Phil Collins Details 2024 Near-Death Experience Amid Alcohol Battle

Phil Collins is speaking about a severe, alcohol-induced health crisis that nearly cost him his life.

In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the 75-year-old musician discussed his April 2024 hospitalization. When his condition worsened, his manager of 50 years contacted his five children, Lily, Joely, Simon, Nicolas, and Matthew, to come to the hospital.

“Because there were some decisions to be made about ‘Do we keep Phil on life support?’ kind of thing,” Collins said. “My kidneys were packing up, my organs were just seizing up. People were coming to say goodbye.”

The singer was unconscious at the time and had no idea his kids were in the room.

“I don’t remember them coming,” Collins shared. “I didn’t have no idea this was going on. They were all worried that they wouldn’t see me again. It could all have gone so terribly wrong.”

Collins was initially admitted to the hospital in November 2023 and released days before Christmas. Weeks later, he was back in intensive care for a seven-month stay.

“I was very lucky to have come out of that,” he said. “Needless to say, I haven’t had a drink since.”

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), heavy drinking damages multiple organ systems at once. Prolonged heavy drinking weakens the heart muscle and can result in dangerous liver conditions, including alcohol-associated cirrhosis and alcohol-associated hepatitis. It can also lead to acute pancreatitis, a sudden and dangerous inflammation of the pancreas.

The singer has faced these types of alcohol-related health issues before, having gone to intensive care in 2012 with acute pancreatitis. In his 2016 autobiography Not Dead Yet, Collins said that his drinking escalated at age 55 following his first retirement and various personal challenges.

“It took me until the age of 55 to become an alcoholic,” he wrote. “I got through the heady Sixties, the trippy Seventies, the imperial Eighties, the busy Nineties. I was retired, content —  then I fell. Because suddenly, I had too much time on my hands.”

Fortunately, the musician is now doing much better. Months later, Collins reunited with his family at the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge. He recalled his daughter, actress Lily Collins, 37, getting emotional during the trip.

“Lily was sitting beside me in tears, saying, ‘I never thought I’d get these moments,’” Collins said. “We had an incredible time. I can’t overemphasize how fantastic it was.”

Today, the former Genesis frontman relies on a 24-hour live-in nurse to help manage several long-term health conditions, including nerve damage, knee issues, and type 2 diabetes.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, confidential help is available 24/7 through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) helpline at 1-800-662-4357.