Phil Collins on Piers Morgan Uncensored: The 7 Biggest Revelations

Phil Collins appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored coinciding with his upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the the 45th anniversary reissue of his blockbuster solo album Face to Face. Over the course of the hour-long interview, Collins discussed his near-death health struggles, his spat with fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Oasis, making amends with Paul McCartney, his views of Donald Trump, and a host of other topics. Below, you can find some of the interview’s biggest takeaways.

Due to Health Issues, He’s Still Largely Unable to Play Drums

“I haven’t really tried. The last time I tried was on the Genesis ‘The Last Domino?’ tour when Nicholas, my son, was playing drums. I got the drums set up in a room just to see if I could play. As soon as I sat down and started playing, I couldn’t. I couldn’t really hold the stick properly.

“I’ve got drop foot in my right leg from the knee downwards, which means I can’t really do much with it. And at that time, I needed a knee operation, which eventually I had five of, because it just kept getting infected or the spacer broke. I spent a long time in hospital.”

He Finds Donald Trump “Unattractive”

“His whole manner is unattractive, even when he’s saying he did nothing..

“Historically, presidents have been eloquent and elegant. Even if you don’t agree with them, you still respect them. But when someone like Trump is as nasty as he is, you end up feeling dislike for him…

“[He] plays politics like a businessman, and it’s not a business at all, it’s diplomacy. Sometimes you can lose but still come out winning. But he sees everything as a deal, won or lost.

“It’s a very scary time. It wouldn’t surprise me if he tries to overrule the two-term limit for American presidents.”

He Prefers The Beatles to Oasis

“Mick Jagger once said when someone asked him, ‘What do you think of U2?’ He said, ‘I don’t think of U2.’ And that’s really what I think about Oasis.”

His Favorite Genesis Song

“There’s a thing called ‘Apocalypse in 9/8,’ which is an instrumental piece. And then at the end, there’s a very triumphant, elegant piece. Those two pieces, joined together, are among my favorites.”

He’s Made Amends with Paul McCartney

“It was the Queen’s Golden Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace. I was the house drummer for everybody except McCartney and Brian Wilson, who had their own bands. I loved it, I was like a pig in shit! We rehearsed for two weeks.

“I had a rare first-edition Hunter Davies Beatles biography given to me by Jill, Lily’s mum, and I took it to the rehearsal so Paul could sign it. I was sitting on the side of the stage, and Paul came up with Heather Mills. I said, ‘Paul, could you sign this?’

He said, ‘Oh yeah, yeah.’ And he probably didn’t mean it like it sounded, but he said, ‘He’s a big Beatle fan, is our little Phil.’ And I thought, ‘You asshole…’ I couldn’t help it; that’s what I thought. I felt patronized…

“I wrote about it in my book. Then a journalist brought that quote up to Paul, and Paul sent me an email saying it was a bit sanctimonious, which I didn’t reply to. Years went by, with videos on YouTube asking, ‘Why does Paul McCartney hate Phil Collins?’

“A month or two ago, Paul asked my office for my number. He called me because I had written letters to everyone I’d ever played with asking for donations for the King’s Trust charity auction in November. On the phone, he said, ‘What is all this about?’

“I said, ‘I wish I’d never said it, Paul. I wish I’d never said it.’ So we kissed and made up. I said I was sorry. He likes to be liked, as we all do.

Among His Other Litany of Health Issues, He Suffers from Sudden Deafness

“I wear hearing aids. My ears have taken a lot of beating over the years. Around the year 2000, I had something go wrong — it turned out to be something they call sudden deafness. Now my hearing has deteriorated. When you get two or three people talking over each other, you can’t hear them.”

He’s a Big Fan of Morgan’s Show

“I enjoy the show! I am behind you 99% of the time in terms of your attitude towards what’s happening in Iran, whether it’s Harry, the royal family, or whatever. I find myself agreeing with you.”