musician phil collins breakdown over poker joke
Looney Tunes?

Phil Collins, the former singer, drummer, and front-man for the hit progressive rock group Genesis was rushed to his mansion last night after suffering a possible mental breakdown at the Mojo Awards.

The alleged breakdown was reportedly caused by a practical joke played on Mr. Collins by his music industry pal. The unidentified prankster was one of the last people to speak to Mr. Collins prior to the aged x-drummer leaving half way through the awards show which honored his old friend, Ringo Starr.

According to sources close to Mojo, as the singer was taken to the limousine to be driven to his mansion, he was acted bizarre and out of touch with reality, mumbling about pain “in every single part of my body and soul.”

Anatomy of a Poker Prank Gone Wrong

Throughout his life Phil Collins, 59, enjoyed playing card games – especially Texas Hold’em Poker and online blackjack – before recently disclosing the fragile state of his mental health with frequent episodes of confusion and memory loss.

Years earlier, Mr. Collins spoke about one day wanting to test his skills against the best poker players in the world by entering the annual $10,000 World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournament in Las Vegas.

It just so happens, that earlier this week, the 2011 WSOP Main Event tournament reached final table play with the remaining 9 out of 6865 players to return in November to battle for the coveted WSOP bracelet and a 1st place prize of $8.5 million.

The Setup of a Prank: How to Reel em in Hook, Line and Sinker

According to casino gambling news, one of the final 9 player remaining in this year’s WSOP happens to also be named Phil Collins (no relation) – a baby faced professional online poker assassin with over $3 million dollars in life time winnings.

According to witness reports, in what started as a light hearten prank, Phil Collins was mobbed by a group of geriatric rock stars who began congratulating him for making the final table at this years WSOP poker tournament and telling him how proud he must be. Allegedly, Phil Collins initially started to deny he was even at the WSOP (which he wasn’t), yet after a few minutes, what is described as ‘a look of absolute horror’ came over his face, as the dazed x-rocker began believing his friends.

The pranksters even created a beautiful prop copy of the Card Player poker industry magazine, and shown the now bewildered x-singer the front cover with an altered photo of himself playing poker in Vegas. At this point, Mr. Collins suffered what is described as a possible ‘mental breakdown’ and had great difficulty talking coherently or controlling his limbs.

All’s Forgiven and Definitely Forgotten

After sustaining a spinal injury in 2009, Phil Collins has complained of a number of symptoms consistent with degenerative central nervous system damage caused by decades of living the “rock’ n roll lifestyle.”

Phil Collins stated during a recent interview that “sometimes my kids play music records and I ask (them) who is playing … and it’s my own music CD’s; my own best hits. I’m on my last legs. I couldn’t come back to music even if I wanted to. I’ve lost touch (with reality).”

No one was available at the number on file for Mr. Collin’s estate nor his prior talent management agency. We wish Mr. Collins the best of luck and a speedy recovery!