Ringo Starr is still touring at 86, drumming, singing and leading the All-Starr Band with the energy of somebody who never received the memo about quietly becoming a museum exhibit.
The former Beatle says he continues because performing remains joyful. Fame, legacy and money stopped being necessary motivations decades ago. The immediate exchange between musicians and an audience still does the job.
The All-Starr Band has lasted far longer than the Beatles
Starr created the rotating ensemble in 1989, inviting accomplished musicians to play one another's hits. Nearly 40 years later, the format has become a living jukebox and a model for aging onstage without turning the evening into a memorial service.
His shows still include Beatles material, solo songs and the familiar “Peace and Love” message that has become part greeting, part philosophy and part very marketable hand gesture.
Routine supports the visible joy
Starr credits exercise, a vegetarian diet and continued musical engagement for his stamina. Those habits do not guarantee any individual's longevity, but in his case they support a schedule that would exhaust people who still describe themselves as “young at heart” in dating profiles.
His musical relationship with Paul McCartney also continues. The surviving bandmates recently recorded their first shared vocal duet, extending a collaboration that began before most of the current music industry had parents.
Ringo does not appear interested in proving anything. That may be the secret. He sits down, counts everybody in and lets another room discover that time can take plenty without taking the groove.
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