Todd Rundgren Claims Ringo Starr Is Only Beatle Who Survived

Todd Rundgren believes Ringo Starr stands alone as the only member of the Beatles who successfully navigated life after the Fab Four relatively unscathed. During a recent interview with Vulture, the veteran rocker and producer argued that John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison were never quite able to escape their joint legacy.

Why Ringo Survived the Beatles’ Shadow

According to Rundgren, Starr eventually managed to move past his historic role and simply become himself. By contrast, he suggested that his former bandmates carried lingering burdens. Turning his attention to McCartney, Rundgren claimed, “Paul McCartney, even today, is so afraid that people forget who he is that he’ll show up at a mall opening.”

Reflecting on his time playing in Starr’s All-Starr Band across multiple stints between 1992 and 2017, Rundgren noted that Starr’s path wasn’t entirely smooth. Following the Beatles’ breakup, Starr avoided touring due to stage shyness. Ten years later, a return to playing led to personal turbulence and a period of heavy partying alongside Harry Nilsson before entering rehab and establishing the All-Starr Band.

“Ringo finally got over being a Beatle and became Ringo,” Rundgren said. He recalled that early on in the All-Starr tours, Starr feared being mobbed in public and would ignore everyone around him, whereas later tours found him comfortable interacting directly with fans.

The Reality of Touring in the All-Starr Band

Rundgren praised Starr’s remarkable physical discipline, describing him as “so freaking healthy” and running on his own strict regimen. He also fondly recalled the luxuries of traveling via private jet and staying in the same hotels as the drummer.

However, that luxury came with creative limitations. Explaining why he eventually stepped away after a particularly stable four-and-a-half-year lineup that included Steve Lukather and Greg Rolie, Rundgren admitted, “The only problem for me was after nearly five years, it’s exactly the same show every night with the same jokes and everything. At a certain point, I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I need to feel like I’m moving and evolving to a certain degree.”