Phil Collins made a rare appearance in London at the weekend, attending the King’s Trust’s 50th anniversary celebrations at Buckingham Palace. His ex-wife Jill Collins shared a photo from the event on Instagram, showing the couple alongside Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster. The former Genesis frontman has been out of the limelight in recent years after a series of health issues that left him unable to play drums.“Despite the heavy rain that didn’t dampen the festivities, Phil and I were very proud and honored to be there and spend some private moments with King Charles, who was truly delighted to see Phil, who was the first ambassador 40 years ago and a trustee before that,” Jill wrote in her post.
Phil Collins and Jill’s connection with the King’s Trust
Jill also revealed that she and Phil, who were married from 1984 to 1996, are working together on an auction in aid of the King’s Trust. “We are giving away hundreds of items from our personal archives, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting The King’s Trust and asking others to donate very special personal items,” he wrote. He added that Phil has also designed a t-shirt to sell, with all proceeds going to the organization.
Phil Collins’ health struggles in recent years
In January, Collins spoke candidly about the health complications he has experienced following a spinal injury in 2007, which damaged vertebrae in his upper neck along with extensive nerve damage. He also developed a condition known as foot drop after back surgery, making it difficult to walk.Speaking to Zoe Bell for the ‘Eras’ podcast, Collins described her condition as “an ongoing thing”. “I have a 24-hour nurse to make sure I take my medication properly. I’ve had challenges with my knee. I had everything that could go wrong, go wrong,” she said. He added that he has had five different knee surgeries and finally has one that works. “I can walk, even with help, you know, crutches or whatever,” he said.Collins also revealed at the time that he had been sober for two years. “I probably drank too much, so my kidneys were messed up,” he said. “I wasn’t one to drink all night. I drank during the day, but I think I drank too much.” He added, “the last few years have been difficult, interesting and frustrating. But now it’s okay.”
Phil Collins on his return to music
While Collins has shown more than he can’t play drums in 2021, he revealed in an interview on the ‘Eras’ podcast in January that he may not be completely done with music. “I’ve got some things that are half-finished or never finished, and a couple of things finished that I like, you know. Maybe life in the old dog. Yeah. You’ll see,” he said.In his career, Collins has been nominated for 27 Grammy Awards and won eight, including Album of the Year for ‘No Jacket Required’ and Best Soundtrack for ‘Tarzan’. He will also be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November.
