Ringo Starr Remembers George Martin, Teases New Music
Fifty years after the Beatles permanently retired from the road, Ringo Starr can't seem to get enough of it. On June 3rd, the perpetually youthful stickman launched a month-long summer tour across North America with his All-Starr Band. Starr has eschewed arenas for more intimate venues, giving the gigs the informal feel of a Liverpool rave-up. "I love these old theaters," he told Rolling Stone during a sitdown at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. "Mainly because I can see everybody!"
That certainly wasn't the case with the Beatles' final live performances, which saw the foursome relegated to enormous stadiums where audience synergy was all but impossible. This detachment was a major factor in their decision to quit touring, but reestablishing the link with his first All-Starr Band in 1989 has had a restorative effect on Starr. "I play because this is what I do," he says. "I love to play, and I'm still playing. I'm playing with great musicians, singers, and writers. So, I'm blessed I'm still doing it, really."
His current band, the 12th and longest serving line-up of the All-Starrs, boasts luminaries including power-pop wizard Todd Rundgren, Toto's Steve Lukather, Richard Page of Mr. Mister, and Gregg Rolie, fresh from a reunion with Santana. They accompanied Starr on his previous outing last fall, and are slated to do so on an upcoming trek this autumn. When he's not bringing music to the masses, he can usually be found in his home studio in Los Angeles, working on a new album with a little help from his rock-star friends. Rolling Stone caught up with Starr in his dressing room to discuss the new songs, the new tour, his old band (you know the one) and the passing of George Martin.
By: Jordan Runtagh
Source: Rolling Stone
