Calgary Journal Online

Former Beatle and his All-Starr Band to perform for first time in Western Canada this month

When people are asked which of the Beatles they’d like to see perform a solo concert, it’s unlikely that Ringo Starr will top that list.

Even though the famed drummer and Paul McCartney are the only surviving members of the Fab Four, McCartney naturally carries considerably more cache as a performer and solo star than the once-nicknamed “Funny One.”

Ringo Starr, 70 years of age and still winning audiences the world over. If he keeps it up, he'll be bigger than the Beatles.

Photo: Courtesy of http://www.mytimesdispatch.com

Nevertheless, perhaps it was this relative lack of notoriety that allowed Starr to mark out the most casual and down-to-earth solo career out of any of the Beatles after their acrimonious break up in 1970.

While the rest of his former bandmates had to prove themselves as worthy of the public’s attention early and often, Starr was able to relax and simply do whatever he wanted: his audience’s expectations were low enough that he could often surprise with rarely-before-tapped skills as a songwriter of easy-listening tunes.

Immediately following the Beatles’ break up, Starr was the most prolific out of his bandmates, releasing two studio albums before the end of 1970: Sentimental Journey, a collection of rock standards featuring arrangements by McCartney and Quincy Jones, among others, and Beaucoups of Blues, which had a more country feel.

Both albums were moderate critical and commercial successes.

After that initial burst of productivity, Starr’s album releases became more sporadic, taking long breaks in between records to tour extensively and play with other artists on their records.

While Starr had a few hits in the early post-Beatles years – “Photograph,” co-written with Harrison, hit number one in 1973, as did his cover of the Sherman Brothers’ “You’re Sixteen” in 1974 – his presence in the charts and the mainstream public’s favour diminished as the decade wore on, especially due to his record company’s insistence on Starr to take a misguided foray into smoothed-out disco music.

Starr’s professional decline mirrored a personal one, as his addiction to alcohol that started as far back as his famous band’s demise led him into a downward spiral of depression and loneliness. His marriage to Maureen Cox ended in 1975 after 10 years, and despite marrying Barbara Bach in 1981, she joined him on his trip to the bottom.

“Barbara fell into the trap because of me,” Starr admitted to People Magazine in 1989, after completing a six-week detox program in Tuscon, Arizona with Bach. “She was an actress who used to go to bed at 10 at night and get up at 8 in the morning. Till we met. Then her career went the same way as mine. I did two records, a few shows. But working two days a year is not having a career.”

After getting clean, Starr got back into the game by harnessing his natural ability to work with just about anyone. His collaborative spirit made him an in-demand and willing session musician in the 1970s, and is perhaps why he continued to work with McCartney, Lennon and Harrison on their respective debut solo records and beyond; despite the fact that those three refused to speak to each other until much later down the line, they all individually got along with Ringo.

Starr’s friendly working style led him and tour producer David Fishof to create “Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band,” which brought together other musicians who were famous in their own right for a hit-packed concert tour that would feature Starr singing Beatles hits that featured him on lead vocals – including “Yellow Submarine” and “With a Little Help from My Friends” – and solo hits, and also let the spotlight shine on the other members of the group, who would each sing at least one of their own hits.

The first lineup of the All-Star Band, who went on the road in 1989, included Joe Walsh of the Eagles, three former members of The Band, two from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Billy Preston and Dr. John.

Future lineups would include such luminaries as Todd Rundgren, Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman of the Guess Who, Jack Bruce of Cream, Peter Frampton, John Entwistle of the Who, and even Starr’s son Zak Starkey.

It’s his 11th iteration of his All-Starr Band – which includes guitar great Edgar Winter and ‘70s crooner Gary Wright – that will be hitting Calgary’s Jubilee Auditorium on July 28, marking the very first time Starr has performed in western Canada.

The event is being presented by the Event Group in partnership with the Owen Hart Foundation, who will collect proceeds from the ticket sales for this latest entry in their line of annual charity concerts.

Judging by the enormous response to the arrival of the man once known as Richard Starkey, it can be safe to say that, rather than audiences simply settling for the Beatle least likely to remain a part of the current musical landscape, Ringo is being met with the anticipation and respect he deserves. Suffice to say, no one will be missing Paul McCartney.

John Lennon said it best before his death in 1980: “Ringo is a damn good drummer.”

Calgary audiences will get to see Ringo’s famous bobble-head drumming style and more at the end of the month.