Ringo Starr on Tour
In 1989, the world's favorite Liverpudlian singer and drummer put together a new kind of touring band that would redefine his solo career as well as make major inroads in the classic rock realm. That was the year Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band played their first tour, with the former Beatle backed by a band full of rock stars in their own right, each taking their own turns in the spotlight to perform their biggest tunes when they weren't busy supporting Ringo. He's kept the band going ever since, and over the years it has included the likes of Joe Walsh, Dr. John, Billy Preston, Peter Frampton, Greg Lake, Sheila E., Billy Squier and Edgar Winter. Not that hearing Ringo perform his solo hits and his tunes from the Fab Four years isn't compelling on its own, but getting a constantly shifting batch of classic rock hits delivered by their originators is an undeniably attractive bonus.
Ringo Starr in Concert
As great a drummer as Ringo Starr is, he was always something more. From the very first Beatles album in 1963, Ringo made it clear that his homespun vocal style and personal charm could come across on record as clearly as his drumming. During his world-changing tenure with The Beatles, he sang lead on some of their most beloved songs, including "With a Little Help From My Friends," "Yellow Submarine" and "Octopus's Garden." Ringo's gift carried over to his solo career too, and in the 1970s he enjoyed a long string of huge solo hits, including "It Don't Come Easy," "Photograph," "You're Sixteen" and "No No Song." Though Ringo also maintained an occasional sideline acting in films and had a run on children's TV shows in the 1980s, he never stopped turning out new material. And when he hit upon the idea of an ever-changing all-star backing band for his tours, including a shifting selection of rock legends singing their own hits as well as backing the boss, Ringo brought a whole new slant to his solo career.
