Ringo Starr Plays The Beatles — And A Few Country Songs — At The Grand Ole Opry

Remarkably, Ringo Starr played a new stage Friday night.

Six-plus decades into his career, Starr made his debut this weekend on the so-called “show that made country music famous” – the Grand Ole Opry. His appearance on the long-running program comes in the midst of a country-roots revival for the former Beatles drummer. Earlier this year, the 84-year-old Starr released Look Up, a LP of country tunes cut with collaborator and Americana torchbearer T Bone Burnett.

Inside the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Starr opened his debut with a rendition of “Time On My Hands,” a reflective new single from Look Up. He next paid tribute to his country ties with “Act Naturally,” a song made famous by Buck Owens in 1963 and notably covered by The Beatles two years later.

“This is a great honor and an incredible moment for me,” Starr said to open his three-song performance. He continued, “I loved country music when I was growing up. I still love it now. … This would just be a dream, to end up here. It’s far out.”

Prior to Starr’s show-closing set, the Friday night Opry lineup included country-pop singer Lauren Alaina, powerhouse vocalist Mickey Guyton, “The Gambler” songwriter Don Schlitz, and classic crooner Mandy Barnett, among others. Throughout the show, artists paid tribute to Starr with cover tunes – such as Guyton’s fiery take on 1976 solo song “You Don’t Know Me At All” – and not-so-subtle nods, like country-western group Riders in the Sky covering “Ringo,” a murder ballad from the 1960s.

As a longtime fan of Nashville’s famed export, Starr’s often credited with sprinkling country and rockabilly influence into a number of Beatles songs – like “Don’t Pass Me By” and “What Goes On,” to name a few. He cut his second solo album, 1970’s Beaucoups of Blues, in Nashville with late Country Music Hall of Fame steel pedal player Pete Drake.

And Starr has returned to Music City with a new cast of collaborators, as evident with his performance Friday at the Opry. Grammy Award-winning bluegrass player Molly Tuttle and Old Crow Medicine Show frontman Ketch Secor accompanied Starr on stage during “Time On My Hands,” “Act Naturally” and the night’s closing number, “With A Little Help From My Friends.” An ensemble of Opry singers joined Starr on stage for “With A Little Help …,” a rendition soaked in fiddle and mandolin.

Starr makes his debut during a milestone year for the Opry. This November, the show celebrates its 100th year of broadcasting performances from household country stars and introducing audiences to up-and-coming singers. He joins a growing list of entertainers outside of mainstream country music – including Pharrell Williams, Post Malone and John Fogerty – to perform on the famed stage.

Those who missed Starr at the Opry can catch a similar rendition of “With A Little Help …” when CBS airs a network special featuring Starr and a cast of Nashville musicians performing his new songs, as well as twangy takes on solo hits and Beatles favorites. Starr and company filmed the special last month at the Ryman Auditorium.