Phil Collins made a rare public appearance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, where he told the audience he is “a well man now” and hinted at a possible return to the stage.
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- Phil Collins declared himself “a well man now” while accepting his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in Los Angeles on Saturday.
- The musician revealed he has an in-house recording studio and is actively discussing the possibility of playing shows with his children and former bandmates.
- Collins previously faced severe health battles, including nearly dying from alcohol-related complications in 2024 and undergoing five knee surgeries.
“Thank you so much. Thank you. I’m really not as bad as it looks. I’m much better,” Collins said at the beginning of his speech, according to Variety. He addressed widespread public curiosity regarding his future in music directly from the podium.
“I’ve got to say, there are lots of rumors about whether I’m going to sing, do a tour of an album, but you haven’t heard the last of me,” Collins said, Variety reported.
In the press room following the ceremony, the drummer and singer detailed how his home setup has changed his creative outlook. He explained that he maintains an in-house recording studio alongside a group of fellow musicians, making it possible and enjoyable to keep working on new material.
“Everything started to go wrong,” Collins told reporters in the press room, describing a period when he doubted his own survival. “So at one point I didn’t think I’d live, let alone go on the road again.”
The outlook shifted recently during conversations with his family. “Just the other night I was talking to the kids about it, and everyone got excited, including myself, that it’s not beyond the realm of possibility of doing some shows,” Collins said.
“So at one point I didn't think I'd live, let alone go on the road again. But just the other night I was talking to the kids about it, and everyone got excited, including myself, that it's not beyond the realm of possibility of doing some shows,” Collins said.
He outlined his immediate plans for the studio rather than committing to an immediate, large-scale tour schedule.
“I’ve got some great friends of mine that are great musicians that have been in my band. And I’d like to get down to my studio just to have some fun and write some music that I hope will be good enough for people to hear and sort of enjoy,” Collins said. “So it’s a work in progress.”
The musician has been transparent about his physical struggles in recent years. He disclosed to The Times of London in August that he nearly died in 2024 from health complications stemming from alcohol abuse.
Earlier in 2026, he shared with BBC Two that he has undergone five surgeries on his knee. Despite these accumulating medical hurdles, Collins expressed a persistent drive to stay active.
“Well, you say something once and you gotta answer questions about it forever. I can’t believe that I’m not going to do something. I’m not very good at doing nothing,” Collins told reporters.
