Phil Collins Hates Paul McCartney, And He’s Got a Pretty Good Reason Why

Find out why these two aging rockers can’t stand each other.

Phil Collins hasn’t gone anywhere. A mainstay of 1980s light rock FM radio, the former Genesis drummer and vocalist has been kicking around doing his own thing and doing just fine ever since, and he titled his new memoir Not Dead Yet as a bit of a nod to the fact we haven’t heard from him in a while. (Although his lovely actress daughter, Lily Collins, was a former Maxim Hot 100 entrant).

The title of his book may be kind of funny, but Collins got serious about some things in Not Dead Yet—like the fact he apparently thinks former Beatle and rock icon Paul McCartney is an asshole. In a lengthy interview with the UK’s paywalled Sunday Times, he made it clear as to why.

“I’ve got to preface this by saying McCartney was one of my heroes,” Collins told the Times, “But he has this thing when he’s talking to you, where he makes you feel (…) ‘I know this must be hard for you, because I’m a Beatle.'” 

Ouch. That’s bad enough, but Collins continued with his theoretical McCartney inner monologue, “‘I’m Paul McCartney and it must be very hard for you to actually be holding a conversation with me.’”

Collins said he met McCartney at Buckingham Palace about 14 years ago, when McCartney was still married to Heather Mills. “I had a first edition of The Beatles by Hunter Davies,” Collins said, “I said, ‘Hey Paul, do you mind signing this for me?’ And he said, ‘Oh Heather, our little Phil’s a bit of a Beatles fan.’ And I thought, ‘You fuck, you fuck.’ Never forgot it.”

It’s one thing to meet an idol and find they are perhaps unpleasant, aloof, or cold—it’s another if they come across like a belittling jerk and embarrass you in front of their wives. 

It’s surprising, but on this score we feel the guy behind “Sussudio” more than the man who gave us “Blackbird.” 

Team Phil all the way.

h/t Sunday Times