Follow Those Starrs! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gregg Rolie

Gregg Rolie was a co-founding member of Santana just a year after he had graduated from high school, and appeared with the group at Woodstock. He was also the original lead singer, and "Black Magic Woman" (1970), "Oye Como Va" (1971), and "Evil Ways" (1969) were among the bands hits during his tenure. He left Santana in 1971 and in 1973 formed a new band with another ex-Santana member named Neal Schon. He was the keyboardist for Journey's first six albums, and was also lead vocalist until Steve Perry joined the group in 1977.

Rolie has been a member of Ringo's All-Star Band since 2012. The premise of the show is that while Ringo's hits from his time with the Beatles and as a solo artist are played, they are also intermixed with previous hits from members of his All-Starr Band.

Answer: Steve Lukather

Steve Lukather was a founding member of the band Toto in 1976, and won three Grammy Awards - two as an artist and one as a producer - as a member of the band. Although he has moved on to other projects, he still tours with the band occasionally (the last tour was in 2019); since 2008 he has been the only original band member who still performs with Toto. He has also contributed to the work of other artists including Boz Scaggs, Van Halen, and even Michael Jackson. Lukather has been playing with the All-Star Band since 2012; his vocals on the Toto songs, which also included "Hold The Line" (1978) and "Rosanna" (1982), are enhanced by other band members, and his guitar playing is awesome!

Did you know that to date there have been fourteen different All-Starr Bands since the first debuted in 1989? While Ringo plays the drums in several numbers, since 2008 his band has also included drummer Gregg Bissonette, who played with David Lee Roth and Santana, among others.

Answer: Colin Hay

Colin Hay's best known gig has been with Men At Work, which he formed with Ron Strykert in 1978. When the group broke up in 1985, Hay launched a successful solo career and began touring with Ringo Starr in 2003, 2008, and 2017-present. Other Men At Work songs played by the All-Starr Band included "Who Can It Be Now?" (1981) and "Overkill" (1983).

The song list for the All-Starr Band appears to be little changing - once the band is set, at least, the basic premise has also stayed the same. Each All-Starr is featured in two or three hit songs that were produced during his previous career.

Answer: Graham Gouldman

Graham Gouldman first performed with the All-Star Band in 2018. He earned a reputation as a song writer early in his career; in the 1960s he wrote songs such as "For Your Love" for the Yardbirds, "Bus Stop" for the Hollies, and "Listen People" for Herman's Hermits. In 1972 he was a founding member of 10cc. "I'm Not in Love" (1975) and "The Things We Do for Love" (1977) were on the All-Starr's playlist.

The All-Starr Band does release live albums from time to time, but there are typically no songs that would be considered original to the band. A 2015 live album did include "Islands in the Sun", a song written by Ringo and the All-Starr Band together that year.

Answer: Todd Rundgren

I was a bit disappointed that Todd Rundgren was not touring with Ringo when I saw the band perform. His connection with the All-Starr Band goes all the way back to the second band in 1992, but he did not perform with the group again until 2012-2017. Rundgren was part of the band Nazz in 1967, and left two years later to begin a solo career. "We've Got To Get You a Woman" (1970), "Hello It's Me" (1972), and "Bang the Drum All Day" (1983) made it on Ringo's playlist.

As you would expect, the members of the All-Starr Band are selected by Ringo, and availability of band members play a big role in deciding who will be featured in the band's line up. Since some of the band members have played together for years, such as Twelfth All-Starr Band from 2012-2017, it is obvious to see that a lot of future planning is involved.

Answer: Edgar Winter

Winter's ability to play many different instruments made him a good choice for the All-Starr Band as he not only sang, but also played saxophone and keyboards. His band, The Edgar Winter Group, was formed in 1972; the album released that year, "They Only Come Out at Night", stayed on the Billboard Top 200 charts for 80 weeks. He was a member of the Ninth All-Starr Band in 2006, and his songs on the set list were "Free Ride" and "Frankenstein", what had both debuted on the 1972 album.

The idea for the All-Starr Band is said to have originated with David Fishof, who was the producer of eight different band tours from 1989-2003.

Answer: Joe Walsh

Joe Walsh, of James Gang and Eagles fame, played with the First and Second All-Starr Bands, and also has appeared as a guest from time to time. You would have to admit that the man has kept a busy schedule! The Eagles' hits "Life in the Fast Lane" (1976) and "Desperado" (1973) were included in the first playlist, as well as "Rocky Mountain Way", a hit from his solo career.

In my humble opinion, Ringo has enough hits from his Beatles days and solo career to produce a concert on his own. It was amazing, however, to hear the other hits, and see the different musicians come together in a band to do each other's music. It made me see Ringo in a different light; perhaps he has wanted to do other types of music all along!

Answer: Peter Frampton

Did you know that Peter Frampton and David Bowie went to the same school and that Frampton's father was Bowie's art instructor? Bowie was three years older than Frampton, but they liked to play songs together during lunch! Frampton was a founding member of the band Humble Pie in 1968 when he was just 18 years old. After four years he embarked on a very successful solo career. His 1982 album, "Winds of Change", featured guest artist, Ringo Starr, so the two have a long association. Frampton was a member of the Fourth All-Star Band from 1997-98, singing three of his songs from "Frampton Comes Alive" (1976), "Baby, I Love Your Way", "Show Me the Way", and "Do You Feel Like We Do".

Ringo's son, Zac, has also toured with the band, playing drums in 1992 and 1995 for the Second and Third All-Starr Band.

Answer: Billy Preston

Billy Preston had a long association with the Beatles while they were still a group, and also with Ringo after the breakup. In fact, he first met the Fab Four in 1962 when he was only sixteen years old. Sometimes called the "Fifth Beatle", Preston recorded "Get Back" (1969) with the group; the song is sometimes credited to "The Beatles With Billy Preston", the only official Beatles song to do so. Preston also worked with Ringo when he began his solo career; in fact, if you look closely on Ringo's 1973 "Ringo" album, you will see Preston in the audience as he played organ and piano on two tracks. Preston was a member of the First and Third All-Starr Bands and left the band before the sixth tour began, replaced by Eric Carmen. His songs "Nothing From Nothing" (1974) and "That's The Way God Planned It" (1969) were on the playlist.

At this point I must recognize Warren Hamm who played with the Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Bands, and was part of the performance that I was able to enjoy. A past member of several bands, with the best known being Kansas, Hamm was very impressive playing the flute, saxophone, harmonica, keyboards, and providing vocals. His credits on the setlist include assisting on vocals on the Toto songs with Steve Lukather.

Answer: Richard Page

Richard Page has been a backup artist for several bands, including Pages, which he formed with a friend in the 1970s. He went on to form Mr. Mister with that same friend, Steve George, in 1982. He has also worked as a songwriter for a long list of recording artists, such as Kenny Loggins, Meat Loaf, and wrote a Grammy-nominated song for Madonna, "I'll Remember" from the 1994 movie "With Honors". "Broken Wings" (1985) and "Kyrie" (1985), both co-written by Page, were included on the All-Starr Band playlist. Based on a recommendation by his friend, songwriter Richard Marx, Ringo Starr approached Page to join his 11th All-Starr Band and, in the summer of 2010, they embarked on a 32-date U.S. tour and, then in 2011, they embarked on a 40-date Europe tour. Page also toured with Ringo's 12th All-Starr Band in the summer of 2012, 2013, and 2017.

Ringo's All-Starr Band gave an awesome performance, and, I must say, Ringo was amazing. It is very apparent that he still loves to perform, he was very engaging, and energetic as well.