Ringo Starr's family 'fed up with him' as Beatles drummer shows no signs of stopping at 86
Ringo Starr's family 'fed up with him' as Beatles drummer shows no signs of stopping at 86
Hannah Furnell, Eleanor Tolbert Sun, July 12, 2026 at 4:54 AM UTC
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Ringo Starr (Image: undefined)
Ringo Starr has disclosed that his family members are "fed up with him" as he continues working without any indication of retiring, as he approaches his 86th birthday.
The iconic Beatles drummer celebrated his 86th birthday on July 7, showing no signs of slowing down or departing from his nearly 7-decade career in music. Starr, whose birth name is Richard Starkey, remains active in recording and performing worldwide, having recently dropped his 22nd solo studio album, Long Long Road, on April 24.
Additionally, he and his All-Starr Band just concluded their spring 2026 tour dates.
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The previous year saw him collaborate with T Bone Burnett on his country record, Look Up, followed by a 10-date summer headlining tour alongside his All Starr Band. It's evident that Starr has entered an exceptionally prolific phase of his career, making it understandable why his relatives no longer believe his retirement discussions. It comes after Paul McCartney performed a Beatles hit during Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding.
This follows the claim that George Harrison labeled Paul McCartney a hypocrite, reports the Irish Star.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have a decades-long friendship (Image: undefined)
"They get fed up with me," Starr acknowledged to People last year. When discussing retirement, Starr conceded that the allure of touring remains irresistible to him.
"Sometimes when I finish a tour, I'm like, 'That's the end for me.' And all my children say, 'Oh, Dad, you've told us that for the last 10 years.' And they get fed up with me," he said with humor. "I do feel, 'Oh, that's got to be enough,' and then I get a phone call: 'We've got a few gigs if you're interested.' OK, we're off again!" Earlier that year in March, CBS aired its music special Ringo and Friends at The Ryman, featuring the legendary drummer performing alongside Sheryl Crow, Jack White, and The War and Treaty, among others, at Nashville's storied country music venue.
"It is always a thrill to play the Ryman, and this time we are going country," Starr said of his CBS show. "T Bone has put together a great show. I'm excited to hear my songs done in a country vein and to play with this incredible group of musicians. It will be two nights of peace, love, and country music."
After that summer's tour, the release of Long Long Road, and another tour this past spring, Starr made another notable appearance on his fellow Beatle Paul McCartney's most recent album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. The drummer and his former bandmate perform a duet on Home To Us.
Ringo Starr will be back touring again (Image: Getty Images)
Starr has even joked that he'll outlive McCartney's touring career. Before a series of concert dates in May and June, Starr discussed his approach to staying energized and shared his belief that he'd keep touring longer than McCartney, though it's not intended as competition.
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The music icon recognizes the importance of preserving bone and joint health. "Get in that gym, loosen up," he advised during an interview with USA Today following his new album's release.
"You can blame me. 'That Ringo made me come in here.'".
"You know, there's no special way. It's just that no one can do it for you," Starr observed. "You've got to get out of bed and do it."
Starr needed to maintain optimal fitness for his forthcoming tour.
Although he originally intended to perform only this year, he found himself repeatedly questioning whether to continue into the fall.
He said, "I just intend to play this year. That's as far down the line as I'm going. We'll see what happens at the beginning of next year or the end of this year.
"For the last five years, I've told my kids, 'That's it, I can't go on anymore.' [And they say], 'Oh, Dad, you said that last year.' I'm just doing the 12 gigs. But in my head, at least twice a day, [I'm thinking], 'Nah, we should do September as well.' But so far, I'm holding up."
Ringo Starr (Image: undefined)
USA Today observed, "It feels like you've got some sort of competition going with Paul McCartney to see which one of you can stay on the road longer."
Starr responded, "Well, it may look like that, but I'll be the longest."
The outlet then referenced Starr's famous quip that the key to his vitality is blueberries and broccoli, before inquiring, "What have you learned over the years about taking care of yourself?".
He answered, "I have a trainer still three times a week. And the gym's just there (points off camera). I go in on my own at least one day, usually two days, when she's not there. Just to get my heartbeat (up) and get on the treadmill, do a bit of running, and weights. I've been doing it so long, it's just like, 'Oh, I'll go over to the gym.'" In other news, Paul McCartney revealed the "radical" motivation behind his strict policy on fan photographs.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
