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In 1989, thanks to producer David Fishof, who envisioned a show where "everybody onstage is a star in their own right."
Sounds like: The Travelling Wilburys with a stoned Caveman on vocals.
For fans of: The Beatles, Toto, Journey, Santana, Mr. Mister, Todd Rundgren and people who like to sneak joints into Edgefield on a sunny summer's eve.
Why you care: Though he is sometimes the butt of jokes, it's next to impossible to dislike Ringo Starr. In his own words, "I've always been more of an optimist than a pessimist—that's just how I was born." It took a healthy outlook to rise from the ashes of the Liverpool skiffle scene to the greatest heights of world notoriety, but his bubbling enthusiasm, unwavering backbeat and talented friends have always buoyed the man in perpetual Starrdom. Without the Beatles in tow, Starr's solo output has always been a mixed bag—luckily, his copper throat and basic arrangements are supported by a host of rock legends. For his latest solo album, Ringo 2012, Joe Walsh peels off blues licks on nine Beatlesque tracks of wistful and glib pop-rock tunes. Starr nods to his hero Buddy Holly on a cover of "Think It Over" and gives the Starr treatment to Leadbelly-via-Lonnie Donegan on "Rock Island Line." But the real album highlight occurs when the arrangements get weirdly brilliant thanks to a Van Dyke Parks' collaboration on "Samba." Starr's handful of hits will get the All Starr treatment this evening, with a little help from his friends Steve Lukather (Toto), Gregg Rolie (Santana, Journey), Richard Page (Mr. Mister), Todd Rundgren, Mark Rivera and Gregg Bissonette.
SEE IT: Ringo Starr & His 13th All Starr Band play Edgefield on Sunday, July 15. 6:30 pm. $93 reserved ticket, $53 general admission. All ages.
WWeek 2015
