Ringo Starr has postponed the remainder of his North American summer tour with the All-Starr Band, after two of its members – keyboardist Edgar Winter and guitarist Steve Lukather – tested positive for COVID-19.
“We are so sorry to let the fans down,” the former Beatle said in a statement shared to his website on Saturday (June 11), hours before the tour was set to reach the Pennsylvanian city of Easton. “It’s been wonderful to be back out on the road and we have been having such a great time playing for you all. But as we all know, [COVID-19] is still here and despite being careful these things happen.”
Following Saturday’s gig in Easton, the tour would have continued to Providence, Rhode Island on June 12, before rolling through Maryland, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania this week. All of those shows – as well as subsequent dates in Virginia, Georgia and Florida – have now been pushed back into September.
Exact dates are yet to be confirmed, however they’re all slated to occur before Starr’s previously announced autumn dates commence in late September. Scroll down to see the updated itinerary for the remainder of the tour.
“I want to thank the fans for their patience,” Starr continued in his statement. “I send you all peace and love, and we can’t wait to be back in the Fall.”
Winter was the first of Starr’s bandmates to come down with COVID-19, sitting out the last three dates of the tour – two of the All-Starr Band’s three sold-out shows in New York, and their subsequent gig in New Jersey – after he tested positive of June 7. The band had initially planned to power on without Winter, but changed course when Lukather tested positive for the virus on Saturday.
Starr put out his latest solo album, What’s My Name, in 2019. He shared two EPs in 2021: Zoom In and Change The World.
Away from his solo work, Starr was recently enlisted by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder to perform on his third solo album, Earthling. He’s also branched out into the world of digital art, announcing his first collection of NFTs in May. It came alongside the debut of a virtual art gallery, dubbed RingoLand, which fans will able to access via the metaverse platform Spatial. The announcement was widely panned by Starr’s fans.
Last week, Starr was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music. “The idea that I’m a doctor blows me away,” he said in his acceptance speech. “You know, I just hit [the drums]. That’s all I do. I just hit the buggers. And it seems to be, I hit them in the right place.”
Ringo Starr’s updated North American tour dates are:
SEPTEMBER
TBA – Easton, State Theater
TBA – Providence, PPAC
TBA – Baltimore, Modell Lyric
TBA – Baltimore, Modell Lyric
TBA – Lenox, Tanglewood
TBA – Pittsburgh, PPG Arena
TBA – Philadelphia, Metropolitan Theater
TBA – Richmond, Virginia Credit Union Live
TBA – Atlanta, Cobb Center
TBA – St Augustine, The AMP
TBA – Hollywood (Florida), Hard Rock
TBA – Clearwater, Ruth Eckerd Hall
Friday 23 – Bridgeport Connecticut, Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater
Saturday 24 – Atlantic City New Jersey, Hard Rock Etess Arena
Monday 26 – Montreal Quebec, Place Bell
Tuesday 27 – Kingston Ontario, Leons Centre
Friday 30 – Mount Pleasant Michigan, Soaring Eagle Casino
OCTOBER
Saturday 1 – New Buffalo Michigan, Four Winds Casino
Sunday 2 – Prior Lake Minnesota, Mystic Lake Casino
Tuesday 4 – Winnipeg Minnesota, Canada Life Centre
Wednesday 5 – Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Sasktel Centre
Thursday 6 – Lethbridge Alberta, Enmax Centre
Saturday 8 – Abbotsford British Columbia, Abbotsford Centre
Sunday 9 – Penticton British Columbia, South Okanagon Events Centre
Tuesday 11 – Seattle Washington, Benaroya Hall
Wednesday 12 – Portland Oregon, Arlene Schnitzer Hall
Friday 14 – San Jose California, San Jose Civic
Saturday 15 – Paso Robles California, Vina Robles Amp
Sunday 16 – Los Angeles California, Greek Theater
Wednesday 19 – Mexico City Mx, Auditorio Nacional
Thursday 20 – Mexico City Mx, Auditorio Nacional