Phil Collins Health Update: Legendary Musician Under Care, Yet Optimistic

Phil Collins has provided a candid health update, describing his ongoing struggles as “an ongoing thing” that necessitates daily treatment. The legendary drummer and musician has faced myriad health challenges since a 2007 spinal injury led to nerve damage and drop-foot. To manage his condition, Collins revealed in an interview with BBC’s Eras, dropping January 26, that he has a “24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication, as I should do.”

His health issues extend beyond the initial spinal injury, with Collins acknowledging that “everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me,” including challenges with his knee. Despite these setbacks, he confirmed, “I can walk, albeit with assistance — crutches or whatever.” This update comes about six months after a hospital stay for a knee operation, which had previously sparked and then dispelled rumors of him being in hospice care.

For nearly two decades, Collins has battled these medical challenges, which have significantly impacted his ability to perform. Since 2015, he has relied on a cane for mobility and has found it difficult to stand for extended periods, making it impossible to sit behind a drumset. In the December 2024 documentary “Drummer First,” he expressed the profound impact of this change: “It’s still kind of sinking in. I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”

However, the interview with BBC offered a flicker of hope for fans. Collins, recognized as one of the most influential musical pioneers of the 1980s with seven No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, shared that recent knee surgeries and his sobriety have left him feeling “totally mobile and healthy.” This renewed sense of well-being has inspired him to consider a return to the studio. He expressed an eagerness to “have a fiddle about” soon to “see if there’s more music,” emphasizing, “You’ve gotta start doing it to see if you can do it.”