Dear Superstar: Ringo Starr

“Peace and Love! ” Ringo Starr announces, extending his fingers into a familiar V-shaped greeting and taking a seat in a Beverly Hills hotel suite. “Peace and love! It’s only been a hundred years, but I’m still trying!” At 67, the world’s oldest surviving Beatle remains as ready as ever with droll non sequiturs—delivered in a Liverpudlian accent undiminished by years of living in L.A. and Monaco—but has apparently also made the hippie mantra his personal catchphrase.

After losing much of the ’70s and ’80s in an epic blur of alcoholism and drug abuse, broken only by a string of solo hits like “It Don’t Come Easy” and “Back Off Boogaloo,” Ringo and his second wife, Barbara Bach, finally cleaned up in 1988. Since then, Starr has established his All-Starr band as a fixture of the summer-tour schedule and released a series of solo albums, the latest of which, Liverpool 8, is dedicated to the area where he grew up. And like the other half of the Beatles’ rhythm section, Ringo has no plans to stop writing and recording. “Two of us are in heaven,” he says. “And two of us are still doing it. I enjoy the process and hanging out with other musicians.”

And as he settles down to face the Blender inquisition, Ringo admits that after 45 years in the public eye as a drummer, actor, painter and occasional furniture designer, there are few surprises left for him. He’s unfazed by the fact that his childhood home is being taken down brick by brick and reconstructed in a museum, and he regards the news that the British public has been petitioning the queen to give him a knighthood with typically arid humor. “It wasn’t a surprise,” he says. “It’s about time they called me ‘Sir.’ But I’m holding out for a dukedom, personally … ”

What was the last place you visited where nobody recognized you?
Cowbellz, Pasadena, CA
I don’t think that’s happened yet. Walking along the streets, you’ll see the nudges. I’ve been to Nepal, and they wave at me. It’s just how it is.

What’s the biggest difference between playing live with the All-Starrs and playing live with the Beatles?
Vandelay2day, Beacon, NY
The technology. Now you have a million amps behind you—all the amplification and lights. The Beatles went out with a house P.A. and little amps. If the Beatles had been now, we could have done “I Am the Walrus.” But we didn’t have it then. Besides, in 1965 we were turning into really bad musicians because we couldn’t hear ourselves due to the volume of the audience. I was going downhill as a musician, and so was everyone else in the band. We did 25 minutes; thanks to The Who and Zeppelin, everybody has to do two hours now.

Jason Schwartzman just played you in Walk Hard, and you’ve been portrayed in films and TV movies by different actors. Do you think anyone has gotten you right?
Walrusboy6, Texarkana, TX
I don’t know; if they do fake Beatle movies, I don’t watch them. And I don’t read Beatle books written by people who weren’t Beatles. What’s that one Peter Frampton was in? The Sgt. Pepper’s movie? Am I in that? I’ve never seen it. He’s sad he did it—and he should be.

In the ’60s, it was possible to buy Beatles socks, hairbrushes and even bread, packaged as Ringo Rolls. Is that the most ridiculous piece of merchandising you’ve seen your face on?
KeepKobe94, San Diego, CA
The bread just had my name on it; it didn’t have a visual. It was ’63 or ’64. I’ve got a photo of that. They took it to all of our mothers and conned them to stand there with the bread rolls. Those were the days!

Paul once wrote you a message saying, “You’re the greatest drummer in the world. Really.” How do you rate him on the Beatles songs he drummed on?
Sneak_a_peek, Grants Pass, OR
Oh, he’s terrible. You know, he’s fine on those songs, but he has one style and it’s always there. As a drummer, Paul McCartney is the finest, most melodic bass player today.

I’ve read a story about one of Paul’s daughters turning to him when she was a child and asking, “Dad, are you Paul McCartney?” Was there a moment when your children first realized that you were Ringo Starr?
Sarah.Totter, Ellicott City, MD
When Zak and Jason were babies, they would be confused to see me on TV and on the settee with them. That’s all. But when my grandson was 3 or 4, he stood behind my chair and sang in a low voice, “We all live in a yellow submarine.” He’d spotted me. He was letting me know he knew I was that guy in Yellow Submarine. Which was a big compliment, seeing as it’s animated.

What’s the worst rumor you’ve ever heard about yourself?
Banshee4lyfe, Ogden, UT
When they told my mother I was dead. Some newspaper did it in the ’60s. She was a bit worried about that, until I called her. That was the worst one. It wasn’t so bad for me—I knew I wasn’t dead. But my mother was worried. I said, “I’ll tell you if I’m dead, OK? Don’t worry till you hear from me!”

Were you surprised that Zak became a drummer? And is it true that you arranged for Keith Moon to give him lessons?
Goodnight George, Orlando, FL
I wasn’t surprised. We had drums in the house, and he wanted to play them, so I showed him a few things. Keith was known to all my children as Uncle Keith, because we were great friends and he’d be at the house. I didn’t ask Keith to give Zak lessons. But when Zak was 10, I gave him a drum kit for his birthday—the bass drum, snare drum, toms. And as I gave him this, a truck came up outside the door: Keith had sent him a set of a hundred drums. Keith was very expressive.