Ringo Starr On The Opry

Mike Dennis · Post by **Mike Dennis** » 30 May 2000 8:11 am

According to country radio news... Ringo Starr and his band want to perform at the Opry...

Remember Ringo sang "Act Naturally" with the Beatles.

Interesting...

but, no doubt, shocking to you traditionalists aye?

Well what the heck... who doesn't want to play The Opry?

Go for it Ringo...

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 30 May 2000 12:46 pm

Ringo was always a big country fan, even as a kid, and turned Lennon and McCartney on to it by playing them his american country collection. They liked it as well-after all it is a writer's style-and soon had a ton of country stuff. They were also SERIOUSLY hooked on it after Dylan did Nashville Skyline. Dylan was about the only guy they were in awe of, (Brian Wilson aside), and when he did a country record, that was it-country was cool. After that, there was always a Country tune around for Ringo to sing. And since the Beatles were doing it, that made it mandatory for everyone else on the British scene.

The Stones later had a great deal of success with country stylings, but it was long after the Beatles had been there, done that. Wild Horses and Dead Flowers came through their association with Gram Parsons.

So, in a way of speaking, Ringo DESERVES a shot on the opry stage. To be fair, he's a lot more country than what you see there now anymore. And I'll bet he'd be pretty good.

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Better Late than Never!
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel

[This message was edited by JB Arnold on 30 May 2000 at 01:53 PM.]

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 30 May 2000 1:12 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Ringo DESERVES a shot
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, give the kid a chance. Who knows; he might have the potential to really go somewhere.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 30 May 2000 1:56 pm

He'd fit in nicely with the current Nashville commerical country and with the Opry management's concept of what should be presented on the Opry. I think he's going to do a show at the Roy Acuff theater next door.

Besides, he's been on Hee Haw so that makes hime eligible for the Opry.....

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 30 May 2000 3:56 pm

Yeah, and he was "Mr. Conductor" on Shining Time Station, too. So, that makes him... ??

Jerry Bruner · Post by **Jerry Bruner** » 30 May 2000 4:00 pm

Back in 1970, Ringo Starr recorded a country album, titled "Beaucoups of Blues", which featured a lot of the Nashville studio players of the day, including Pete Drake, Charlie McCoy, Roy Huskey Jr. and Jerry Kennedy. Charlie Daniels also played on that album. No commercial success for this LP, but it furthers the notion that Ringo was a country fan. He also recorded a Hoyt Axton tune 4 or 5 years later... "The No No Song", and he also recorded Roger Miller's "Husbands and Wives" long before Beavis and Butthead (ooops, Brooks & Dunn) did!

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 30 May 2000 5:31 pm

I know if Pete was still with us today, he'd have his arms stretched out to welcome Ringo!
Theresa

Terry Edwards · Post by **Terry Edwards** » 30 May 2000 6:07 pm

Early Beatles featured many "rockabilly" songs that have roots in country music. George was a great rockabilly guitarist. Some other country flavor Beatle songs are:

I've Just Seen A Face

Octopuss's Garden

Don't Pass Me By

Rocky Racoon

Didn't Buck Owen's and Ringo do a remake of Act Naturally recently?

The Beatles are a big reason I started playing music. You know, all those screaming girls chasing after you. what a job!! But something tells me the steel guitar ain't gonna have the same effect on them girls! Well, I'm married now and I have to go tend to my midlife crisis.

Terry

Mike Dennis · Post by **Mike Dennis** » 30 May 2000 6:56 pm

"It's Ringo gear fab"

If Ringo plays the Opry... that just might put a little ease in my midlife crisis...

atleast for one night anyhow

I am a huge Ringo fan...

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 30 May 2000 7:02 pm

Ringo actually cut a second country LP in around 1987 or so with Chips Moman and a heap of the Memphis and Muscle Shoals pickers who moved to Tenn. in the 1970's and played on Lp's by Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and lots of others.

