The incident happened in 2023, but Phil is just now opening up about his near-death experience — and the serious drinking that led up to it.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, the 75-year-old recalled spending seven months hospitalized in Switzerland after his organs began shutting down.
Phil Collins attends the Little Dreams Foundation Gala Press Conference at Faena Hotel on October 18, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
Collins says he had been sober for several years and began suffering major consequences following a relapse.
And it seems that at his lowest point, he began drinking first thing in the morning.
“I’d have wine when I woke up. That was what I’d want for breakfast, a glass of wine,” he told the Times.
“But I didn’t drink into the night, you know. So, I wasn’t really aware of having a problem, to be honest.”
Collins says the situation got so bad that there were conversations about “pulling the plug.”
“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.”
At one point, Collins was so close to death that his five children traveled from afar to say goodbye to him in his hospital bed.
The former Genesis frontman added that he has no memory of those final visits.
“But I don’t remember them coming. I didn’t have no idea this was going on,” he explained.
“They were all worried that they wouldn’t see me again. It could all have gone so terribly wrong.”
Collins was first admitted to the hospital in late 2023 after returning to heavy drinking. He was released shortly before Christmas but was hospitalized again just weeks later, eventually spending months recovering from the ordeal.
Thankfully, he says he hasn’t touched a drop since he left the hospital in early 2024.
These days, Collins’ health might not be perfect, but at 75, he says he plans to continue touring and recording.
And for millions of devoted fans, that’s music to their ears.
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