Ringo Starr Gets Help From Friends Billy Strings, Jack White, Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow At The Ryman

As reported, Ringo Starr took the stage at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday for his first of two shows filmed for the forthcoming CBS concert special Ringo & Friends At The Ryman. The Beatles drummer was joined by an impressive roster of special guests that included Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Jack White, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Brenda Lee, Rodney Crowell, Mickey Guyton, Sarah Jarosz, Jamey Johnson, The War and Treaty and Larkin Poe.

The concerts were put together by acclaimed producer T Bone Burnett who worked with Starr on his new country album, Look Up. Ringo is donating his proceeds from the two-night stand to those affected by the California wildfires via the American Red Cross.

Burnett on guitar assembled a house band featuring Nashville in-demand musician Dennis Crouch on double bass, original All Starr Band drummer Jim Keltner and the renowned Greg Leisz on pedal steel. Ringo swapped between drums and frontman throughout the night and let the guests play without him at other points.

Huge Beatle fan Jack White led the ensemble on Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox,” a song The Beatles covered often during their early days, to kick off the show. Solo hit “It Don’t Come Easy” followed along with Look Up tune “Time On My Hands.” Starr then vacated the stage as Tuttle fronted “Octopus’ Garden” and White sang fellow Beatles classic “Don’t Pass Me By.”

Ringo Starr returned for Look Up’s “Thankful” and called upon Billy Strings to perform “Honey Don’t,” another song penned by Carl Perkins. The War And Treaty then went it alone for “Without Her” from Starr’s Beaucoups of Blues album. Sheryl Crow and Molly Tuttle shared vocal duties on the ensuing “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party” before Ringo got behind the kit and sang “Boys” to end the evening’s first set.

Starr began the second set by teaming with the house band for solo hits “Have You Seen My Baby” and “You Don’t Know Me At All.” Ringo then followed with a cover of “Act Naturally” oft played by The Beatles and “I Wanna Be Your Man” from his time in the Fab Four. The drummer returned to the kit for a “What Goes On” featuring Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle. He then performed “Look Up,” which was stopped and restarted due to technical difficulties.

Ringo was then showcased on “Photograph,” one of his biggest solo hits. All of the evening’s guests helped Starr close out the night by loading the stage for beloved Beatles favorites “Yellow Submarine” and “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Ringo Starr & Friends return to the “Mother Church of Country Music” tonight.

Check out a collection of fan-shot video clips and photos from Ringo’s first show at The Ryman below: