affected his health.
“I enjoyed coming off tour. Coming off the road… I thought, right, I’m gonna do all those things that I couldn’t do,” he shared. “I guess I had too much of it. I wasn’t never drunk, although I fell over a couple of times. But it is just one of those things that happened and it all caught up with me, and I spent months in hospital.”
“It’s just been a difficult, interesting, frustrating last few years,” Collins admitted. “But it’s all right now.”
Ongoing Medical Conditions
Collins has drop-foot, a condition that left him with no sensation in one of his feet. He has used a cane to walk since 2015 after undergoing a spinal procedure.
The Genesis drummer stepped away from performing four years ago due to lingering effects of a spinal injury from 2007.
Final Performance
Collins’ final show was on March 26, 2022 at London’s O2 Arena on Genesis’ The Last Domino? Tour. He performed the show sitting down and his son Nic, 24, took over on the drums.
Previous Health Rumors
Last July, Collins’ rep shut down the rumor that the singer was in hospice care after he underwent knee surgery.
Five months earlier, Collins told Mojo magazine that he was “very sick.”
“I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I’m not hungry for it anymore,” the Grammy Award winner added.
Loss of Drumming Ability
Collins also opened up about his health issues and how they’ve affected his drumming ability in his 2024 documentary “Phil Collins: Drummer First.”
“I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock,” he said. “If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything. If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I’ll have a crack at it. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles.”
Multiple Health Challenges
The legendary musician’s health struggles represent a confluence of multiple issues: drop-foot condition causing lack of sensation in one foot, lingering effects from a 2007 spinal injury, recent knee surgery, and the cumulative impact of heavy alcohol consumption following his retirement from touring.
Retirement Context
Collins’ March 2022 retirement from performing marked the end of an extraordinary career that spanned decades with Genesis and as a solo artist. His final performance, during which he sat rather than stood and relinquished drumming duties to his son, symbolized the profound physical limitations now affecting his daily life.
Sobriety Journey
The revelation that Collins is two years sober provides important context for his current health status. His admission that post-retirement drinking “caught up with me” and resulted in months of hospitalization highlights the serious consequences of that period.
His characterization of himself as “never drunk, although I fell over a couple of times” suggests a pattern of consumption that, while perhaps not resulting in obvious intoxication, nevertheless contributed significantly to his health decline.
24-Hour Care Necessity
The requirement for round-the-clock nursing care primarily to ensure medication compliance indicates the complexity of Collins’ current medical regimen and the importance of strict adherence to prescribed treatments.
This level of care represents a dramatic change for someone who spent decades performing at the highest levels of the music industry.
Emotional Impact
Beyond physical limitations, Collins has openly discussed the emotional toll of losing his ability to drum—an activity that defined his professional identity and creative expression for his entire adult life.
His statement about “using up my air miles” suggests acceptance of his current limitations while maintaining a glimmer of hope that he might someday regain enough ability to play drums again, even if only briefly.
Current Status
Despite describing the past few years as “difficult, interesting, frustrating,” Collins concluded his podcast interview by saying “it’s all right now,” suggesting he’s reached a level of acceptance regarding his health limitations and current care requirements.
Legacy Considerations
As one of the best-selling artists of all time—both with Genesis and as a solo performer—Collins’ candid discussion of his health challenges provides fans with insight into his current quality of life while also serving as a reminder of the physical toll long careers in music can exact.
His willingness to discuss these challenges publicly, including admitting to alcohol-related health consequences, demonstrates remarkable vulnerability from an artist who has typically maintained privacy regarding personal matters.
The interview offers a sobering update on a beloved musician navigating the difficult transition from active performance to retirement complicated by multiple serious health issues requiring constant medical supervision.