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Beatles drummer Ringo Starr celebrated his 85th birthday with a “Peace and Love Birthday Celebration” in Beverly Hills. When asked by reporters what he would say to his late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison if he could see them again, Starr offered a touching response. After a playful “What are you doing here?”, the legendary musician admitted, “Actually I would say I love you and I miss you.”
Starr, whose real name is Sir Richard Starkey, remains one of the two surviving members of the iconic band, along with Paul McCartney. Lennon was tragically murdered in 1980 at the age of 40, while Harrison passed away from lung cancer in 2001 at age 58.
Despite his 85 years, Starr shows no signs of slowing down. He confirmed at his birthday bash that he’s content with his current band’s lineup and has no plans to change it.
He told Goldmine Magazine, “The makeup of the band is kind of in a state where I want it to be… why change the lineup at this point when it’s so close to perfect?” He praised his bandmates, some of whom have played with him for 30 years, emphasizing their close friendship and comfortable dynamic.
The energetic drummer also revealed he’s working on a follow-up to his recently released country album, Look Up. The album, Starr’s twenty-first, marked his first number one on the UK’s Official Americana Chart and reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. The record features collaborations with artists like Alison Krauss, Billy Strings, and Molly Tuttle, and was produced and co-written by T Bone Burnett.