“We Realize Nothing Lasts Forever”: Paul McCartney on His “Very Special” Friendship With
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr’s friendship has survived decades. The only surviving members of The Beatles, the two men, now both well into their 80s, have a special bond.
“With John [Lennon] and George [Harrison] not here, I think we realize nothing lasts forever,” McCartney told The New York Times of himself and Starr.
The Beatles and their fans certainly know that to be true. Lennon was assassinated in 1980 when he was 40. Harrison died in 2001 after a cancer battle. He was 58. With those tragedies in mind, McCartney said, he and Starr “grasp onto what we have now because we realize that it’s very special.” “It’s something hardly anyone else has. In fact, in our case, it’s something no one else has,” he continued. “There’s only me and Ringo, and we’re the only people who can share those memories.”
When McCartney, Lennon, and Harrison crossed paths with Starr in 1962 and invited him to join their group, it was a consequential move.
“He was a fantastic drummer,” McCartney recalled. “We asked him if he would be in our band, and luckily for us he agreed.” Starr wasn’t the first drummer to play with The Beatles, but, according to McCartney, he was the best.
“Even though I’ve played with other drummers, he’s the best,” McCartney said. “Ringo has got a certain feel that is very difficult for other drummers to capture. He’s Ringo. And nobody else is.”
Starr’s love for drumming dates back to 1957 when his stepfather bought him his first kit. “When I first started, my mother would come to the gigs. She would always say, ‘You know, son, I always feel you’re at your happiest when you’re playing your drums.’ So she noticed,” he said. “And I do. I love to hit those buggers.”
Source: americansongwriter.com/Paige Gawley
