British musicians Phil Collins and Paul McCartney have reconciled after a conflict that lasted nearly 24 years. The 75-year-old former Genesis drummer and vocalist revealed that the two recently spoke on the phone and clarified their relationship.
In an interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, the “In the Air Tonight“ singer once again spoke about the incident that started the tension between him and the legendary musician from The Beatles.
The incident dates back to 2002, when Phil Collins and Paul McCartney participated in the concert on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee in front of Buckingham Palace. During rehearsals, Collins brought a rare first edition of a book by Beatles writer and biographer Hunter Davies and asked Paul McCartney to sign it for him.
According to Phil Collins, the musician turned to his then-wife Heather Mills and said, "Our little Phil is a big Beatles fan, isn't he?" Collins took the remark as condescending.
"I thought, 'What an asshole.' I couldn't help it, I just thought it," the musician admitted to Piers Morgan. Today, however, Phil Collins admits that he probably gave the words more meaning than Paul McCartney intended.
Paul McCartney reached out to Phil Collins
More than two decades later, it was Paul McCartney who contacted the former Genesis musician.
According to Phil Collins, the occasion was a charity auction for The King's Trust, for which he was looking for musical memorabilia from his famous colleagues. After learning about the initiative, McCartney called him.
During the conversation, the former Beatles member directly raised the topic of their relationship and asked what the real reason for the long-standing tension was.
„I said to him: „I wish I had never said it, Paul. I really regret saying it“. And he replied: “I thought everything was fine between us“, says Phil Collins. “So we made up“, adds the “You'll Be in My Heart“ singer.
Phil Collins admits that he apologized to Paul McCartney and suggests that his public comments over the years have hurt the musician.
“Obviously it bothered him because he wants people to like him, like we all do. I understand that“, says Phil Collins.
According to him, the word “little“ in the 2002 remark was the main reason he perceived McCartney's behavior as patronizing.
The conflict became public in 2016.
The tension between the two musicians gained wide publicity in 2016, when Phil Collins was promoting his autobiography “Not Dead Yet“. At the time, he told The Sunday Times that he believed Paul McCartney had been condescending to him.
Following the publication, Paul McCartney sent an email to Collins expressing his disappointment with Collins' comments. This further cooled the relationship between the two.
Ten years later, Phil Collins already looks at what happened differently.
“I wish I hadn't said it, even though it really happened. But we made up. He's glad we talked, and so am I. It's good that it all finally ended like this“, says the musician.
Collins adds that he is happy with the restored relationship, since Paul McCartney has been a part of his life for decades. The two knew each other long before the conflict in 2002 and were photographed together back in the 1980s.