Phil Collins has had so much to endure throughout his life. In 2000, the musician developed a sudden hearing loss in his left ear after a recording session. Although his doctors told him there was nothing they could do to help, Collins recovered most of his hearing two years later. As it turned out, the hearing loss was due to a viral infection, so it went away after treatment. Unfortunately, there were more things to come.
On the 2007 Genesis tour, Collins had an issue with his upper neck while drumming. He had surgery to correct this in April 2009. However, it affected his fingers, and he couldn’t grip drumsticks unless he taped them to his hands. Such unfortunate news is tough to acknowledge for a musician, so Collins struggled with severe depression. Sadly, he still had many health issues to struggle with.
Collins was unable to play drums due to an undiagnosed nerve issue in 2014. Two years later, he was still unable to play the drums with his left hand. In June 2017, the musician slipped in his hotel room due to his foot drop and hurt himself. Currently, he has difficulty walking, and he performs on stage while sitting in a chair. In light of all of these, it isn’t surprising that Collins dealt with many mental health issues. In 2011, the musician admitted he even thought about suicide.
What Did Phil Collins Say About Contemplating Suicide?
On November 7, 2006, Phil Collins reunited with Tony Banks and Mark Rutherford for their reunion tour dubbed Turn It On Again Tour. The tour took place in 2007 and saw Collins’ return after his departure in 1996. In October 2009, Collins decided to record a Motown covers album titled ‘Going Back.’ The album was released on September 13, 2010, and Collins managed to play the drums on its tracks.
In the summer of 2010, Collins played his music from ‘Going Back’ for six concerts. However, on March 4, 2011, he announced he would take some time off from his career due to health issues. After several rumors about his retirement, Collins confirmed he would retire to focus on his family. At that time, the musician was struggling with severe mental health issues. Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2011, Colling stated he had had enough.
In the interview, the Genesis icon revealed that he had suicidal thoughts, but he would do something that didn’t hurt to take his life, such as overdosing. However, he added that he wouldn’t consider doing this for the sake of his children. According to Collins, he got tired of carrying issues on his back, such as his three failed marriages and kids growing up without him. Moreover, he was also tired of what the press wrote about his personal life.
Here is what Phil Collins told Rolling Stone in the interview:
“Anyway, I’ve had enough of being me. Not to the point— I have had suicidal thoughts. I wouldn’t blow my head off. I’d overdose or do something that didn’t hurt. But I wouldn’t do that to the children. A comedian who committed suicide in the Sixties left a note saying, ‘Too many things went wrong too often.’ I often think about that.”
He then continued:
“Everything has added up to a load that I’m getting tired of carrying. It’s got so complicated. It’s the three failed marriages and having kids that grew up without me, and it’s the personal criticism, of being Mr. Nice Guy, or of divorcing my wife by fax, all that stuff, the journalism, some of which I find insulting.
I wouldn’t say I have suicidal tendencies over my career or bad press. They’re just another chink in the wall. It’s cumulative. You can say, ‘Grow up, man, everybody gets criticism.’ I know that. And I’ve philosophically adjusted to it. But does that make it any more pleasurable? No.”
As it seems, having so much burden to carry was so challenging for Phil Collins that he even contemplated suicide. However, Collins ended up coping with much more in the following years. Despite his illnesses, the musician continued to perform on stage, sitting on a chair. He also wrote an autobiography in 2016 with a somewhat meaningful title: ‘Not Dead Yet.’
