Fans of Phil Collins can finally exhale. After three years of serious health setbacks that left the Genesis legend largely out of public view, the 75-year-old singer and drummer appears to be improving — and is even thinking about getting back into the studio.
Former MTV VJ Mark Goodman, who now hosts programming on SiriusXM and co-hosts the “Sound Up!” podcast with music journalist Alan Light, shared the uplifting news on May 7, 2026, in an Instagram post that quickly went viral. The photo showed Goodman standing beside a smiling Collins, accompanied by a caption that sparked celebration across social media.
“@rockhall inductee @officialphilcollins is doing well, thank you, after three years of physical challenges,” Goodman wrote. “The man comes through it all with the most positive attitude! Great talent and a beautiful human.”
Years of Compounding Problems
Collins’ health decline has been both public and protracted. A 2007 spinal injury left him with lasting nerve damage, and a subsequent back surgery resulted in drop foot, a condition that made walking increasingly difficult. By the time Genesis embarked on The Last Domino? reunion tour, Collins could no longer play drums and had to perform seated while his son, Nic Collins, handled percussion duties.
The drummer-singer first retired from live performance in 2011, then returned for the Not Dead Yet solo tour starting in 2017 before reuniting with Genesis for what turned out to be a final run that concluded in early 2022. Since then, he’s remained largely invisible as his conditions worsened.
Collins opened up in extraordinary detail about his medical struggles during a January 2026 appearance on the BBC Two five-part special “Phil Collins Eras: In Conversation,” which wrapped January 26. In his conversation with host Zoe Ball on January 21, Collins revealed he’d undergone five knee operations, developed kidney problems from alcohol use, been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and contracted COVID during an extended hospital stay.
“I had five operations on my knee. Now I’ve got a knee that works and I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever,” Collins told Ball in the interview.
Collins described how everything seemed to hit at once — the knee surgeries, the kidney damage, the diabetes, the COVID infection during hospitalization. He also revealed he now has a 24-hour live-in nurse who helps manage his medications and daily care needs.
Two Years Sober and Looking Forward
The Genesis legend told Ball he’s been sober for two years now and was honest about how drinking contributed to his kidney troubles. He clarified he wasn’t drinking late at night but had been consuming alcohol during the day, and the damage accumulated over time.
Despite the extensive medical interventions and ongoing support needs, Collins described himself as “totally mobile and healthy” in follow-up coverage of the BBC special on January 22. The assessment marks a dramatic turnaround from 2021, when Collins admitted he could “barely hold a stick with this hand.” In a May 22 BBC Breakfast interview, Collins offered an even more encouraging update, saying he is “healthier now than I have been for quite a while.”
A Second Rock Hall Honor Awaits
Collins has extra reason to celebrate in 2026. In April, he was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, 16 years after being inducted with Genesis in 2010. The Nov. 14 ceremony will place him among a tiny cohort of drummers honored twice — joining Ringo Starr, Dave Grohl, and Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Collins confirmed he was invited to perform at the ceremony but declined, explaining that returning to the stage requires being “match fit” — including vocal preparation he isn’t ready for. “You can’t just go on stage,” he said. “You’re gonna have to rehearse, and then by that point, if you’ve not been singing, your voice is going to be shot.”
Fans responding to Goodman’s Instagram post expressed joy and gratitude, with one commenting, “So thankful he was inducted! I was really cheering for him!”
New Music on the Horizon?
Collins also floated the tantalizing possibility of returning to the studio during his BBC interview. He hasn’t put out original material since 2002’s “Testify,” and his most recent studio album was 2010’s “Going Back,” a collection of Motown covers.
But the drummer suggested the creative flame hasn’t been extinguished. Collins said he has “some things that are half formed or were never finished, and a couple of things that were finished,” adding that there might be “life in the old dog” yet.
Regardless of whether new Collins tracks ultimately surface, Collins’ recent public appearances point to a more hopeful chapter after years of serious health setbacks. For fans who feared the worst, his improved health and upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honor are reason enough to celebrate.