Phil Collins details 2024 life support ordeal and mends rift with Paul McCartney
The British music icon disclosed a severe health emergency that nearly ended his life last year, offering a stark look at the physical toll on the generation that defined European popular music.
Phil Collins has disclosed that he was placed on life support last year after his organs began to fail due to alcohol addiction. The former Genesis frontman and solo superstar spent seven months in the hospital, facing a medical crisis so severe that doctors questioned whether to keep him alive.
"My kidneys were packing up, my organs were just seizing up," Collins stated regarding the emergency that began in late 2023. He noted that visitors came to say goodbye, though the musician remained entirely unaware of the gravity of his condition at the time.
The disclosure highlights the severe physical realities facing the surviving architects of Europe’s classic rock era. Collins manages multiple chronic conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, kidney issues, and nerve damage that permanently prevents him from playing the drums.
Despite quitting alcohol and documenting his struggles in his 2016 autobiography, Not Dead Yet, he relapsed by 2023. He admitted to drinking wine immediately upon waking, a habit that ultimately precipitated his intensive care admission and subsequent long recovery.
Alongside the health disclosures, the interview highlighted the mending of a high-profile cultural rift with Paul McCartney. The two British music legends had been estranged since 2016 after Collins publicly suggested the former Beatle was condescending toward him.
McCartney initially responded with an email expressing his disappointment, leaving lingering resentment between the two prominent artists. The reconciliation occurred recently when McCartney called to offer memorabilia for a charity auction Collins was organizing, allowing the pair to finally discuss the decade-old dispute.
Collins formally retired from touring in 2022 following a farewell run with Genesis, the band he joined in 1970 before taking over vocal duties five years later. His enduring commercial footprint remains significant, with his 1981 debut solo album, Face Value, scheduled for a four-LP vinyl box set reissue.
The cultural establishment continues to recognize his historical impact on the European and global music landscape. He is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a solo artist in November 2026.
