OT: Ringo is 70!

[zilboy]

Love him or hate him (I love him), one of the most influential drummers of all time is 70 today 7/7/10.

Happy Birthday, Ringo!!!

[ltwoman]

Happy Birthday, Ringo! (another July great!) He was the drummer who started it all for me, even though I didn't know it at the time!

[sockii]

Happy Birthday, Ringo! (another July great!) He was the drummer who started it all for me, even though I didn't know it at the time!

Me too! Ringo was my first rockstar "crush" when I was all of about 5 years old. Probably the start of my lifelong obsession with drumming and drummers...

[TheEqualizer]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/153483

QUOTE

For about 30 seconds it seemed like Ringo Starr's 70th birthday concert at Radio City Music Hall earlier tonight was over. An incredible assemblage of rock stars including Yoko Ono, Joe Walsh, Steve Van Zandt, Angus Young, Jeff Lynne, Nils Lofgren, Max Weinberg and Foreigner's Mick Jones had just left the stage following a massive singalong rendition of "With a Little Help From My Friends" that felt like the grand finale to an incredible night. Then, just as the house lights threatened to rise, a roadie brought out Paul McCartney's signature Hofner bass and the sell-out crowd went into absolute hysterics. When McCartney himself ran onstage and burst into (of course) the White Album's "Birthday," the screams reached a decibel level rarely heard since the Beatles stopped touring nearly 45 years ago.

Two hours earlier the concert began just like hundreds of other Ringo Starr concerts over the past two decades: The Beatle and an assortment of "All Starr" musicians took the stage and opened with the drummer's 1971 solo hit "It Don't Come Easy." To qualify as an All-Star, a rocker has to be the singer on at least two well-known hits, and play an instrument that rounds out the band. This year's crop includes keyboardists Edgar Winter and Gary "Dream Weaver" Wright, guitarists Rick Derringer and the Romantics' Wally Palmer and bassist Richard Page of Mr. Mister. On paper the set list — where Beatles classics like "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Boys," are joined by 1980s pop like "Broken Wings" and "Talking in Your Sleep" — may seem like the playlist from a demented Bar Mitzvah in 1986, but somehow it all flows quite naturally onstage.

The MVP of the evening was Derringer, whose spotlight tracks "Hang On Sloopy" and "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo" were clear highlights, and whose killer guitar chops elevated every single song of the evening. Derringer's former bandmate Winter was also a quintessential part of the ensemble, playing everything from saxophone to drums to a giant keyboard strapped around his neck. It's hard to imagine how many times he's played "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride," but he delivered them with incredible gusto and got a standing ovation each time. Wright brought out "Dreamweaver" early in the evening, but his voice isn't what it used to be and it didn't quite take off. Palmer came alive with the Romantics' 1979 classic "What I Like About You," while Page seemed to struggle a bit to hit the high notes on "Broken Wings."

Ringo wisely never let too much time pass without taking a turn at the mike. All-Starr band standards "Back Off Boogaloo," "Act Naturally," "Boys" and "Yellow Submarine" were supplemented by two tracks from his new album Y Not. It's hard to believe he's now 70, since he still leaps around the stage like he did 20 years ago and his voice is as strong as it ever was. "Photograph" was particularly poignant, both because it addresses the passing of time and because it was written by George Harrison," a fact that added special meaning to lines like "I want you here to have and hold as the years go by and we grow old and gray."

Midway through "Broken Wings," a murmur erupted through the hall as many of the rock stars in the audience suddenly got out of their seats and began walking towards the lobby. Out of the darkness came Young, Walsh, Lynne, Ono and more big names. Ringo's son Zak stepped behind the drum kit as a small army of rock stars took the stage to sing backup on "A Little Help From My Friends." It was incredible, but not the finale everybody was praying for, which came mere minutes later when McCartney arrived to accompany Ringo (on drums) for the rollicking "Birthday." It was sadly the closest thing to a Beatles reunion possible these days (the two had previously teamed up at a benefit in April 2009). At the end, with Yoko beaming on the side of the stage, Paul and Ringo embraced before walking offstage to what must have been one hell of an afterparty.

END QUOTE

[sockii]

Holy fuck, that sounds like one hell of a show.

[njperry]

Sorry to have missed that show. Sounds awesome.

I am a Ringo fan. I have see him and his All Starrs twice and enjoyed both shows very much.

His 1973 album Ringo is a great album and contains songs written and performed by all 4 Beatles.

[jeffseitz]

As a crazed young Beatles fan and aspiring young drummer, my daydream of sitting in on drums for an ailing Ringo never materialized until my 30s, when I was asked to perform with The Police for an ailing SC! One great drummer daydream in exchange for performing as a substitute for another great drummer was a magical fulfillment.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RINGO! Peace and Love!

[smudge]

Fellow Ringophiles might enjoy this: (edit - it's another angle on the RS thing, link courtesy of the estimable Mike Scott (@mickpuck) http://bit.ly/cUYNv3)

(Jeff, your post sent me off into an alternate universe where you sat in for a sickly Ringo one night, and Mr Copeland narrated Thomas the Tank Engine....)

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Just as an aside, there's a McCartney/Starr duet ("Walk With You") on Ringo's new album that's a must-hear if you're a fan. Makes me tear up, every time...those two together after all this time.

I really thought about this Ringo tour but I wasn't as nuts about the All-Starrs this go-round (the guy from Mister Mister? What? just sorry I missed Dave Edmunds, tho Edgar Winter in '08 was great.) Now I wish I'd bought a plane ticket for NYC, natch, but at least it's only two weeks till Macca plays Nashville.

Hope Mr. Starkey had a peaceful, lovely birthday. He's just the best.

[njperry]

Does anyone know if the concert is going to be broadcast or released on DVD?

[njperry]

I was listening to the John Lennon written song I'm the Greatest from the album Ringo where Ringo sings, "I am only 32."

Can't beleive it has been 38 years since then.