Ringo Starr wasn't the only musical celebrity to perform to a sold-out crowd last week at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino. As the name of his band inferred, he brought "All Starrs" with him.

Billy Squier, Edgar Winter, Colin Hay, Hamish Stuart, and Gary Wright all shined brightly in their own right as they each played their music from their own careers.

One played his heart out for all. As the drummer, Gregg Bissonette was the heartbeat of the All Starr Band.

When Ringo's agent called Bissonette and asked him to be the drummer for this tour, it took about two seconds for him to answer "Yes!" Bissonette said. When asked how it feels to be the drummer for one of the world's most well-known drummers, he exclaimed that it is "a huge honor to play side by side with my favorite drummer."

"When Ringo introduces us, I get tingles. It feels like the first time I saw him perform in Detroit when I was seven years old," Bissonette said. "My father, who was a drummer as well, was playing a gig at a local hotel and there was a commotion in the hall. He asked the concierge what all the fuss was and he was told that the Beatles were staying in the hotel.

"The gentleman hooked up my dad with three tickets to their show at the Red Wings Arena and my brother Matt and I saw the show that changed my life."

"I am a huge Ringo fan. He has amazing, unique drum parts and I get to play them every night. I am a man living my dream," Bissonette said with a huge grin on his face.

The grin never left his face during the two hour concert. As he played while Ringo was singing or sitting next to him on the double drums, Bissonette showed why he was chosen as the tenth All-Starr tour's drummer.

Bissonette has been drumming all his life. His father was his first teacher and now Bissonette teaches his two children. He even has a DVD called "Musical drumming and different styles" that continues the tradition of teaching his father began.

Bissonette has toured with his brother Matt on bass as support for Ringo's two solo albums, Ringo and the Roundheads in 2003 and the Choose Love tour in 2005. This is his first All-Starr tour.

When asked about touring with Ringo, Bissonette again mentioned how incredible it feels.

"I would prefer to stay in Los Angeles and do session work as my priorities are my wife and children, but if Ringo calls I am there," Bissonette said.

"His tours are first class. If we are in California, we fly in right before the show and fly home right after. I am in my own bed every night.

When asked if he likes the large arenas, like Radio City Music Hall that they played a few weeks back, or the smaller outdoor arenas, like the Palace, Bissonette stated that once on stage all of them were simply "in the zone."

Bissonette quoted Duke Ellington when he said, "There are two types of music. Good music and bad music. I get to play good music every night."

Free Ride, Frankenstein, Land Down Under, Dreamweaver, and Picking up the Pieces are just some of the songs from the other All-Starrs as well as Yellow Submarine, Boys, Act Naturally, Photographs and A Little Help from my Friends with Ringo singing.

"That is the good music that makes this a dream come true," Bissonette said.

When asked if there are any more dreams to come, Bissonette credits his faith as his grounding and said, "If I can be the best man, husband, and father and keep playing good music, then my dreams will all come true."

(July 31, 2008)