The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 96

Page 20 The Palm Beach Post MAY 16, 1997 TGIF Ringo, with a little help from his friends Q. Are you a mod or a rocker? A. I'm a mocker. Ringo in A Hard Day's Night "Ringo is Ringo, that's all there is to it. And Ex-Beatle's band has an English accent he every bloody bit as warm, unassuming, funny and kind as he seems.

He was quite simply the heart of the Beatles." John Lennon Willtf-fe1, "I started to be an engineer, but I banged me thumb on the first day. I became a drummer because it was the only thing I could do. But whenever I hear another drummer I know I'm no good." Ringo Lennon "Ringo Starr is still an underrated drummer. To begin with, he keeps flawless time, never giving in to the tendency to rush or slow down His role in the band is impossible to discount." Beatles writer Tim Riley "It must have been very hard for the Beatles to play with all those kids screaming and Ringo held those concerts together. They were following him, he wasn't following them." singer-songwriter Richard Thompson "About the most remarkable thing Ringo has is this unique and very funny way of looking at the world.

Ringo's quirky vision comes out particularly in his use of language." Beatles producer George Martin "Whatever happened between Rich and me, he's been a good father to our i Oh 'A By GENE STOUT Seattle Post-Intelligencer The British are coming. And Ringo Starr is leading the charge. The former Beatle's fourth All-Starr Band features an all-British lineup: guitarist Peter Frampton, keyboardist Gary Brooker (of Procol Harum), bassist Jack Bruce (of Cream) and drummer Simon Kirke (of Bad Company). Sax player Mark Rivera (of Billy Joel's band) is the token American. Guitarist Dave Mason (of Traffic), who was also in the lineup, left the tour for personal reasons, according to a band spokesperson.

Starr and longtime producer David Fishoff started assembling band No. 4 months ago. "We started with Jack Bruce and Garry Brooker and we said, 'Why don't we have an all-British band this Starr said by phone from his Los Angeles office. "So that's the hook for this year." Starr hopes the tour will provide concertgoers with a perspective on rock and pop of the '60s and 70s, from Yellow Submarine and You're Sixteen to Signed, Sealed, Delivered and A Whiter Shade of Pale. "To me, A Whiter Shade of Pale is a definitive '60s record.

It's a thrill to be able to play that every night," Starr said. "And to play those great Cream songs with Jack (Bruce) Sunshine of Your Love and White Room that's what this band is all about." The five-week All-Starr tour began in Seattle and comes to the Sunrise Theatre in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. It concludes June 7 at Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wan-taugh, N.Y. "We just try to have fun," Stan-said. "At the end of the tour, we'll all go our separate ways." Previous tours, which have played at larger venues, included such rock veterans as Rick Danko, Dave Edmunds, Billy Preston, Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, John Entwistle and Starr's son, Zak Star-key.

This year, Zak is touring with The Who. "It's one of his hero bands from childhood," Starr said. "And it's so beautiful as a father to see one of your children's biggest dreams come true." Starr's dreams came true years ago as a member of The Beatles, which turned the rock 'n' roll world upside down. Three decades later, in the fall of 1995, nearly 150 million 'St. kids.

former wife Maureen Starkey (Ringo's real name is Richard Starkey; he got the nickname Ringo because he liked to wear rings on his fingers.) "You can't fabricate charm, and Richie has charm." current wife and former Bond Girl, Barbara Bach. 'ft fA RINGO ON THE ROAD: For his fourth All-Starr Band tour since since 1989, Ringo Starr has gathered a group of noted British musicians. RINGO STARR AND HIS ALL-STARR BAND: Saturday at Sunrise Musical Theatre. Tickets: Phone: (954) 741-7300. Bach Me very iaia uacK ana very generous.

His idea is that you're not backup musicians playing Ringo songs, but a band that plays everybody's music as well as we can." guitarist Nils Lofgren "Dad is a fun guy to be around. I always have a laugh and a good time when I'm with him, but the thing I admire about him most is the way he cleaned up his act. We used to hang out together and have a beer and it's no different now, except we don't have the beer." son and fellow drummer Zak Starkey W7 TV viewers watched the group's bio-epic, Anthology, while fans snapped up more than 20 million copies of the series of Beatles Anthology CDs. Starr is working on another solo album, due late in the year, and recently played drums and sang on Paul McCartney's new album, due out next week. But he dismissed questions about the surviving Beatles' future.

"I have no plans with the other boys," he said. Starr said he hopes to put together another All-Starr Band in a year or two. "The great thing about being a musician is that as long as I can hold the sticks I'll be able to drum," he said. "But when they start falling out of my hands, it'll be time to call it a day." McCartney "Ringo's just a lad. And now that's he all dried out.

he's i just a lovable, interesting, intelligent bloke." Paul McCartney "We were four guys who really loved each other." Ringo on the Beatles 4 hi PETER PULLS SOME STRINGS: Expect Peter Frampton to perform some of his hits..