Former Beatle (is one ever really a former Beatle?) Ringo Starr brings his All-Starr Band back to Milwaukee Saturday, Sept. 8 for a show at the BMO Harris Pavilion on the Summerfest grounds, but Starr’s talents will be on display here longer than that.
The legendary drummer’s artwork – hand-signed by Starr – will be on display and for sale from Thursday through Saturday at Gallery 505, 517 E. Silver Spring Dr., in Whitefish Bay. Some of the work features Starr’s own image.
You can see what Starr’s computer artwork looks like here.
Admission to the gallery to see Starr’s art, which he’s said he began creating to pass the time while on tour, is free and all works are available for purchase. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sales will benefit the Lotus Foundation.
According to its website, the foundation’s objectives "are to fund, support, participate in and promote charitable projects aimed at advancing social welfare in diverse areas including, but not limited to: substance abuse, cerebral palsy, brain tumors, cancer, battered women and their children, homelessness and animals in need."
Starr will also take a photo with customers who purchase artwork before his Saturday night show. Only customers of the gallery will have access to this meet and greet event.
The show is open at the gallery from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 10 until 2 on Saturday.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
