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This idea of friendship or rather, thissincereidea of friendship intersects well with the month Starr is having.
(Also, the man is 80 years old???)
I have things I do to pass the time.
So I decided that I wasnt going to do that anymore and get up and do stuff.
I decided I wanted to make an EP.
Not an album, just an EP with a few songs.
I have a huge EP collection of my own.
And not only that, they love cassettes.
Thats the weird thing about that.
A couple of years ago I threw my cassette player away thinking Ive got to move on.
And now theyre dragging me back.
So to do this and hang out with a few musicians with masks on is great.
But also, besides music, I have a little art room where I do projects.
Ive bummed up my hamstrings so Ive got to take it easy.
Thats what happened, really.
I decided Im not going to sit around and be miserable.
If Im doing something and doing it all at my house, its not like Im going anywhere.
Im serious about staying alive and getting to live another day.
With theother three guys,we had many memorable moments together.
Im not writing a book or anything, so its important to keep certain memories to myself.
But one of the great memories was that, wow, it all just worked out so well.
We gelled as a band and we supported each other.
But if you did the counting, we played to the best we could with each other.
The other side of that coin is that two of them arent with us anymore.
It still hits me hard.
Johns been gone 40 years, for Gods sake, and George is gone 20 years this year.
That was a big loss for me.
Only when these anniversaries come up does it really get to me.
The rest of the days I just get on with what Im doing.
Ive lost a lot of pals.
Harry Nilsson was my best friend in Los Angeles, God bless him.
Lets lighten this up a bit, baby.
What has been your own evolution with uniting music and friendship?
Who knew where it came from.
It was that I wanted to be a drummer.
Thats all I wanted to be.
My granddad lent me the money for my first kit and I paid him back a pound a week.
Thats how expensive it was at the time.
And then I just started playing.
I had no idea how to play, but I started playing and figuring it out along the way.
We would only play to the men at lunchtime in the basement.
Thats how we started.
And one day, guess what, I was invited to join the biggest band in the world.
You dont know any of that will happen, you know?
I was 13 and just wanted to play.
I loved every minute.
And that all ended.
Im sitting around for, what, 15 years after The Beatles broke up.
Making records and not going on tour.
I had a moment of clarity where I thought,Im gonna straighten up and get sober.
Six months later,somebodyout of the blue asked me to put a band together.
Thats how the All-Starrs started.
Its interesting to imagine if I had emigrated to Houston to give a shot to workwith Lightnin Hopkins.
I filled in the forms and everything.
I love that its kind of like sliding doors.
It has some downs but it has a lot of ups when you enjoy it.
But anytime theyre ready to induct us, were here!
When I ask him to play now, we cant refuse because hes in the family.
We get along very well and love each other.
The four of us, with Barbara and Marjorie [Bach], we have a great family setup.
Then I was in a band where I got three brothers who I loved and they loved me.
Its like,What!Im surrounded by love.
Then Ive got my own kids and eight grandchildren and one great-grandson.
I dont even know if I answered your question because I kept rambling on about love.
The only correct reaction.You know whats even crazier about that show?
Its really weird how life can throw those moments at you.
But the band was good and everybody loved us, and they still do.
I was in bands before The Beatles and then I was just there.
Then it went mad, but we were making good music.
Thats the four of us and I can speak on behalf of the four of us on this.
It was always about the music.
We were serious about the music and it still shows to this day.
Every track it’s possible for you to be proud of.
Its all about the peace and love, baby.
Youre 80 years old but have the aura of someone half your age.Im 24 in my mind.
I think that helps.
Im sticking with the 24 number.
Whats the most ambitious thing that you have left to do?Its funny that you bring that up.
Everest is not one of the dreams.
I cant really imagine anything at this point.
Its been a great life.
As a kid I was a bit dangerous and now these are the results of it.
So if I do everything right in my mind, Im truly grateful.
And thats how I live now.
