In 2012, legendary Beatles drummer Ringo Starr celebrated his 72nd birthday at Nashville’s own Ryman Auditorium, with a star-studded bash that ultimately ended up being filmed and released on DVD as Ringo at The Ryman. Four years later, the “Yellow Submarine” singer and his long-running supergroup, Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, are finally set to return to The Ryman for not one, but two shows this weekend, Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19. Aside from Beatles hits and Starr’s solo material, the All Starrs perform a variety of other tunes, including cuts from other members’ projects like Toto, Utopia, and Mr. Mister. Sure, of the two living Beatles his presence and continued output may be overshadowed by Paul, but Ringo is still 1/4 of arguably the best rock group of all time, and any chance to experience a musician of his pedigree live in any context is sure to be memorable. Sunday’s show sold out after we announced it earlier this year, but you can snag tickets for Saturday, and, as of writing, there are some pretty great seat still available right here! Grab your spot, and read on for a little more about the All Starrs!
Though he songwriting output during his time in The Beatles was greatly dwarfed by the duo of Lennon and McCartney, Ringo Starr, nonetheless, sang on and/or penned a handful of the group’s classics, like “Don’t Pass Me By,” “What Goes On,” and of course “Yellow Submarine” and “With a Little Help from My Friends.” While he and the boys were all on the rocks by the end, Starr apparently going so far as to briefly quit and rejoin, he remained the group’s backbone through a prolific eight year run, replacing short-lived original drummer Pete Best in ’62. Following the band’s split in 1970, Ringo released his debut solo album, Sentimental Journey, that same year, and continued to collaborate with his former bandmates off and on on an individual capacity throughout the ’70s. Further releases would continue into the early ’80s, while Ringo took time to explore other ventures, eventually refocusing on music, getting sober, and putting together the first version of the All Starr Band in 1989. Since then, 12 incarnations of the supergroup have toured the world, always featuring a talented roster of members of other well known acts, and often boasting some huge special guests. While Ringo has continued to intermittently release original music, the All Starrs tend to cover tunes from their respective projects, though several live albums have been released over the years. A superstar rock elder statesman, Ringo severs as something of a frontman and bandleader, keeping this unique and hardworking project going year after year. If you’re looking for a Beatles show, this isn’t quite it, but if you’re interested in navigating the waters of decades of popular music, performed by many key figures in its creation, you’re going to have a blast with Ringo & His All Starr Band!
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band will perform Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19 at The Ryman Auditorium. The shows are all ages, both begin at 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.), and tickets for Saturday are available for $50-150, while tickets for Sunday are sold out.