Legendary Beatle Ringo Starr Celebrates Milestone Birthday

ACROSS AMERICA — Want to feel really old all of a sudden? Let this sink in for a moment: Ringo Starr turned 80 today. That's right, 80! He looks nowhere near his age, but the fact remains that the oldest member of the Beatles has a great-grandson who is four years old.

Some of you may remember the young mop-tops who shook their heads singing "woooooo" when they came to the U.S. from England in 1964. Others will recall the long-haired Fab Four which produced classic albums such as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Abbey Road."

Not many will believe that in the first five years following the group's breakup in 1970, Ringo technically had the most successful solo career of the four Beatles on the Billboard charts. He scored eight consecutive top 10 hits, including a pair of No. 1 singles in 1973: "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen."

In lieu of his customary birthday celebration, Starr has arranged a virtual charity concert on YouTube called Ringo's Big Birthday Show. Among the guests are former bandmate Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Ben Harper, Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark Jr. and Sheila E. The concert is slated to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and will benefit Black Lives Matter, The David Lynch Foundation, MusiCares and WaterAid.

He has been inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: with the Beatles in 1988 and on the basis of his solo career in 2015. He has released 20 solo albums, and since 1989, has toured with 13 different incarnations of his All-Starr Band.

Connecticut, in particular the Mohegan Sun Arena, has been a frequent stop for Ringo and his ever-changing bandmates. I have reviewed many shows at the arena over the past two decades, from Van Halen to Kenny Rogers to Earth, Wind & Fire, but in 2003, I had the pleasure of taking in Ringo's traveling troupe for the first time, and from primo seats: second row center.

An All-Starr Band show is like no other. Each of the musicians is an established performer in their own right, and the hits they produced in their prime are a huge part of the production. Among the dozens of band members over the years have been Joe Walsh, Clarence Clemons, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Peter Frampton, Stevie Nicks, Todd Rundgren, Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer.

In 2003, Ringo's band included Colin Hay (Men At Work), Paul Carrack (Ace, Squeeze), John Waite (The Babys), percussionist Sheila E. and longtime associate Mark Rivera. Each had their share of time in the spotlight, with Ringo opening with his first big solo hit, "It Don't Come Easy." The 26-song set included 1980s smashes like "Down Under," "Tempted," "Missing You" and "The Glamorous Life," as well as Beatles and Ringo classics such as "Yellow Submarine," "Don't Pass Me By," "The No No Song" and the singalong finale for the sold-out crowd, "With a Little Help From My Friends."

This was not my first brush with the Beatles. A year earlier, I was present in Madison Square Garden in New York City when Paul McCartney's performance was recorded and released as his "Back In the U.S.A." live album. In 1999 at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, Massachusetts, a friend and I attended a multimedia presentation, "The Making of Sgt. Pepper," with legendary producer Sir George Martin. Somehow, following the show Mike and I ended up sipping tea in the man's dressing room, where we were introduced to his wife and son.

What about you? Have you ever met a Beatle, or seen a live performance by either the group or any individual members? Tell us your story in the comments section below. Meanwhile, to use Ringo's motto: "Peace and love."

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