Ringo Starr’s 85th Birthday Celebration
Ringo Starr’s birthday party in Beverly Hills was an opportunity for T Bone Burnett to address what he considers an eternal debate. "I’d like to say that there’s a controversy about Ringo Starr’s drumming," said the producer emcee. "The question is, is he a great drummer or is he the greatest drummer?" This problem has likely been settled for most of the dozens of friends, family members, and guests who attended the celebration at the Beverly Hills Garden Park.
A Tribute to Ringo Starr
Burnett praised Ringo Starr’s percussion skills, but also his extraordinary power for good in the world. "You know, Ringo is an extraordinary force for good things in the world. There’s no one like him – nobody can spread goodwill more than Ringo." The semi-public, half-private event featured a garden party filled with celebrities, live-streamed on July 7, allowing followers of the former Beatle to sing or scream his catchphrase "Peace and Love" at noon.
A Star-Studded Performance
This year’s tradition included a short concert featuring Ringo Starr’s hits, curated by Burnett and performed by a lineup that included Jackson Browne, Sam Phillips, Lucius, and Molly Tuttle. Starr had published his phone number to make his personal livestream of these cover versions of his songs to a one-man audience. After the last number, he stood up from the front row of folding chairs planted in the grass and held his cell phone up, telling the audience, "Just to let you know, Paul found it great!"
Performers Pay Tribute
Tuttle, the young Bluegrass-Pop performer, was the first to take the stage and sang "Octopus’ Garden" after being introduced by Burnett as "my guarantor, my beams, my steamy guarantor player," and also his favorite singer. She had recently appeared in a Nashville Network homage to Ringo and was enthusiastic about meeting her expectations. "This is my third show with Ringo, and it was so much fun. I was just overjoyed to be here for his birthday party," she said. "I grew up with Ringo, but then his joy and love are contagious for everyone."
More Performers Join In
From then on, every new singer who came onto the stage stayed on board to sing with what came next. Sam Phillips joined Tuttle to sing Ringo’s solo hit from the early 70s "Photograph." The duo Lucius then appeared to take the lead on "Yellow Submarine," including a variation of the birthday song with nautical parts. Jackson Browne’s turn came with "Act Natural," a cover of the Beatles’ cover by Buck Owens. And then the complete lineup for "A Little Help from My Friends," which the band had rehearsed, did not meet the singers, and had drummer Gregg Bissonette fill in some of the lines that nobody else seemed quite prepared for.
Special Guests and Memories
The long-time BFF Joe Walsh also got up to take part in the sing-alongs. The crackerjack band, which was seen by the party visitors in Beverly Hills (and by Paul McCartney, somewhere out there), was mainly a supplement to the T-Bone Burnett All-Stars, including David Mansfield, Dennis Crouch, and Colin Linden, as well as Bissonette, who plays in Starr’s Touring All-Star Band and John Jorgenson. Walsh shared some memories of his time with Ringo, saying, "I was a really stupid guy in Montclair, New Jersey in high school, and I washed the dishes on an ice cream, and while I washed the dishes, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ came on. Because I had no idea in the kitchen and said, ‘What the hell is that?’ Is Ringo."
A New Album in the Works
After the performances, Burnett introduced an additional musician who had volunteered to give a short lesson in the trademark of Ringo Starr: Fred Armisen. "There is no greater drummer in the world," Armisen said when he sat on the kit. "So I will make an impression of Ringo’s drums, because if he plays, if you ever watch him, he actually dances while he’s playing – it’s a nice thing – (even as) he puts on such a heavy beat." Starr drove up on the acclaim for the "Look Up" album, and the good news, said Burnett backstage, is that there is already a follow-up in the works.
The Next Album
"We are already halfway to another record, with many of the same people," said Burnett. "Molly’s so far played on four songs. I mean she killed this song this morning, ‘Octopus’ Garden’ – as you know, a country song. I don’t think that at that time people considered it as a country song, but all things from Ringo are basically country music. He is a kind of hillbilly in my heart, I think." The sequel will likely be in the same vein, with Burnett saying, "Yes, I think it will be. He calls it ‘Look Up II.’ But it is interesting. He only returned a little on the new album and continued on the same track." This next iteration will be a little more hardcore rockabilly because, as Burnett noted, Ringo’s early stuff with the Beatles, like "Honey Don’t," was basically rockabilly music.
Ringo’s Gentle Side
But Burnett also loves Ringo’s gentle side, citing the Harry Nilsson song "Easy for Me" (from the album "Goodnight Vienna" from 1974) as a favorite. "This is a song in which I really learned and understood Ringo’s voice – and probably, I think it’s his true voice in this song, that’s an important song for me." Burnett has different efforts to get Ringo to pick up on his ideas, whether he wants to or not. "He does about two tours a year with the All-Starr Band. I don’t know if he will ever go into it, but I would like to make a show with all these musicians who only focus on Ringo."
No Signs of Slowing Down
There is one thing, anyway, that Burnett can say with confidence: "I don’t think one of us is ready to get to the pasture, do you know?" Ringo Starr’s 85th birthday celebration was a testament to his enduring legacy and his continued passion for music. With a new album in the works and a star-studded performance to mark the occasion, Ringo Starr shows no signs of slowing down.
