Phil Collins and the difficult years: “Now I could go back to the studio”

In a new interview with Zoe Ball for the podcast “Eras” from the BBCPhil Collins shared an update on his health, revealing that he went through “some difficult and frustrating years“. During the chat, of which the “NME” shared a preview and which will be available on BBC Sounds And BBC iPlayer from 6 am on January 26th, the former Genesis made it known that he was underwent five knee surgeries and to be now followed by a medical team constantly. Confirming that “it’s okay now”, the artist then opened up to possibility of returning to the studio to work.

The new statements come after Collins denied rumors last year that he had been admitted to a hospice and his team said the British musician had instead been hospitalized for knee surgery. The interview with Zoe Ball therefore seems to have now offered Phil Collins the opportunity to confirm that it was precisely that. The former Genesis explained:

“I have nurses looking after me 24 hours a day to make sure I take my medications as I should. I’ve had knee problems. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.”

Narrating that he has undergone five knee surgeries and now has one “that works”, Collins added: “I can walk, albeit with assistanceon crutches or whatever.” The musician’s health problems, caused by a spinal injury dating back to 2007, have been known for some time and during Genesis’ final concerts of 2022 he in fact performed sitting on a chair, while his son Nic Collins occupied the place behind the drums.

During the interview, Phil Collins then talked about having recently celebrated two years of sobrietyunderlining that:

“It’s just been a difficult, interesting and frustrating few years. But it’s fine now.”

He added: “I enjoyed stopping touring. Return home. And I thought, ‘Well, now I’m going to do all those things I couldn’t do.'” Explaining that he started drinking during the day, he continued: “I guess I drank too much. I was never drunk, although I fell a couple of times. But those things happen and in the end they gave me the bill, and I spent months in the hospital.”

The chat gave Collins the opportunity to share more news, saying he was “totally mobile and healthy,” enough to let it be known that he would like to go into the studio and “fiddle around a bit to see if there’s still music… you have to start doing it to understand if you can do it”.