Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has been enjoying plenty of media attention for his new country-flavored album, Look Up. As he’s explained in multiple recent interviews, Starr has been a fan of country music since he was a child, and his love of the genre is apparent from the material he sang with the Fab Four.
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In a new article in the U.K. magazine Mojo, Paul McCartney talked about Starr’s affinity for country music and why he thinks the genre is well-suited for his Beatles bandmate.
“He always loved country from the first minute I met him,” McCartney shared. “He liked the old country singers like George Jones and people like that, and he was a big fan of that.”
Sir Paul added, “I think, you know, maybe, it suits his personality. He’s a very sincere, straightforward guy, and I think that’s the sort of theme behind a lot of country music.”
Starr’s amiable nature inspired Beatles fans to launch a “Ringo for President” campaign back in 1964. Mojo jokingly asked McCartney if he would support a Starr candidacy, and Paul seemed amenable to the idea … well, sort of.
“Ringo for President? Yeah, absolutely! He would do a great job,” McCartney enthused, then added, “President of what is the question.”
McCartney on Reuniting Onstage with Starr
In recent years, McCartney and Starr have occasionally reunited at concerts and special events to perform together. Most recently, Paul welcomed Ringo to play drums on two Beatles songs during the final concert of his 2024 Got Back Tour on December 19 at The O2 arena in London.
Mojo asked McCartney if he and Starr “both lock back into some long-practiced groove” when they perform together now.
“Yeah, it’s just amazing, actually,” Paul replied. “[I]t’s like wearing a very comfortable pair of shoes, if that’s the right metaphor.”
McCartney also was questioned about a comment he previously made about Ringo in which he referred to the drummer as a “natural genius.” Mojo asked him to elaborate.
“You know, he didn’t have a sort of heavy education, like a lot of people,” Paul noted. “So anything he knows is self-taught, most of it, he’s very clever that way. He picks things up and is very witty. And, above all else, he’s an amazing drummer who just knows how to do it. Simple as that.”
About Starr’s Upcoming Tour Plans
McCartney has yet to announce any concerts for 2025, but that’s not the case for Starr.
As previously reported, Ringo recently played two special shows at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in celebration of Look Up’s release. The concerts, which featured Starr joined by a variety of guest artists, were filmed for a TV special that will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ this spring.
Next up for Ringo is another show in Nashville, a February 21 event that will mark his first-ever performance at the Grand Ole Opry.
Starr also will be touring with his All Starr Band in the U.S. this June. The eight-date trek kicks off June 12 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and runs through a June 25 show in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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