It was a very tears in my beer type project, but by 1989 it remained unreleased and Ringo stopped trying to get a deal going as he was a reformed alchaholic and found the material inappropriate to back.
Instead in 1989 he formed his All Star Band which was basically all his fave US pickers from the late 1960's-early '70's crowd, Dr. John and a few of those cats.
Notably Levon Helm from the 'Band' who were one of the groups who used to play to everyone in the late 1960's.
He was the real country fan in the Beatles, he did recut 'Act Naturally' with Buck Owens himself in the 1990's.
Plus all the other stuff everyone else mentioned.
He's got more country cred than me !!

George Rozak · Post by **George Rozak** » 30 May 2000 7:23 pm

I've got a copy of Ringo's old "Beaucoups of Blues" album. Actually, it's more country than just about anything currently being played on most of today's so called "country" stations, IMHO.

Mike Weirauch · Post by **Mike Weirauch** » 30 May 2000 9:24 pm

Hey Cohen, I still watch re-runs of Mr. Conductor!

Theresa is right, if Pete Drake was alive, he'd already have been on the opry and Pete would have backed him up! I hope he makes it! He's more country than most of the newer acts today!

Robbie Bossert · Post by **Robbie Bossert** » 30 May 2000 9:47 pm

They've had non-country artists on the Opry before. Garth Gaines was allowed to abuse our senses. Ringo probably has as much of a right to grace that stage as that nit-wit did.[This message was edited by pix1 on 30 May 2000 at 10:48 PM.]

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 31 May 2000 5:35 am

Ringo's heart is in the right place. I know this because he stated in an interview that the job he would most cherish, should it become available, is that of Merle Haggard's drummer.

That doesn't nececessarily qualify him for the Opry, as Hag has never been a member, but it does tell us something about Ringo's musical interests.

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HagFan[This message was edited by Ron Page on 31 May 2000 at 06:36 AM.]

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 31 May 2000 1:11 pm

The Beatles had a clause in their contract which required Capitol to provide them with every Buck Owens album before it hit the stores.
They were huge fans, and their mid-60s sound has some of that Bakersfield "edge" to it. George Harrison copped as many guitar licks from Don Rich as he did Carl Perkins or anyone else. He also preferred Telecasters after getting into Buck.

Likewise, Buck and Don were Beatle fans. On Buck's 'Live in London' album he says, "There's a rumor that the Beatles are gonna move to America. If they move to America, we're gonna move over here!"

Don't forget Pete Drake's work on George Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass' double-album. He also produced that 1970 Ringo country album, and Ben Keith did some of the steel work on it too.

GEOFF C · Post by **GEOFF C** » 31 May 2000 9:17 pm

I was talking to Tom Brumly at the Saint Louis convention in '96 and asked him if the Buckeroos realised at the time how important they were to country music around the world. His reply was and I Quote " No we were just a bunch of young guys having a lot of fun, but when we started getting fan mail from the Beatles we figured we must have been doing something right" unquote. A great answer from a great man and member of the greatest country band of all time IMHO. Thanks Geoff Cole.

Mike Dennis · Post by **Mike Dennis** » 2 Jun 2000 7:22 am

It's true... The Beatles are a country band...

It must be so

This morning I turned on AM 800 WDUX Classic Country and The Beatles song "Birthday" was being played... I had to check my dial twice.

If a classic country station plays it... it's officially country

It was one of the DJ's birthdays...

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 6 Jun 2000 4:23 pm

Will Jim Keltner be there ?

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 6 Jun 2000 4:36 pm

Also country feel:
Mother Nature's Child
I Will

Love the Beatles and Ringo.

Harry Hess · Post by **Harry Hess** » 6 Jun 2000 5:33 pm

Of course the Beatles were country, they were just from another country!

Now if only someone could talk Paul into buying the Opry and having Ringo run it, we might be able to hear some actual country music (from this country) again.

Regards,
HH

Joel Glassman · Post by **Joel Glassman** » 12 Jun 2000 8:05 am

More Beatles country oriented material:
I'm a Loser
I saw Her Standing There
Love Me Do
What Goes On
Don't Pass Me By
Rocky Racoon

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 13 Jun 2000 3:19 am

Ringo would be loved on the Opry, he has the respect for it. I would would watch it. I remember James brown did it, That was long ago under Mr. Durham.

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CJC