Ringo Starr admitted his family no longer believes he’ll retire from music.
“They get fed up with me,” Starr, 84, admitted to People in an interview published Tuesday, March 18.
Starr is busier than ever as he nears his seventh decade in the music industry in 2027. He recently collaborated with mega-producer T Bone Burnett on new country album Look Up and is next set to headline a 10-date tour this summer with his All Starr Band.
As he broached the subject of retirement, Starr said that the allure of going on the road is impossible for him to turn down.
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“Sometimes when I finish a tour, I’m like, ‘That’s the end for me.’ And all my children say, ‘Oh, Dad, you’ve told us that for the last 10 years.’ And they get fed up with me,” he joked. “I do feel, ‘Oh, that’s got to be enough,’ and then I get a phone call: ‘We’ve got a few gigs if you’re interested.’ OK, we’re off again!”
The former Beatle looked back on the enduring success of his All Starr Band, with whom he has regularly toured since 1989.
The All Starr Band’s lineup frequently changes, but this year’s incarnation has Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, Men at Work frontman Colin Hay, former Kansas saxophonist Warren Ham, ex-Average White Band member Hamish Stuart, David Lee Roth’s former drummer Gregg Bissonette and Aerosmith guitarist Buck Johnson.
Previous incarnations of the rock supergroup have included “Frankenstein” rocker Edgar Winter, Beatles collaborator Billy Preston and even Starr’s son, drummer Zak Starkey.
Reflecting on how the group formed in 1989, Starr recalled, “In those days, I had a phone book, so I found guys who were musicians and I’d call them.”
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“We opened in Texas in a field and it was great,” he remembered. “And we’ve been doing it ever since because I love to play live. I love the audience, I know they love me and we have a great time.”
Earlier in March, CBS aired an all-star tribute to Starr with its music special Ringo & Friends at The Ryman, featuring the drummer playing with Sheryl Crow, Jack White and The War and Treaty, among others, at Nashville’s legendary country music venue.
“It is always a thrill to play the Ryman, and this time we are going country,” Starr said of his CBS show. “T Bone has put together a great show. I’m excited to hear my songs done in a country vein and to play with this incredible group of musicians. It will be two nights of peace, love and country music.’”
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Starr also made headlines with an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in January, where he confirmed a longstanding rumor that he’d never eaten a pizza.
“I’m allergic to several items,” Starr explained. “With pizza, you don’t know what they’re putting in it half the time. Or the curry. So, I’m pretty strict with myself because it makes me ill immediately.”
Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band kick off their 10-date summer tour at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on June 12. The All Starr Band will headline shows in New York City and Philadelphia before finishing the trek on June 25 at the Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
