Call me Ringo. That's what the former Beatles drummer says when asked if we should call him Sir.
He joins us at the swanky Sunset Marquis hotel in West Hollywood where rock stars have gathered for decades in a luxury oasis behind the Sunset Strip. We're here to talk music – specifically Ringo Starr's new country album, Long Long Road.
But first we deal with the honorifics because although he was knighted in 2018 for his services to music, technically, he says, it's wrong to call him Sir Ringo because he's actually Sir Richard.
Sir Richard laughs. He just wants to talk music, and he's not worried about formalities or titles. His new album is more Nashville than Los Angeles and he seems more LA than Liverpool as he encourages an American interviewer to just relax.
He states, Peace and love, a soothing catchphrase often used by the 85-year-old music legend who looks, moves and sings like a much younger man.
I've always loved the attitude of LA, he says, adding that he's had a home here since the 1970s. Besides, I love the heat and the light, it's just been a good place for me.
On his new country album, Starr collaborates with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Billy Strings, and St. Vincent. He explains that he never plays music alone, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, saying, If you play piano, bass, saxophone, I will play with you all night. Get with people. And he reflects on his own journey: That's how I did it. I made all my mistakes on stage.
Starr reveals that before joining The Beatles, he practiced drums alone as a kid, annoying neighbors in the process. He chuckles at the memory, advising his grandchildren to form bands instead of practicing solo. If we did it with T Bone, I think it would be more country now.
For Long Long Road, Starr teamed up with legendary producer T Bone Burnett. Their collaboration has opened doors in Nashville, where great musicians casually join in for recordings. He fondly recalls Liverpool as the capital of country music in England, with merchant navy workers bringing in records from Texas.
Starr also shares humorous anecdotes about his Beatles experiences, like coining the phrase A Hard Day's Night and being the first to smoke pot among the Beatles. Now, with his latest album in tow, he'll be taking his music on tour across the western US in May and June.
As the interviewer ponders who will be on drums during his new role as lead singer, Starr laughs and insists, No, I am the drummer. They keep two drum sets on stage – for him and for drummer Gregg Bissonette, who takes over when Starr positions himself at the front.
With a spirit that continues to embrace fun and camaraderie in music, Starr invites listeners to experience the joy of collaboration as he navigates this new chapter in his illustrious career.
