Kidneys failing, family called in as Phil Collins nearly died in 2024
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Phil Collins has revealed he came close to dying in 2024 due to health complications caused by alcohol abuse, in an account he first gave to The Times of London and later expanded on with BBC Breakfast. The Genesis frontman said he was admitted to a Swiss hospital for alcohol addiction in late 2023, discharged, then readmitted shortly afterwards and placed in intensive care, where he remained largely unconscious; the disclosure matters as a stark account of how close the singer came to death and underlines his continuing focus on health and recovery.
Collins described his kidneys and organs "seizing up" as his condition deteriorated, prompting his five children to be rushed to his bedside and doctors to raise the question of whether to keep him on life support, with people "coming to say goodbye" while he has no memory of the episode. He said he has not touched alcohol since. He has also spoken previously about undergoing five knee surgeries, and told BBC Breakfast that he now feels "healthier than I have been for quite a while" and contemplates returning to recording and performing, though no concrete plans have been announced.
- Phil Collins nearly died in 2024 from alcohol-related organ failure
- Family gathered as doctors weighed keeping him on life support
- He says he's now sober and feeling healthier, may return to music
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Phil Collins, the drummer and singer best known as the voice of Genesis and for solo hits such as "In the Air Tonight" and "Against All Odds", has spent recent years dealing with serious health problems, including nerve damage that affected his ability to play drums. He has been open in the past about back and spinal issues that forced him to largely step back from performing.
The latest disclosure concerns a period of severe illness linked to alcohol use, during which he was hospitalised in Switzerland and later placed in intensive care. His family, including his five children, were involved during this time, which is why the episode is being described as life-threatening.
This matters because Collins, now in his seventies, remains one of the most commercially successful musicians of his generation, and any account of his health carries wider interest given his public profile and the possibility that fans have long wondered whether he might perform or record again.
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Originally published by Variety as “Phil Collins Says He Almost Died in 2024 From Alcohol Abuse: ‘People Were Coming to Say Goodbye’”.