'Idol' Winner Had Surgery for Kidney Stones Phillip Phillips, this year's winner of "American Idol" on Fox, underwent eight surgical procedures to remove kidney stones during the competition, his father told People magazine. Some references were made to Mr. Phillip's health problems during the show, and he often appeared wan, but his father, who is also named Phillip Phillips, said his son, a 21-year-old pawnshop worker, was suffering more than he let on. "They've just seen a glimpse of what Phillip can do," the father said. We can't wait to get him well and 100 percent and really see how he can perform. The singer will undergo another surgery in the next few weeks to reconstruct his kidneys, then go on tour with the rest of the finalists on the show. "The recovery's probably two to four weeks," the elder Phillip Phillips said. Mr. Phillips, an indie rocker from Leesburg, Ga., with a rootsy vocal style and solid guitar skills, won the competition on Wednesday night, besting Jessica Sanchez, a 16-year-old singing prodigy from Chula Vista, Calif.