Sir Paul McCartney presented Bruce Springsteen with a prestigious songwriting award and aimed some affectionate jibes at the US rocker along the way.
The former Beatle welcomed Springsteen into the Ivors Academy fellowship at a glittering West End ceremony, telling the audience that “unlike Bruce’s concerts” he was “going to keep this brief”.
He then went on to say there was no one “more fitting” to become the first international songwriter academy member “except maybe Bob Dylan…Or Paul Simon, or Billy Joel, or Beyonce, or Taylor Swift.
“The list goes on”.
Sir Paul said Springsteen, 74, was a “lovely, lovely boy” and also called him a “friend”.
“He’s a fantastic guy and he showed up for me at Glastonbury,” he added, “He’s known (as the) American working man, but he’s never worked a day in his life.”
Imagining how the Born to Run rocker would have fitted into his old band, Sir Paul told the audience at the Grosvenor House Hotel: “When it comes to talent, he’d definitely be in the top five.”
Springsteen follows in the footsteps of Sir Paul, Sir Elton John, Kate Bush who have been given the body’s highest honour and took the jibes in good humour, hugging Sir Paul as he took to the stage.
His voice was hoarse and squeaky, after playing a rain-soaked, three-hour concert in Sunderland on Wednesday night, but he said he never considered cancelling the show.
"We came out last night, and I was like, 'What is this weather? Driving rain, wind roaring"
"But standing in front of me, in the rain, I realised: These are my people."
Accepting the fellowship, Springsteen reflected on his relationship with the UK and how it developed from 1975 when he arrived in London to play his first UK gig.
“Cheeseburgers had either being hidden or been replaced by something called fish and chips,” he said.
“It was a little disconcerting.”
Springsteen said how he worried if London was not ready for burgers, they were not “ready” for him.
He also said how at 16 he “desperately yearned to be British” and fans keep him “invested” in the UK, where he has been coming for around half a century.
Springsteen said he wanted to “thank you for taking me in the cultural life of the UK” and “for seeing me as yours” and called the fellowship a “meaningful experience”.
