Ringo Starr Finds Peace And Love On The Road And In The (Art) Studio

At 85, Ringo Starr finds peace on the road and in the studio. Whether he’s recording new music or creating massive canvases of splattered, swirling paint, Starr is exploring his multi-dimensional creative side.

Launching a six-date residency of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band at The Venetian in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, Starr is also on display with his solo artistic endeavors at Animazing Gallery in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the resort. Curated by Neal Glaser of ArtCelebs, the “Starr Art” exhibition and sale will run through Oct. 15 and is open to the public.

The showcase is Starr’s first art show since 2019 and the first time he’s presenting his original paintings in addition to limited edition and signed works – with 100% of artist proceeds benefiting Starr’s charity, The Lotus Foundation. The organization benefits a variety of causes including substance abuse, cerebral palsy, brain tumors, cancer, battered women and their children, homelessness and animals in need.

“It’s just something I love to do,” offers Starr, while the band took a break from rehearsing in Milwaukee for the current tour, which kicked off Sept. 10 at Chicago Theatre in Chicago.

Starr began painting using acrylic and oil before he started creating art on his computer in the late ‘90s. Since his first exhibition in 2005, which he titled “My Faces,” Starr’s artwork has continued to evolve with different mediums and techniques. 

He discovered his passion for spin-style art online.

“Lately, I’ve been doing spin art, because I saw the guys on the computer, and there were, like, two kids and they had this, like, canvas. And they put paint on it, and then they attach it to a household drill. And it was like, wow!” recalls Starr. “Of course, I didn’t go that way. I’ve got a great machine that spins it round. And we started with 10X8s, and now we’re on 8×10 feet biggies…It’s something else I do, you know? I love it, and I do it at home.”

Starr embraces the creative process, whatever form it takes.

“I’ve got one little room where I can throw paint around,” he says. “A lot of it’s spin art, and it’s so abstract, because you can’t control it, really. You can make colors, that’s all.”

Starr’s work in the Pop Art vein is colorful, playful and often includes his trademark message of peace and love. His work is sought by collectors worldwide and has been exhibited in Europe, South America, Australia and the U.S., where his “Peace Sculpture” is on permanent display in the Beverly Hills Park.

On stage, Starr who was inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two times – first as a Beatle and then as a solo artist – says he’s happiest making music with a band. He has surrounded himself with some of the best since he debuted the All-Starr Band concept in 1989.

The current All-Starr configuration includes Toto’s Steve Lukather, Men at Work’s Colin Hay, Average White Band’s Hamish Stuart, Warren Ham, Buck Johnson and Gregg Bissonette.

After 60+ years on the road Starr tells Pollstar he keeps it fresh with his friends.

“Well, I love to tour,” he says. “Well, nobody loves to tour. We have to tour to get the pleasure of playing to people. I love people in… you know, I just love playing live. And, since 1989, I’ve been doing this, and it works. It’s just works, that’s all I can say.”

The feeling is mutual

“This has been the best 13 years of my life, man,” adds Lukather. “Thank you for having me, boss. I mean, you started my musical life, it sort of popped open when I saw you. And all these years later, get to be your friend, be a part of this with all these great cats. I love you, man, thank you for having me. I really… every day’s a joy.”

Starr toured with The Beatles from 1962 until the band quit touring after their August 1966 concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. In the ‘70s and ‘80s Starr recorded solo albums and made occasional live appearances until officially launched the All-Starr Band in Dallas Texas.

When inspiration struck to start a band, he wasn’t sure where to start.

“What the hell have I done? I’d never put a band together, so…I started just calling friends, you know, who I knew. In my phone book, it was a book in those days,” he recalls. “And nobody said no. It was so far out that I had to stop, because there would have been 20 people on stage. But it was a great band, and, you know, from that day, I’ve loved the All-Starrs. All the All-Starrs.”

Adds Stuart, “If that call comes, you say yes.”

Starr has been performing in Las Vegas since the beginning and enjoys going back.

“First time I played was in the ‘60s with the lads, and it was great,” he says. “And, then, you know, when the years rolled by, and I put the All-Starrs together, and we played Vegas. It used to drive me mad, because there were, like, tables, they were eating dinner, or there’s some old guy with three girls on the table – and it’s like the last thing he wanted to listen to was the music. But now it’s so great, it is Music City. I love it.”

Starr continues to stretch creatively in other ways. In January, he released his first country record in 50 years, Look Up with T Bone Burnett, which garnered his first UK No. 1 and saw him in the Top 10 on numerous Billboard charts as well as debuting Feb. 21 on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

“I loved making the record, and T-Bone is great, and musical, and he just knows his stuff, and it was very easy, you know, he made it easy for me,” says Starr, who released 21 solo studio records between 1970 and 2025 and five consecutive EPs between 2020 and 2024.

The record features guest appearances from Alison Krauss, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Larkin Poe and Lucius among others. The closing track “Thankful” was co-written by Starr and Bruce Sugar and includes Krauss. Starr says he will release another country record with Burnett in 2026 that includes a Carl Perkins cover.

“We do a cover of a Carl Perkins song, because T Bone sort of likes the idea that my first recordings with the Beatles were Carl Perkins songs,” explains Starr. “I love Carl Perkins.”

Starr is a prolific writer with nine books, including his latest Beats & Threads (Julien’s Auctions), a chronicle of seven decades of his legendary sonic and sartorial style dedicated solely to his drum kits and era defining wardrobe.

For the presser from Milwaukee, the fashion-forward trendsetter wore black-rim, blue tinted glasses, a peace-sign T-shirt under black denim with peace pins and a bright yellow 45 RPM adapter over his heart.  

A message he reinforced with his final farewell: “Thank you all very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Peace and love. Thank you. Goodbye. Peace and love. Peace and love.”

Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band Dates:

Sept. 19 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV

Sept. 20 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV

Sept. 21 – Ironstone, Murphys, CA

Sept. 23 – Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, Highland, CA

Sept. 24 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV

Sept. 26 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV

Sept. 27 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV