Music Legend Phil Collins is sharing a candid update on his health in a rare new interview, offering an honest look at the physical and emotional challenges he has faced in recent years. Speaking with presenter Zoe Ball on the BBC’s “Eras” podcast, the music legend reflected on ongoing medical issues, sobriety, and how stepping back from performing has reshaped his daily life.
Now approaching his 75th birthday on January 30, Collins described the period as “a difficult, frustrating few years,” while noting that his condition has stabilized. The conversation stands as one of his bravest and most candid reflections yet on health, recovery, and what it means to live with a career that once revolved entirely around music.
Living With Ongoing Medical Challenges
As per a report in The Independent, Collins said he continues to navigate ongoing health challenges. “You know, I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do,” he said. “I’ve had challenges with my knee… I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.”
GettyThe musician revealed he has undergone five knee surgeries and now has one knee that functions. “I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever,” he said.
His physical struggles date back years. As per a Rolling Stone report, a serious spinal injury in 2007 damaged vertebrae in his upper neck and caused lasting nerve damage. Fox News reported that the injury eventually prevented him from playing drums and led to his final live performance in 2022.
Sobriety, Reflection, and Time in Hospital
Collins also spoke openly about his decision to stop drinking and the toll alcohol had taken on his health. He said he had “probably been drinking too much,” which affected his kidneys.
“I enjoyed coming off tour,” he said. “Coming off the road… I thought, right, I’m gonna do all those things that I couldn’t do.”
He described drinking during the day and stopping around early evening.
“I guess I had too much of it,” he said. “I was 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.”
Collins recently marked two years of sobriety, a milestone he said he had not initially tracked himself. “It’s just been a difficult, interesting, frustrating last few years… but it’s alright now.”
As per a Billboard report, in July last year, his representatives also clarified that he was not in hospice care after online rumors spread. At the time, Collins was recovering in the hospital following knee surgery.
Looking Back on Music & Forward With Cautious Hope
A 2024 documentary offered a rare look at Collins revisiting his drum kit for the first time in years. Sitting behind the familiar setup, the moment carried weight.
“It’s still kind of sinking in,” he said, as per Billboard. “I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”
He went on to reflect on the limits he now faces. “If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything. But 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.”
Collins began playing drums at age five and later rose to global fame as a member of Genesis and as a solo artist, delivering enduring hits including “In the Air Tonight.” His 1985 album “No Jacket Required” earned the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and remains one of the best-selling records of all time.
Looking back, Collins said he continues to reflect on the personal impact of his choices. “There was part of me that was trying to make up for things that I’ve either done or have made people feel. Or affected the kids in any kind of negative way.”
He spoke warmly about his five children and the lives they have built. “I had a very happy family life,” he said in the BBC podcast. “My kids are amazingly well-adjusted considering some of the things that you’ve been through, you know? And as I’ve said before, I’m very proud of all of them.”
As for the future, Collins said his hopes remain modest. Beyond being “totally mobile and healthy,” he would like to spend time in the studio again. “Have a fiddle about and see if there’s more music,” he said. “You’ve gotta start doing it to see if you can do it.”
The conversation with Ball closes out the current season of the BBC’s “Eras” podcast, offering listeners a thoughtful and deeply personal reflection from one of music’s most influential voices.
I love Phil Collins. He is an amazing talent with a wonderful voice. I hope he is able to recover so that he can create more music. Praying he is well.
Phil is one of my favorite performers, musicians, composers, showmen. We saw him at the Garden about ten years ago, a terrific show. He had an ear for Motown and did some great songs with Phillip Bailey, I hope he draws peace and satisfaction for what he has contributed to the music world.