Phil Collins Reveals Friends Thought He Was Dying During Alcohol Battle

In a remarkably candid interview published on Sunday (August 3) in The Sunday Times, legendary musician Phil Collins opened up about his harrowing struggles with alcohol addiction, looked back on his illustrious career, and shared details on how he mended fences with Paul McCartney.

The 75-year-old icon revealed that in April 2024, a severe relapse led to emergency hospitalization in Switzerland. His condition became so critical that his longtime manager of fifty years urgently summoned all five of his children to his bedside to say their final goodbyes.

“Conversations were happening about whether to keep me on life support,” Collins shared. “My kidneys were failing, and my organs were simply shutting down. Loved ones came to bid farewell, though I was entirely unconscious of it at the time and had no idea what was unfolding. They were terrified they would never see me again. It easily could have ended in tragedy.”

Collins first documented his battle with alcoholism in his 2016 memoir, Not Dead Yet, noting that he was sober during its composition. That period of sobriety followed a terrifying 2012 medical emergency involving acute pancreatitis that landed him in intensive care.

Although subsequent sobriety—aided by the medication Antabuse—initially held firm, Collins eventually relapsed, losing all track of time during his active addiction. “When I was drinking, calendar dates simply ceased to exist,” he admitted.

“I would start the morning with wine. A glass of wine was what I craved for breakfast. However, I didn’t tend to drink late into the night, so frankly, I was completely blind to the fact that I had a severe problem.”

Following a brief three-day hospital stay in November 2023, Collins suffered another rapid decline, resulting in a return to intensive care and a grueling seven-month hospital confinement. “I consider myself extraordinarily fortunate to have made it through that ordeal. Needless to say, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol since.”

Collins made his final live concert appearance in 2022 during Genesis’ farewell tour. Due to irreversible nerve damage and a series of intensive surgeries on his spine and knees, he can no longer play the drums.

Elsewhere in the conversation, the singer addressed his past tension with fellow music legend Paul McCartney. The rift began after Collins remarked in an earlier interview that the former Beatle had treated him somewhat condescendingly. McCartney caught wind of the remark and reached out directly.

“He contacted me saying, ‘I’m a bit disappointed,’ and advised me not to be so… ‘sacrosanct’ was the exact word he used. I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by that, but it certainly left an unpleasant impression on both of us,” Collins recalled.

Fortunately, a collaborative charity auction organized alongside the King’s Trust served as an olive branch. After Collins penned a personal letter, McCartney generously agreed to donate an item. “I genuinely wish I had never made those initial comments, though what I described did happen. Still, we’ve completely cleared the air. He is glad we talked it through, and so am I. It feels wonderful to have brought the situation full circle.”

Adding to his legacy, Collins is set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist this November, joining an illustrious class that includes Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross, and the Wu-Tang Clan. Reflecting on the long-overdue honor, Collins quipped, “I assumed the committee simply thought I was already inducted.” He added that had the solo recognition never materialized, “I probably would have just chalked it up to being English and fading into the background.” (Collins was previously inducted as a member of Genesis in 2010.)

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