Ringo Starr’s Ringo & Friends at The Ryman special, which features highlights from two star-studded concerts the legendary Beatles drummer played in January at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, premiered Monday, March 10, on CBS. The program focuses on Starr’s love of country music, while celebrating the release of his new solo album, the country-inspired Look Up.
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Besides the concert performances, the special included some guest appearances via video of stars discussing Ringo and his music. Starr’s Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney and country icon Dolly Parton both revealed that their favorite song Ringo sings is a country classic covered by The Beatles in 1965.
In one pre-recorded segment, McCartney began by explaining that Starr “was the first guy in The Beatles to really turn us on to country music.”
Sir Paul elaborated, “We were kind of very much into rock ‘n’ roll, but he was heavy into country. So, he had a lot of records we didn’t have, and he was a big admirer of some of the country stars at the time, some of whom we’d never heard of, I must admit.”
McCartney then pointed out that because Starr was such a country fan, it was “natural” that one of the songs The Beatles recorded with Ringo on lead vocals was “Act Naturally.” The tune had been a 1963 country hit for Buck Owens.
Reflecting on the song, Paul noted, “[T]he thing is, it’s the story of Ringo. He came to do the [1964 Beatles] film [A] Hard Day’s Night and he was the star. He was the one who acted naturally.”
McCartney concluded, “And so, maybe my favorite song of his would have to be ‘Act Naturally.’”
Dolly Parton Also Loves “Act Naturally”
Parton also appeared in a pre-recorded segment in which she revealed her favorite tune sung by Starr.
“I like his songs, all of them,” Dolly declared. “I think they’re all great, [including] ‘[With] a Little Help from My Friends’ and all of those, but my favorite one is ‘Act Naturally.’ Now, that was my favorite Buck Owens song too, and that is a country classic. And I think Ringo killed it on that one.”
Parton’s Recent Collaboration with Starr and McCartney
Where Starr made a foray into country music with his new solo album, Look Up, Parton immersed herself in the world of rock ‘n’ roll on her star-studded 2023 album Rockstar. Dolly’s album included a cover of The Beatles’ “Let It Be” that featured contributions from both Starr and McCartney.
More About “Act Naturally”
“Act Naturally” was written by Johnny Russell and recorded by Owens and his band The Buckaroos in 1963. It became Owens’ first single to top the Billboard country chart in June of that year.
The Beatles’ version of “Act Naturally” appeared on the band’s fifth U.K. studio album, Help!, released in 1965. In the U.S., the track was first released as the B-side of “Yesterday.” It later was included on the Fab Four’s 1966 U.S. album Yesterday and Today.
In 1989, Owens and Starr released a duet version of “Act Naturally.” It peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard country chart.
For the Ringo & Friends at The Ryman special, Grammy-winning Americana artist Sarah Jarosz teamed up with veteran country singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell to perform “Act Naturally.”
More About Ringo & Friends at The Ryman
Ringo & Friends at The Ryman is now available for streaming on demand at Paramount+ and CBS.com. As previously reported, the show features live performances of select tunes from Look Up, as well as Beatles songs and material from Starr’s earlier solo releases.
Among the many guest performers featured in the special are Jack White, Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow, Molly Tuttle, The War and Treaty, Larkin Poe, Jamey Johnson, Emmylou Harris, Brenda Lee and the aforementioned Jarosz and Crowell.
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