Entertainment, Music - Army Times

The world according to Ringo

Former Beatle Ringo Starr celebrated his 68th birthday this summer, but he looks and sounds the same as he did a decade ago.

The drummer-singer says he sees no end in sight for his music career, as fans of all ages continue to flock to his biannual outings with the ever-evolving All-Starr Band.

Starr’s latest CD, “Liverpool 8,” has been hailed as one of his strongest in years.

Friends giving Starr a little help on his tour include fellow classic rockers Billy Squier, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, Colin Hay of Men At Work and Hamish Stuart of the Average White Band.

Each All-Starr plays a personal hit or two and backs Starr on such classics as “Yellow Submarine,” “It Don’t Come Easy,” “Act Naturally” and “Photograph.”

Starr talks about staying young, his global promotion of “peace and love,” managing the Beatles’ legacy and his relationship with Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono.

Question: You had a birthday on July 7. Does 68 feel any different than 48 or 58?

Answer: I’ll never get older. ... Mentally, I’m 24. I keep myself fit and I think that helps. I have a clean diet, no sugar and stuff like that. I feel really good, and you’d better get your energy up when you’re touring.

Q: You asked people to say or think “Peace and love” on your birthday. Will the world someday be at peace?

A: I’m optimistic [peace] will be worldwide one day. Peace and love is the only way.

Q: Have you considered a more formal role working for peace, perhaps through a United Nations program?

A: That’s a good idea. I haven’t gotten into that. I just feel that you can do what you do. I’m up there [onstage], I’m peace-and-loving and I’m getting a peace-and-love reaction. So it is trickling down.

Q: You and your wife [actress Barbara Bach] founded the Lotus Foundation, which helps several charities. Has that work become more important as you’ve grown older?

A: I don’t think they started because we got older. We’ve always done our best to help out many situations, and then we decided to form the Lotus Foundation. We’ve helped [groups] from WaterAid to some local charity starting up and paying the phone bill.

Q: You’ve avoided involvement with politics, and the Beatles were never kind to politicians in their lyrics.

A: I don’t get involved with politicians. In England, all the musicians go to the new prime minister’s home for a big party and then they’re all a bit embarrassed five years later when he’s totally messed up. [Laughs] Politicians ... change, and they change their mind.

Q: You’re a key figure in managing the Beatles’ legacy. Are you satisfied with how Apple Corps Ltd. has handled things?

A: Yes, because nothing really goes down unless we know about it. Paul [McCartney] and I listened to every take of the remix of the “Love” show [staged by Cirque de Soleil]. It’s not like we give carte blanche to anyone.

Q: You’ve said your iPod has Beatles songs on it. Has that type of technology helped to pass the band’s music on to younger listeners?

A: That’s what happens. There are a lot of new bands out there [in which] the kids have listened to lots of stuff. I think the Beatles have lasted because every new band has listened to what we did. ... Kids don’t know us from the mop-top days, they only know us from the sound.

Q: Yoko Ono called when you appeared on “Larry King Live” and sang “Happy Birthday.” Are the days of tension among you, Yoko and Paul gone?

A: Like life, it depends on the day. There’s no tension now. She surprised me. Paul gave me a call. We still hang out together when we hang out. But as any family, some days you hang out better than others.

Q: You and Paul occasionally have appeared on each other’s albums. Have you considered a full CD or tour together?

A: We’ve never talked about doing a dual album and we’ve never talked about going on the road together.

Q: You two must miss John [Lennon] and George [Harrison] immensely.

A: Of course you do. They were my brothers, but it’s not like you sit there day and night thinking about them. You get on with your life. But you hear some things, you see some things and the memory gets jogged.

Q: Do you see yourself performing for many more years?

A: I’ve got a profession and a career that can go on as long as I can go on.

On the Web

Ringo Starr’s official site: http://www.ringostarr.com