WASHINGTON 鈥� Phil Collins may be known for middle-of-the road hit songs, but the hits he deals out in a recent British interview are somewhat more pointed.
For one thing, his feelings on former Beatle Paul McCartney can鈥檛 actually be reproduced here.
While he starts off by telling that 鈥淢cCartney was one of my heroes,鈥� he adds that 鈥淗e has this thing when he鈥檚 talking to you, where he [takes the attitude] 鈥業 know this must be hard for you, because I鈥檓 a Beatle. I鈥檓 Paul McCartney and it must be very hard for you to actually be holding a conversation with me.鈥欌��
Collins, 65, recalls meeting McCartney in 2002 at a Buckingham Palace party. 鈥淢cCartney came up with Heather Mills and I had a first edition of 鈥楾he Beatles鈥� by Hunter Davies and I said, 鈥楬ey Paul, do you mind signing this for me?鈥� And he said, 鈥極h Heather, our little Phil鈥檚 a bit of a Beatles fan.鈥�
鈥淎nd I thought, 鈥榊ou f—. You f—.鈥� Never forgot it.鈥�
It鈥檚 just one of several insights into the former Genesis drummer and 1980s hitmaker (“In the Air Tonight,” “One More Night,” “Take Me Home”) revealed in a recent interview with The Times of London on the eve of the release of his autobiography, 鈥淣ot Dead Yet.鈥�
Collins is depicted as 鈥渦nintentionally hilarious: grouching around his luxury digs like a former dictator under house arrest, moaning about the humidity and dressed like a bus driver,鈥� but eventually the interviewer esteems him 鈥渞ather lovable actually. If very intense.鈥�
He鈥檚 also back together with his third wife, Orianne Cevey, whom he divorced in 2008, and their two children, living in Miami, which Collins claims not to like particularly.
Collins also discusses his recent health problems, involving impaired foot and hand mobility, as well as the alcohol problem that almost killed him and developed not because of the pop-star lifestyle but from having too much time on his hands after essentially retiring.
And for someone who has taken more than his share of critical abuse, and sold millions of records despite it, he shows a surprising sensitivity toward what people think of his music, including his fears after a brief collaboration with Adele.
The Times interviewer deems him 鈥渇aintly embarrassed by his 1980s ubiquity鈥� and says, 鈥淚 have never interviewed someone so openly plagued by insecurities.鈥�
Collins looks to his legacy and sighs that his headstone will read, 鈥淗e came, he went [he sings], he wrote 鈥楽ussudio鈥� and divorced his wife by fax鈥� (a rumor he debunks).
