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LOS ANGELES, June 1 (UPI) -- Jack White put his foot in his mouth -- several times -- during a recent Rolling Stone cover story, in which he made disparaging remarks about The Black Keys, his ex-wife and White Stripes bandmate Meg White, Adele, Duffy and Lana Del Rey. White, who has a longstanding feud with The Black Keys, said in a lengthy statement posted to his website that he should have kept his thoughts to himself.
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"I felt in a way forced into talking about very private opinions of mine that are very much in the realm of 'behind the curtain' show business conversations, and things to do with my own family and friends," White said.
"Because the conversations I've had that have been made public and recontextualized are difficult to clarify without making it seem even more petty and strange, this is an apology to anyone I've offended with my comments about my creativity, their creativity, and the music business in general," he added.
In the Rolling Stone interview, White accused The Black Keys of copying his style.
"There are kids at school who dress like everybody else, because they don't know what to do, and there are musicians like that, too. I'll hear TV commercials where the music's ripping off sounds of mine, to the point I think it's me. Half the time, it's the Black Keys," White said. "The other half, it's a sound-alike song because they couldn't license one of mine. There's a whole world that's totally fine with the watered-down version of the original."
White also said that Adele would never have been as successful if Amy Winehouse were alive.
"Amy Winehouse: Did she invent white soul? Wearing a beehive? No. But she did something brand new and fresh, altogether as a package, and you see who's in her wake, from the Duffys to the Lana Del Reys," he said. "Adele selling 20 million records? That would not have happened if Amy Winehouse was alive."
White also referred to his reclusive ex-wife, Meg White, as a "hermit."
"She's one of those people who won't high-five me when I get the touchdown," he said. "She viewed me that way of 'Oh, big deal, you did it, so what?' Almost every single moment of the White Stripes was like that. We'd be working in the studio and something amazing would happen: I'm like, 'Damn, we just broke into a new world right there!' And Meg's sitting in silence."
In his statement, White said he had no intention of insulting Adele and others.
"I also would love to state that I personally find it inspiring to have powerful, positive female voices speaking out and creating at all times in the mainstream, and all of those singers do just that, so I thank them," he said.
He also apologized to Meg White, and said he would never target "someone I love so dearly."
"There are mountains of interviews where my words are very clear on how important I think she is to me and to music," he said.
