Did Paul McCartney play ‘Hey Jude’ for Phil Collins at the hospital? Viral post debunked amid former Genesis singer’s recent surgery

Musician Phil Collins from the Genesis band is reportedly in the hospital, recuperating from a recent knee operation, per People. A recent social media post has gone viral, claiming that Paul McCartney sang Hey Jude to Collins at the hospital. For instance, a post shared by the X account @campaignking on August 5 mentions that:

“This afternoon, London’s hospital halls fell unusually silent as Paul McCartney quietly arrived, carrying the same old guitar that had followed him through decades.”

The post further claimed:

“Without a word, Paul sat down and began to strum “Hey Jude” - gently, with deep emotion. Each lyric poured warmth into the sterile room, moving the nurses to tears, while a single tear slid down Phil’s cheek.”

At the time of writing, the post had almost 7000 views. It also had a few photos in which Paul McCartney was seen hugging Phil Collins, while another showed The Beatles singer playing the guitar.

The fact-checking website Snopes has, however, noted there were no traces of the claim being covered by media outlets. At an initial glance, the photos seemed generated using AI. The post was also shared by the Facebook group Rock & Roll Universe, which reportedly contained several AI-generated posts.

The outlet claimed that the way McCartney held the guitar seemed like how a right-handed person would, despite him being a southpaw.

According to an exclusive report by TMZ, a source recently shared that Phil Collins wasn’t put in hospice care, despite reports claiming that his health had deteriorated. The outlet, however, confirmed that the legendary musician is in hospital for knee surgery.

What did Phil Collins and other Genesis members say in a recent interview?

In June 2025, Phil Collins was interviewed by Mojo, where he said he often thought about going to the studio to try making music again, but he didn’t feel excited about it like before. He explained that he had been quite sick, which made everything difficult for him.

Genesis member Peter Gabriel reflected on the band’s last performance, saying:

“Phil wasn’t in as great a shape as he used to be, but they did a great job. Me going was a rite of passage, really. I’d been part of the creation of Genesis, so I wanted to be there at the end.”

When Gabriel exited the music group, Phil Collins took charge as the next lead vocalist. Collins thought the band could continue without a singer and play music without words, but the other members disagreed.

Keyboard player Tony Banks recalled that he and Peter Gabriel were particularly impressed by Phil Collins when he joined. He said even though the band wasn’t polished at first, Phil made their music sound better and made them laugh with his funny stories.

However, Phil wasn’t very excited about the band’s early songs. He felt they didn’t have a clear shape or strong style. When he heard one of their albums during his audition, he thought some parts sounded soft like folk music, and the parts that were supposed to be strong didn’t feel powerful enough.

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Also read: 6 best Genesis songs that showcase their evolution

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