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Phil Collins has shared an update on the status of his relationship with Paul McCartney.
Collins, 75, and McCartney, 84, have been feuding since 2002 when the Beatle made a comment about the “In the Air” singer at the 2002 Queen’s Jubilee Concert.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Piers Morgan Uncensored podcast, Collins recalled of the initial exchange: “We had a rehearsal at Buckingham Palace and I had a first edition Hunter Davies book [on The Beatles], which was very quite rare. I took it to the rehearsal so Paul could sign it… Paul came up behind with Heather Mills, who he was married to at that point, and I said, ‘Paul, could you sign this?’
“He probably didn’t mean it like it sounded, but he said, ‘He’s a big Beatle fan, is our little Phil,’” Collins continued. “And I thought, ‘You asshole.’ I couldn’t help it. That’s just what I thought.”
Collins added of being stung by the remark: “I knew Paul. This wasn’t the first time I met him. I played on one of his albums. I played live with him with the Prince’s Trust. I’d given him an award at an award show in London, so I kind of knew him. So I was kind of surprised at that particular tone of reply.”
The “Sussudio” singer wrote about the incident in his 2016 memoir, Not Dead Yet, noting that McCartney had reached out via email but Collins did not reply.
He told Billboard in October of that year: “He’s been in touch about it because he was upset. I certainly didn’t get any flowers from him; I got more of a ‘Let’s just get on with our lives.’ And I’m sorry he’s upset that I kinda said something nasty about him – well, it wasn’t really nasty. If people don’t tell people that sometimes their attitude could be a bit better then you’re not gonna get any better, y’know?”
Speaking to Morgan, Collins shared an update after McCartney recently got in touch after learning the Genesis band member was collecting memorabilia for a King’s Trust charity auction.
“He said, ‘While we’re on the phone.’ I thought, ‘Oh, here we go,’” Collins recalled to Morgan. “So he said, ‘What is all this about?’ I said, ‘I wish I’d never said it, Paul. I wish I’d never said it.’ He said, ‘I thought we were good, you know.’”
“I said I was sorry, because I really didn’t wish him…” Collins said before trailing off. “I mean, obviously, this had been bugging him because he likes to be liked, as we all do! Maybe him more than some other people. But we all like to be liked. I understand that.”
