Ringo Starr walked into the ABC Country studio in Los Angeles with a cassette tape still humming from his car ride and a lifetime of country influence tucked under his drumsticks.
At 85, the former Beatle is not merely dabbling in nostalgia; he has released his third country album, “Long Long Road,” and is touring with his All-Starr Band in what he insists may be his final run of shows. The album, produced again by T Bone Burnett and featuring guest vocals from Sheryl Crow and St. Vincent, arrived April 24, 2026, and follows a pattern Starr has traced since the Beatles’ breakup: a return to the roots that first shaped his musical identity.
Long before fame, Starr absorbed country music through his parents’ records and the cassettes he played even as driving around London in the late 1960s. He brought that sensibility into The Beatles, singing lead on Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally” and weaving country flavor into originals like “Don’t Pass Me By.” As he told ABC Country, his first two Beatles tracks were Carl Perkins covers — a fact Paul McCartney once acknowledged on television, noting Starr’s habit of bringing in country tunes.
After the band split in 1970, Starr pursued that thread with “Sentimental Journey,” a collection of prewar standards, then dove deeper with “Beaucoups of Blues,” recorded with Pete Drake, a session musician who had played with Tammy Wynette and Bob Dylan. Starr recalled fetching Drake from Heathrow after George Harrison’s car had been sent away, only for Drake to greet him in the studio with, “Hey, horse, I spot you like country music.”
That early sincerity has evolved into a late-career sweet spot. Salon’s review of “Long Long Road” calls it one of Starr’s finest grooves, noting how Burnett’s production teases out performances suited to Starr’s weathered voice. The album’s title track carries Hank Williams’ intonations, while “Choose Love,” a duet with St. Vincent, reworks a 2005 song into a meditation on legacy, with Starr singing, “The long and winding road is more than a song,” a sly nod to his Beatles past.
Yet the album’s release is inseparable from Starr’s physical vitality. In a USA Today interview, he dismissed notions of a secret regimen, insisting fitness comes from showing up: “You’ve got to get out of bed and do it.” He trains three times a week with a personal trainer and supplements those sessions with solo treadmill runs and weights, all while maintaining the same black track jacket, peace-sign necklace, and shades that have become his stage uniform.
His stamina fuels a tour that runs through June, culminating just before his 86th birthday on July 7. Starr downplays any rivalry with Paul McCartney over who can stay on the road longer, laughing, “I’ll be the longest,” though he admits he’s already eyeing a September extension despite telling his kids for five years that each tour might be his last.
The contradiction is palpable: a man who jokes about blueberries and broccoli as his health secret is similarly an artist who refuses to be pinned down, declaring in the USA Today interview, “Right now, that’s all I am is a country artist. I think just ‘artist’ is enough.” It’s a stance that honors his Beatles history while asserting a present defined not by legacy but by choice — to keep playing, keep moving, and keep letting the music, and the miles, add up.
Starr’s country roots predate his Beatles fame
Long before Ringo Starr joined The Beatles, he absorbed country music through his parents’ records and the cassettes he played while driving around London in the late 1960s. That early exposure shaped his musical instincts, leading him to sing lead on Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally” and infuse original Beatles tracks like “Don’t Pass Me By” with a twang that stood out even among Lennon and McCartney’s songwriting dominance. His first two contributions to the band were covers of Carl Perkins songs, a detail he reiterated in his ABC Country interview, noting McCartney once observed on television that Starr was “always bringing in country songs.”
How Burnett’s collaboration shaped Starr’s latest album
T Bone Burnett’s return as producer on “Long Long Road” marks a continuation of a partnership that began with Starr’s 2025 collaboration, which Starr described as having “worked really well.” Burnett co-wrote or produced six of the album’s tracks, tailoring arrangements to Starr’s vocal range and emotional timbre. Salon highlighted how the producer draws out Starr’s best performances in years, particularly on the Carl Perkins cover “I Don’t See Me in Your Eyes Anymore,” where the somber leanings of country allow Starr to share wisdom earned over decades.
Why Starr ties his fitness to his artistic output
Starr’s physical regimen — three weekly sessions with a trainer, supplemented by solo treadmill runs and weight work — directly supports his ability to tour and record at 85. In his USA Today interview, he rejected the idea of a shortcut, insisting, “There’s no special way. It’s just that no one can do it for you.” That discipline enables him to scramble onto his drum kit with ease and sustain the energy required for performances that blend storytelling, humor, and musical precision, all while maintaining the same understated stage look that has accompanied him for decades.
Is Ringo Starr planning to tour beyond his current run?
Starr said he intends to play only through the current tour, which ends in June, though he admitted he’s already thinking about adding September dates despite telling his kids for five years that each tour might be his last.
How does Starr view his identity as a musician at this stage of his career?
He told USA Today that right now, he considers himself primarily a country artist, but added that “just ‘artist’ is enough,” reflecting his resistance to being confined by genre or legacy.