On This Day in Beatles History: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band Live at Mall of America, Bloomington – 4 July 1995

On 4 July 1995, Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band performed at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA. It was the 14th show of the third All-Starr Band’s 50-date tour of Japan and North America, which ran from June to August 1995. The Independence Day concert featured one of the most musically distinguished All-Starr lineups, including Billy Preston, John Entwistle, Randy Bachman, and Ringo’s son Zak Starkey.

What Happened on 4 July 1995?

The Mall of America concert was the 14th date of the 1995 tour, following shows at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St Louis on 2 July and Summerfest in Milwaukee on 3 July. The Bloomington show was part of a run of Midwestern dates before the tour moved east to New York and New England.

The Mall of America, which had opened in August 1992, was at this time the largest shopping mall in the United States. Its entertainment complex included a concert venue that hosted major touring acts throughout the 1990s.

The Third All-Starr Band

The third All-Starr Band was one of the most historically significant lineups Ringo Starr assembled, bringing together musicians with deep connections to The Beatles and to the broader story of 1960s and 1970s rock. The full band was:

• Ringo Starr — vocals, drums, percussion, piano
• Randy Bachman — vocals, guitar
• Mark Farner — vocals, guitar, harmonica
• Billy Preston — vocals, keyboards
• Felix Cavaliere — vocals, organ, keyboard, maracas
• John Entwistle — vocals, bass guitar
• Mark Rivera — vocals, saxophone, percussion, tambourine, cowbell, guitar
• Zak Starkey — drums

Billy Preston had one of the closest connections to The Beatles of any musician outside the group itself. He had first met The Beatles in Hamburg in 1962, when he was touring with Little Richard. He reconnected with them in January 1969 during the Get Back sessions at Twickenham Film Studios, and his presence at the piano was credited with easing the tensions in the studio. He played keyboards on ‘Get Back’, ‘Don’t Let Me Down’, and other tracks from the sessions, and was the only musician ever to receive a co-credit on a Beatles single — ‘Get Back’ was released as ‘The Beatles with Billy Preston’. He also played on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971. Preston died in June 2006.

John Entwistle was the bass guitarist and occasional vocalist of The Who, one of the defining bands of the British Invasion era. Known as ‘The Ox’ for his thunderous, melodic bass style, Entwistle was widely regarded as one of the greatest rock bassists of all time. His All-Starr contributions included ‘Boris The Spider’ and ‘My Wife’, both of which he had written for The Who. Entwistle died in June 2002, on the eve of a Who tour.

Randy Bachman had been the lead guitarist of the Guess Who — the Canadian group also associated with Burton Cummings — before founding Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO), whose ‘Takin’ Care Of Business’ and ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’ both featured in the All-Starr setlist. Bachman was also a member of the Winnipeg group the Reflections, who had supported The Beatles on their 1964 North American tour.

Mark Farner was the lead vocalist and guitarist of Grand Funk Railroad, the American hard rock group whose arena rock sound made them one of the biggest-selling acts of the early 1970s. His All-Starr contributions included ‘The Loco-Motion’, ‘I’m Your Captain (Closer To Home)’, and ‘Some Kind Of Wonderful’.

Felix Cavaliere was the organist and lead vocalist of the Rascals (also known as the Young Rascals), the New York blue-eyed soul group whose hits included ‘Good Lovin’’, ‘Groovin’’, and ‘People Got To Be Free’ — all performed at the Bloomington show. The Rascals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Mark Rivera was a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who had been a member of Billy Joel’s touring band since the late 1970s. He became a regular fixture of the All-Starr Band across multiple tours, providing saxophone, percussion, and additional vocals.

Zak Starkey appeared again alongside his father, as he had on the 1992 tour. By 1995 he was an increasingly accomplished drummer in his own right, and his appointment as the drummer for The Who the following year would confirm his status as one of the finest rock drummers of his generation.

The Concert Setlist

• ‘Don’t Go Where The Road Don’t Go’
• ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’
• ‘It Don’t Come Easy’
• ‘The Loco-Motion’ (Mark Farner)
• ‘Nothing From Nothing’ (Billy Preston)
• ‘No Sugar Tonight’ (Randy Bachman)
• ‘People Got To Be Free’ (Felix Cavaliere)
• ‘Boris The Spider’ (John Entwistle)
• ‘Boys’
• ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’ (Randy Bachman)
• ‘You’re Sixteen’
• ‘Yellow Submarine’
• ‘My Wife’ (John Entwistle)
• ‘I’m Your Captain (Closer To Home)’ (Mark Farner)
• ‘Honey Don’t’
• ‘Act Naturally’
• ‘Groovin’’ (Felix Cavaliere)
• ‘Will It Go Round In Circles’ (Billy Preston)
• ‘Takin’ Care Of Business’ (Randy Bachman)
• ‘Some Kind Of Wonderful’ (Mark Farner)
• ‘Good Lovin’’ (Felix Cavaliere)
• ‘Photograph’
• ‘No No Song’
• ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’

The 1995 All-Starr Band Tour

The 50-date 1995 tour opened in Japan in June before moving to North America for the remainder of the run. The full tour schedule was:

• 14 June 1995: Iwate Kenmin Kaikan, Morioka, Japan
• 15 June 1995: Sendai Sun Plaza, Sendai, Japan
• 16 June 1995: Niigata Terusa, Niigata, Japan
• 18 June 1995: Osaka-jō Hall, Osaka, Japan
• 19 June 1995: Kurashiki Shimin Kaikan, Kurashiki, Japan
• 20 June 1995: Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Hiroshima, Japan
• 22 June 1995: Century Hall, Nagoya, Japan
• 24 June 1995: Tokyo Bay NK Hall, Urayasu, Japan
• 26 June 1995: Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan
• 27 June 1995: Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan
• 28 June 1995: Hamamatsu-shi Kyouiku Bunka Kaikan, Hamamatsu, Japan
• 2 July 1995: Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St Louis, USA
• 3 July 1995: Summerfest, Milwaukee, USA
• 4 July 1995: Mall of America, Bloomington, USA
• 5 July 1995: Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, USA
• 8 July 1995: Star Plaza Theatre, Merrillville, USA
• 9 July 1995: Nautica Stage, Cleveland, USA
• 10 July 1995: Pine Knob Theatre, Clarkston, USA
• 11 July 1995: National Cherry Festival, Traverse City, USA
• 13 July 1995: Radio City Music Hall, New York City, USA
• 14 July 1995: Bud Light Amphitheatre, Harveys Lake, USA
• 15 July 1995: Concord Resort Hotel, Kiamesha Lake, USA
• 17 July 1995: Wolf Trap, Vienna, USA
• 18 July 1995: Garden State Arts Center, Holmdel, USA
• 19 July 1995: Harbor Lights Pavilion, Boston, USA
• 21 July 1995: Circus Maximus Theater, Atlantic City, USA
• 22 July 1995: Circus Maximus Theater, Atlantic City, USA
• 23 July 1995: Circus Maximus Theater, Atlantic City, USA
• 25 July 1995: Warwick Musical Theatre, Warwick, USA
• 27 July 1995: Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, USA
• 28 July 1995: Starlite Music Theatre, Latham, USA
• 29 July 1995: Melody Fair Music Theater, North Tonawanda, USA
• 31 July 1995: Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, USA
• 1 August 1995: IC Light Amphitheatre, Pittsburgh, USA
• 3 August 1995: Orlando Arena, Orlando, USA
• 4 August 1995: Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise, USA
• 5 August 1995: Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise, USA
• 7 August 1995: Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta, USA
• 8 August 1995: Palace Theatre, Louisville, USA
• 9 August 1995: Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, USA
• 11 August 1995: Arena Theatre, Houston, USA
• 12 August 1995: Sunken Gardens, San Antonio, USA
• 13 August 1995: Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas, USA
• 15 August 1995: Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa, USA
• 16 August 1995: Humphreys Concerts By The Bay, San Diego, USA
• 18 August 1995: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, USA
• 19 August 1995: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, USA
• 20 August 1995: Concord Pavilion, Concord, USA
• 22 August 1995: Pier 62/63, Seattle, USA
• 23 August 1995: Pier 62/63, Seattle, USA

On This Day in Beatles History

• Date: 4 July 1995
• Event: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band performed at the Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota
• Tour night: 14th of 50 dates on the 1995 All-Starr Band tour
• Setlist: 24 songs
• Band: Ringo Starr, Randy Bachman, Mark Farner, Billy Preston, Felix Cavaliere, John Entwistle, Mark Rivera, Zak Starkey

Explore More Beatles History

• Ringo Starr: Solo Career and All-Starr Band
• The Beatles Timeline 1956–1970
• Billy Preston and The Beatles
• Zak Starkey: Drummer

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Ringo Starr perform at the Mall of America?

Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band performed at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, on 4 July 1995. It was the 14th show of their 50-date 1995 tour of Japan and North America.

Who was Billy Preston and what was his connection to The Beatles?

Billy Preston was a keyboard player and vocalist who first met The Beatles in Hamburg in 1962. He joined the Get Back sessions in January 1969 and played on ‘Get Back’ and ‘Don’t Let Me Down’. He was the only musician ever to receive a co-credit on a Beatles single — ‘Get Back’ was released as ‘The Beatles with Billy Preston’. He died in June 2006.

Who was John Entwistle?

John Entwistle was the bass guitarist of The Who, widely regarded as one of the greatest rock bassists of all time. Known as ‘The Ox’, he contributed ‘Boris The Spider’ and ‘My Wife’ to the All-Starr setlist. He died in June 2002.

Who was in the third All-Starr Band?

The third All-Starr Band comprised Ringo Starr, Randy Bachman, Mark Farner, Billy Preston, Felix Cavaliere, John Entwistle, Mark Rivera, and Zak Starkey.

What is Randy Bachman’s connection to The Beatles?

Randy Bachman was the lead guitarist of the Guess Who and founder of Bachman-Turner Overdrive. He was also a member of the Winnipeg group the Reflections, who supported The Beatles on their 1964 North American tour.

How many dates was the 1995 All-Starr Band tour?

The 1995 All-Starr Band tour ran for 50 dates between 14 June and 23 August 1995, opening in Japan before moving to North America.