Phil Collins Says He Nearly Died After Years of Alcohol Abuse

The Genesis frontman spent seven grueling months hospitalized in Switzerland battling the effects of severe alcohol abuse, a stretch he says he barely remembers living through.

Phil Collins is looking back on his days on what nearly became his deathbed two years ago, or at least what he can remember about them. The rock icon recently opened up about the health scare and how it affected his family.

Years of heavy drinking had brought Collins to the brink. The Genesis frontman had originally been admitted to a Swiss hospital to treat his alcohol addiction. He was discharged in late 2023, only to be readmitted months later, in April 2024.

This time, he landed in the intensive care unit, drifting in and out of consciousness for long stretches of time. His manager of five decades phoned Collins' family, including his five children, fearing the end was near.

"Because there were some decisions to be made about 'Do we keep Phil on life support?' kind of thing," Collins told The Times of London in an interview published Saturday, August 1.

"My kidneys were packing up, my organs were just seizing up. People were coming to say goodbye. But I don't remember them coming, 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 said he's steadily recovering following that grueling seven-month hospital stay. "I was very lucky to have come out of that," he said. "Needless to say, I haven't had a drink since."

At year's end, he and his family marked his recovery by booking out an entire floor of the Mandarin Oriental in London's Knightsbridge neighborhood — a chance to reconnect and celebrate having him back.

He recalled how deeply his daughter, "Emily in Paris" star Lily Collins, was rattled by the whole ordeal. "[She] was sitting beside me in tears, saying, 'I never thought I'd get these moments.' We had an incredible time. I can't overemphasize how fantastic it was," he said.

The 75-year-old musician has also been contending with mobility issues, which have made a stage return difficult. He's been spotted using crutches at several recent public appearances.

"I had five operations on my knee now," Collins, who now lives in Switzerland with a live-in nurse, said on the BBC's "Eras" podcast in January. "I've got a knee that works and I can walk, albeit with assistance [from] crutches."

Beyond the physical toll, Collins admitted he'd welcome love back into his life. "I'd love to be in love again," he shared. "I would love a relationship. Kissing somebody, for example. You know, pretty basic stuff."

Still, he isn't holding his breath for romance to come knocking. "I think it's probably too late for that," he said. "I'm not a very social person. I don't, you know, I don't go out."

The eight-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has since stepped back from performing and settled into a quieter existence — one he says suits him just fine.

"If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything," he said in the 2024 documentary "Phil Collins: Drummer First." "If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I will have a crack at it. But I just feel like I've used up my air miles," he added.