Sir Paul McCartney's 'impossible' admission as he issues verdict on major The Beatles change
Sir Paul McCartney has heaped praise on his The Beatles bandmate, Ringo Starr. The two were part of the Fab Four, who conquered the world and changed popular culture forever.
Ringo, whose real name is Sir Richard Starkey, was drafted in late to the band when he replaced Pete Best as the drummer in 1962. Sir Paul explained Ringo was the perfect addition to the group as he told MOJO magazine: "Impossible to say why – he just was."
Sir Paul and Ringo reunited on stage at London's The O2 during his solo show in December and the 'Live and Let Die' hitmaker said he always finds it easy performing with his old bandmate. He said: "It’s just amazing, actually. It’s just, yep, it’s like wearing a very comfortable pair of shoes, if that’s the right metaphor."
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The 82-year-old thinks his friend is a "natural genius" who has always been quick to grasp new concepts. Explaining why Ringo is a genius, he said: "[In] many ways, actually. You know, he didn’t have a sort of heavy education, like a lot of people.
"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."
Sir Paul also backed the long-running 'Ringo For President' campaign - which was popularised in Young World Singers ' 1964 novelty single. Asked if he could get behind the 'Ringo For President' campaign, he said: "Ringo for President? Yeah, absolutely! He would do a great job. President of what is the question?"
Ringo recently praised the brotherly bond he shared with Paul and their late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison. He told 'Entertainment Tonight': "I miss them both, George and John.
"We were friends, we were like four brothers and we looked out for each other. When we made music, we went through moments where getting a little happy was good. So, we really worked very hard, we had a lot of cups of tea and we could just feel where it was going. For me, it was like psychic, we knew where it was going. No one had to look at you or stamp their foot or whatever.
"We did it together, that's what was great. We had two great songwriters. It was great. The Beatles are still doing like five billion streams a year, it's far out!"
Ringo has recently released a new country album - and the 84-year-old said he has late bandmate, George Harrison, to thank for the career shift. Ringo worked with T Bone Burnett on the LP, titled 'Look Up', with the American musician co-writing and producing the 11 tracks that feature.
Ringo, has known the musician for many years, but it was a chance meeting back in November 2022 at a party to launch Olivia Harrison's book 'Came the Lightening - Twenty Poems for George' at the Sunset Marquis hotel in Los Angeles that inspired them to record together.
After being sent one song by Burnett, the pair met up in Los Angeles and the guitarist told Ringo he had nine tracks in total ready to go and so they quickly decided they would make a country music album.
Recalling being at the event to support George's widow Olivia, Ringo said: "We bonded as friends in the ‘70s because I was a resident in LA for a while and I had a lot of parties and any party I had he was there. I did not invite him once! He would be there and he’d come with one of the band. So he would be there and I got to know him a little bit.
"How this record came about was because Olivia was reading poems for George at the Sunset Marquis hotel and I was there and T Bone was there and a lot of other people were there. ‘How are you doing? What’s going on?’ I’m doing this. If you’ve got a song that you think would be good for me send it down.’ That’s how it started.
"He was the inspiration. He sent me this song and it was the most beautiful country track I’d heard in many years. It was sort of ‘50s country and so I thought, ‘I’ll just make a country EP now.’"