One Of The Only Surviving Beatles Has COVID
Ringo Starr, one of the two surviving Beatles, has tested positive for COVID-19.
English musician, songwriter, and actor, Ringo Starr has tested positive for Covid-19. The news comes a day after the former Beatles drummer was forced to postpone a concert in Minnesota due to illness. The Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, which was to host the next concert, broke the news on social media, saying, “It has been confirmed today that Ringo has Covid and the tour will be on hold while he recuperates.”
The 82-year-old former Beatles star is currently in the middle of a North American tour with his All-Starr Band, featuring a rotating group of musicians. The current roster includes Toto’s Steve Lukather, Men at Work’s Colin Hay, Edgar Winter, the Average White Band’s Hamish Stewart, drummer Gregg Bissonette, and Kansas’ Warren Ham. According to Deadline, the tour has five Canadian dates scheduled before kicking off a U.S. leg in Seattle.
Following the tour postponement, The Beatles star’s publicist said he is slowly recovering after his positive Covid test. “Ringo is resting at home and doing very well,” the representative told Sky News. The person added that Starr intends to resume the tour on October 11 in Seattle. A statement on social media echoed the sentiment, telling fans that Ringo will be back on stage as soon as possible. The singer and the All-Starrs sent peace and love to fans, saying they hope to see everyone out on the road soon.
Along with a photo of The Beatles’s Sir Ringo giving the peace sign, the post also said that some shows will be canceled as rescheduling is not possible. This includes the two canceled U.S performances that had been scheduled to take place at the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan, and Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota. The five canceled shows in Canada include Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Lethbridge in Alberta, as well as arenas in Abbotsford and Penticton in British Columbia.
Ringo Starr gained world recognition as one-quarter of The Beatles – arguably the world’s most famous band. He joined the Fab Four in 1962, replacing original drummer Pete Best, just before they hit the big time. Establishing a successful solo career after the band split in 1970, the musician formed his All Starr band in 1989. In 2018, the multitalented musician was knighted for his services by Queen Elizabeth II.
Away from the stage, Ringo Starr appeared in the Peter Jackson-directed documentary called The Beatles: Get Back. Released in 2021, the series covers the making of the Beatles’ 1970 album Let It Be and draws from unused footage and audio material originally captured for the 1970 documentary of the album by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Consisting of three episodes, the series has a total runtime of eight hours, with each installment covering 21 days of studio time.
Along with Peter Jackson, The Beatles: Get Back is co-produced by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison. Presented by Walt Disney Studios in association with Apple Corps and WingNut Films, the series premiered with three consecutive daily releases on Disney+ beginning in November 2021. A portion of the documentary called The Beatles: Get Back – The Rooftop Concert, was given a theatrical release in IMAX theatres across several countries in 2022.
The Beatles: Get Back was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 12, 2022.
