Ringo Starr meets the fans at SiriusXM's 'Town Hall': What went on (Part 1)

Actor Russell Brand asked Ringo the first round of questions. Record producer Don Was came in about halfway through for the second round. 

 

Ringo was in a jovial mood, even after the show got off to a somewhat interesting start thanks to some ribald comments from Brand. 

 

The round of questions opened asking Ringo who his favorite outside musician he had worked with while with the Beatles. 

 

"Exactly," joked Ringo to begin the answers. "Well, Billy Preston was such a thrill, God rest his soul. Billy, for me, was an incredible musician, a great guy," he said. "He was the best, the finest player." 

 

He noted the Beatles had met him when he was young and playing with Little Richard in Germany. "And we became friends and he was like the first outsider to perform on a Beatle record." 

 

Ringo also commented on George bringing in Eric Clapton, saying "Clapton was great. I always think that was a very huge, manly thing to do being lead guitar and you bring someone else in. I couldn't see me bringing in another drummer." 

 

And then he said," But every time I went for a cup of tea, Paul played," which brought chuckles from the audience. 

 

Brand asked if other collaborators found it more difficult to work with the Beatles as time went on? "I think so. I think it was a huge thing to look at," said Ringo. "Do you want to go into that room with THOSE guys?" 

 

He said it was a lot easier to be involved with his new album "Ringo 2012," which will be released in the U.S. Tuesday.

 

"If you passed our house and ring the bell, you're on the record," he joked. 

 

The next questioner reminded Ringo that the show was being broadcast on the 43rd anniversary of the Beatles' rooftop concert. "Oh God. Is it really?," Ringo asked. The questioner asked, "Looking back, are you at peace with how the group's last concert was presented to the public? You know, spur of the moment, on top of a building on a cold winter's day?"

 

"I have no regrets," Ringo said. "I think it's what it was, when it was and it's great." Starr recalled that the Beatles had considered doing a show somewhere, the pyramids or Hawaii "in the volcano." "You know, you have all these big grandiose ideas, then you say, "Sod it. Let's just do it on the roof." 

 

"The Beatles were like that," he said. "We had big plans, but in the end, let's get the job done. And we just did it."

 

"We just did those numbers. It was real easy and we had people all around on the roofs. So that was the audience. It wasn't a big deal. You got what you got and I hope you enjoyed it."

 

Ringo noted that the police came during the show to stop the concert. "And I was on the drum set saying, 'Drag me off. It'll be so dramatic for the camera. And the damn cop wouldn't drag me off," he said with a laugh. 

 

Did the Beatles ever feel like they were becoming the forefront of a political movement? ," Brand asked him. No," said Ringo. "We just felt that peace and love was the way to go."

 

A female fan asked Ringo about Gene Autry's influence on his career and he liked the icon of the American cowboy? "I'm into country music, but I'm also into cowboys from when I was a kid," he said. "We'd go to the Saturday morning cinema in England. Whatever was on, like a superhero, we'd all put our raincoats like a cape." 

 

He said Gene Autry's music was a huge influence. "Gene Autry did 'South of the Border.' It was just one of those tracks that really moved me. I've always been a fan of Gene Autry." 

Ringo said when he came to America, "I thought you were all cowboys." He got a surprise when he went to Texas. "It was cold and rainy. I always thought the whole West was just sunlight every day."

 

The next questioner mentioned the passing of Clarence Clemons, who was in Ringo's first All-Starr Band, and whether there would be more All-Starr Bands. "To answer that question, yes," and discussed the first All-Starrs.

 

"Clarance was great and you're talking about the first All-Starr Band I put together, which was more like the All-Starr Orchestra because I'd never done it before. I was so insecure. I had a lot of guitars. I had three drummers. Besides myself, I had Levon Helm and Jim Keltner. We had the mighty Joe Walsh playing guitar. And Nils Lofgrin and Dr. John. It was just huge. Billy Preston who we mentioned before. And it was just great. Just called everybody and said, 'Some guy's come to me about going on tour. And I just phoned all these people and I said, 'Do you want to come with me? And they all said, 'Yes.' So it just got bigger and bigger." 

 

 "This year, we will be touring America. But I'm not telling you who's in the band till after we've done the promotion for the record," he said. "So we can start again."

 

"To generate excitement," Brand interjected. "Exactly," said Ringo.