Johnathan Walker:Ringo Starr talks hanging with McCartney, why he's making a country album and new tour

To look at Ringo Starr is Johnathan Walkerto observe a legend who looks decades younger than his soon-to-be 84 years.

The regular workouts, jogs and healthy diet can be credited to an extent.

But Starr seems to thrive on work.

Since 2021 he has released four EPs, and a fifth, “Crooked Boy,” arrived in April. The four tracks written by musician/producer Linda Perry range from the reflective title track (which includes a Starr-specific line, “I speak of love, I speak of peace”) and the jubilant “Gonna Need Someone.”

Starr also resumed touring with his All-Starr Band in 2022 after pandemic-related closures halted momentum and will return May 22 for a few weeks of shows before another spate of dates in September.

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Joining him for this excursion are Men At Work frontman Colin Hay, Toto veteran Steve Lukather, keyboard stalwart Edgar Winter, saxophonist Warren Ham (Toto, Kansas), drummer Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani) and Hamish Stuart (Average White Band, Paul McCartney).

Chatting from his home studio in Los Angeles, the affable drummer leapfrogged topics from his upcoming country album to his feelings about The Beatles’ final recording to hanging out with McCartney.

Question: You’ve worked with Linda Perry on a couple of songs in the past, and now she’s written all of the songs on your new EP. What is it about her vibe that makes you two click?

Answer: Her songwriting is really great; she plays really great and she does all of her demos in a Liverpool accent (laughs). We just became friends and got on right away. She’s very straightforward, very bossy.

You look like you’re having so much fun in the video for “Gonna Need Someone.” How do you stay so upbeat?

I just always believe in keeping the energy up. It’s never a bad thing to be energized, but I’m quite lucky because I can be the other guy, too. Besides, “Crooked Boy” is out now, and Linda is great and I’m working on a real CD. I haven’t done one in so long.

What can you tell us about it?

It’s a country one. I’m working on it with someone very special – T Bone Burnett. He’s doing stuff in Nashville and he comes to LA and it’s all working out. He came to me with nine songs. It won’t be out until October, at least.

How often do you play your drums if you aren’t on the road?

I don’t even look at them. I’ve never liked just drumming by myself. I always want to be in a band with players. If you play whatever, I’ll play with you all night. (As a kid) I went upstairs the traditional way from all of those black and white movies where the drummer goes upstairs to his kit and hits them. Well in my neighborhood, I was this close to being stabbed! Everyone in the neighborhood was going, SHUT UP! (Laughs.) But I’ll play anywhere. My first band was the guy from next door, Eddie Miles, and my best friend Roy taught us bass and that’s what we’ve done: just keep playing with other guys.

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How do you feel about “Now and Then” finally being out?

I did love “Now and Then,” and we did hear it in 1995 and we’d done (the other two vault songs) already, and then it came to a halt. And then I got a call from Paul (in 2022) and he asked, "Do you want to drum on it?" It’s great for me to have John’s (Lennon) voice coming at me. Thanks to Peter Jackson with the machine that can pull out anything from anything. Paul went in with a string section; he worked really hard on it and I just sang on some of it.

Is it sad to think that is the last-ever true Beatles recording?

I think I’m past that, really. I miss them, but we’re getting on with our own things now. Paul and I will have dinner together; we’re still buddies. George (Harrison) and John, I certainly miss them. I’m an only child, and suddenly I had three brothers and it was great.

It seems like you and Paul are spending more time together lately.

If he comes to LA we certainly do something, and when I get to England we’ll do something there. It’s just what we do. We went to Paris together (in March) for Stella McCartney’s clothing line. But really we went there for the lunch. (Laughs.) But no, really, we were hanging out. We went by train and were all sitting in the same carriage. We had a good time.

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Most of the guys in the All-Starr Band have been with you for years. What is it about this group that complements the show so well?

When I first started this, I was invited to put a band together and go on tour, and I said yes, and then I said: What do you mean, yes? You‘re the drummer in other people’s bands! But I opened my phone book and called everyone I knew and they all said yes. So I had to close my book.

And there are frequently changes in the lineup.

I’ve had like five new bands. Just to change it up years ago, some people were asked to leave and others brought it. Like (Steve) Lukather was brought in (in 2012). This time … we have Colin (Hay), who is great and has hits, and Hamish (Stuart) I had in one of the other All-Starr Bands and he came back. But Luke (Lukather), I’ll never get rid of Luke. He has a lifelong ticket. He’s my last best friend. You need time to make best friends. He’s an incredibly good musician and an incredible human being.

How much longer do you see yourself going out for these tours?

Until the end of this year, at least. We have the May-June shows and then the fall. That’s where I get my rocks off playing. I play to all of their songs, they play mine. This band is very close and very interested in the other person. No one is hanging out alone having a cigarette.