Phil Collins kept the beat for Genesis and topped the charts on his own for decades, but his body has been sending him a different message for years. The drumming legend has been candid about the injuries and surgeries that pulled him off the stage, and his tearful night at the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony has fans asking how he’s doing now.
Keep reading for the latest on his recovery.
How Is Phil Collins Doing Now?
Phil is in better shape than he’s been in years, though he still needs daily help. He told BBC Breakfast in May 2026 that he was healthier than he had been in a long time, a few months after a BBC Two special with Zoe Ball in which he revealed that a live-in nurse stays with him around the clock to make sure he takes his medication.
In that interview, he also explained that heavy drinking had damaged his kidneys, shared that he had recently marked two years of sobriety and described the string of operations it took to fix his knee, Variety reported.
“I had five operations on my knee now I’ve got a knee that works and I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever.”
What Is Phil Collins’ Spinal Injury?
His troubles began in 2007, when he damaged vertebrae in his upper neck during the Genesis reunion tour. The nerve damage that followed eventually made it too painful to grip his drumsticks, and a later back operation left him with drop foot, a condition that makes it hard to lift the front of the foot while walking.
In 2017, he slipped in his hotel room overnight, hit his head on a chair and needed stitches near his eye, which forced him to postpone two shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall. By the time Genesis wrapped its farewell tour in London on March 26, 2022, Phil was singing from a chair while his son Nic Collins played the drums.
What Happened to Phil Collins in 2024?
Phil came much closer to death than fans realized. He told The Times of London in 2026 that he checked into a hospital in Switzerland for alcohol addiction in late 2023, went home, then landed back in intensive care weeks later, according to Variety. He was mostly unconscious during that second stay as his organs began to shut down, and loved ones came to say goodbye. Phil has said he hasn’t had a drink since.
Did Phil Collins Perform at the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Phil didn’t perform, since he had already turned down the Hall’s invitation because he didn’t feel fit enough for a live show, but he still made sure he was there when he was inducted as a solo artist at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on November 14, 2026, 16 years after he entered the Hall with Genesis.
Phil leaned on two canes as he posed with his family on the red carpet, and his daughter Lily Collins watched from the audience. Travis Barker inducted him, and Cynthia Erivo sang “In the Air Tonight” as the honor brought Phil to tears.
When he made his way to the microphone, Phil joked that his condition wasn’t as bad as it looked, then walked the crowd through his knee replacements, his months in the hospital and the kidney and liver failure that followed, Variety noted. Fans who missed the night can see it when an edited version of the ceremony airs on ABC in December 2026, before it streams on Disney+.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
