The Heated Past Between Paul McCartney and Phil Collins

Not everyone can be friends, it’s an inevitable fact of life. That being so, this rule even applies to worldwide celebrities, and in this particular instance, it applies to the two legends, Paul McCartney and Phil Collins. Both musicians are legends in the world of rock ‘n’ roll and are heroes in their home country of England. However, these connections did not amount to a friendship between the two, as Collins finds McCartney to be a bit condescending.

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Who knows if Collins still harbors these ill feelings towards McCartney? Though, they most certainly once were, and they all stemmed from an interaction the two shared at Buckingham Palace in 2002. Matter of fact, this was the very first time the two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Members met.

The Bad Blood Between Phil Collins and Paul McCartney

In an interview with NME, Phil Collins got very frank with the publication about his feelings toward Paul McCartney. He started off his story by stating, “I met him when I was working at the Buckingham Palace party back in 2002” and “McCartney came up with Heather Mills and I had a first edition of The Beatles, by Hunter Davies, and I said, ‘Hey, Paul, do you mind signing this for me?’”

According to Collins, McCartney replied, “Oh, Heather, our little Phil’s a bit of a Beatles fan.” Phil Collins deeply internalized his response and thought to himself, “You f—, you f—. Never forgot it.” Collins got a bit more specific with his disdain for the former Beatle, as he told the publication, “He has this thing when he’s talking to you, where he makes you feel [like], ‘I know this must be hard for you because I’m a Beatle.’” “‘I’m Paul McCartney and it must be very hard for you to actually be holding a conversation with me,’” added Collins.

Phil Collins acknowledged that McCartney reached out to him after the fact, but per Collins’ comments, it seems his mind didn’t change. He stated, “I certainly didn’t get any flowers from him; I got more of a ‘Let’s just get on with our lives.’” “If people don’t tell people that sometimes their attitude could be a bit better then you’re not gonna get any better,” added Collins.

There is no saying what has come of the two’s relationship since that night at the Buckingham Palace in 2002. But, hey, feuds are feuds and they happen to everyone.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic