Phil Collins needs 24-hour care as health worsens

Phil Collins has revealed that ongoing health problems now require him to receive 24-hour medical care, as the legendary musician continues to deal with the lasting effects of multiple injuries and illnesses.

The 74-year-old former Genesis frontman spoke candidly about his condition on the BBC’s Eras podcast, explaining that complications stemming from a spinal injury sustained in 2007 have never fully resolved. The damage to his upper vertebrae led to nerve issues that continue to affect his mobility and overall health.

“You know, I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do. I've had challenges with my knee,” Collins said. “I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.”

Collins revealed that after undergoing five knee operations, only one knee remains functional. “I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever,” he said.

His health struggles intensified during a hospital stay when he contracted Covid-19, triggering further complications. “I got Covid in (the) hospital. My kidneys started to back up. Everything seemed to converge at the same time,” Collins added.

The Grammy-winning artist also acknowledged that years of heavy drinking contributed to serious kidney problems. Now sober for more than two years, Collins reflected on the toll it took on his body and the lengthy hospitalizations that followed.

“I guess I had too much of it. 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,” he said. “It’s just been a difficult, interesting, frustrating last few years. But it’s all right now.”

Collins has previously spoken about the physical limitations that forced him to step away from performing. When Genesis announced its farewell tour in 2021, he told the BBC he could “barely hold a stick with (one) hand” due to a degenerative condition.

Over the course of his career, Collins won eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for No Jacket Required and Record of the Year for “Another Day in Paradise.” He also earned an Academy Award for “You’ll Be in My Heart” from Disney’s Tarzan and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Genesis in 2010.