Ringo Starr Brings His All-Starr Band To North America

Andy Martin Jr. – Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band
At Durham PAC in North Carolina June 22, 2014.

St. Louis, Boston, Chicago and San Diego are just some of the cities hosting Ringo Starr and the 2018 edition of his All Starr Band.

The lineup is slightly different this time around.  Most notable is the absence of longtime All Starr veteran Todd Rundgren, who is spending the first half of this year reuniting with his Utopia bandmates.

As always, Starr has packed his band with talent.  This year’s lineup includes former Men At Work frontman Colin Hay; Toto’s Steve Lukather, Gregg Rolie of Santana and Journey fame, and new member Graham Gouldman of 10cc.  Warren Ham, who has toured with Donna Summer, Kansas and Toto, plays sax on this tour.  Gregg Bissonette, whose credits include Santana, Toto and David Lee Roth’s band, handles drums.

Ringo was in the news earlier this week when the former Beatle was knighted during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. 

John Stillwell/Pool Photo via AP – Ringo Starr
Poses for photographers after being awarded a knighthood, during an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, in London.

It wasn’t the first time the drummer received a royal honor.  He and his fellow Beatles were awarded the MBE 53 years ago.  Starr told the BBC that he missed having John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison with him during the ceremony.

“I was a bit shaky today on my own,” Starr said. 

Touring Europe June through July, Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band begin the North America adventure Sept. 1 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Okla.  Destinations include Radio City Music Hall in New York, Fox Theatre in St. Louis, and the Paramount Theatre in Denver before concluding the tour at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

Ringo toured his first All Starr band in 1989 with a lineup that included Joe Walsh, Nils Lofgren, Dr. John, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Clarence Clemons and Jim Keltner. 

The 2017 lineup included Lukather, Rolie, Rundgren, Bissonette, Ham, Mark Rivera (Billy Joel), and Richard Page (Mr. Mister).  Box office number submitted to Pollstar depict attendance ranging from 73 percent to sold-out rooms.  The band’s November appearance at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre sold 4,365 of 4,425 tickets available and grossed $340,648.  A sold-out November show at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, N.J., moved 1,283 tickets for a $198,026 evening’s gross.

Onsale dates vary depending on venues.  Keep following Pollstar’s Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band page for further developments.