The story of Ringo Starr, Muhammad Ali and a $110,000 painting
This is the point in the program where the knighted rock legend tells an art aficionado what it was like to meet Muhammad Ali.
Ringo Starr fell into that conversation Saturday afternoon at Animazing Art Gallery at The Venetian’s Grand Canal Shops. The rock-star-friendly gallery is displaying “Starr Art,” an exhibition and of Ringo’s paintings, through Oct. 15.
In a private reception, Starr was talking to a giddy Cheryl Williams in a VIP room off the main exhibit space. Williams was extra-VIP, having purchased a Starr original acrylic-on-canvas for $110,000.
Williams bought some face time with Starr as part of that purchase, and all of the sales go to Ringo’s Lotus Foundation charity. Williams told Starr that her husband has an iconic photo of The Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in his office. That portrait is alongside also a similarly iconic photo of John, Paul, George and Ringo on the canvas (the boxing variety) below a celebrating Cassius Clay.
After stunning Sonny Liston, Clay would become Muhammad Ali, but signed that photo as Clay and as Ali, making it a very rare piece itself.
Starr well remembered that visit, as Ali trained in Miami days before the fight and before The Beatles appeared on “Ed Sullivan Show,” also in Miami.
“Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah,” Starr said as Williams revived his memory of that meeting. “You could feel his strength. You were dodging him anyway, even though he wasn’t going to hit you. But you could feel how strong he was.”
Starr has also been throwing combinations, displaying his artwork at Animazing and headlining with his All-Starr Band at The Venetian Theatre through Saturday. His pieces are exhibited and on sale at the gallery, the first to ever offer Starr’s original for sale.
Animazing is managed by veteran art consultant Nicholas Leone, with the “Starr Art” installation curated by Neal Glaser of ArtCelebs. Animazing Assistant Manager Bob Torti is familiar to Vegas entertainment followers as a member of the “Rock of Ages” cast at The Venetian and Rio.
The gallery has previously hosted exhibits by Gene Simmons of Kiss and John Douglas, who has filled in as drummer for Aerosmith and ZZ Top.
Williams said she walked the second-floor space and stopped at the untitled acrylic piece, shape of a nine-square grid. The paint streaks and drops seem to create shapes that become apparent the longer you look at the work. You see a hummingbird on the upper right; then many others throughout the piece.
“It took my breath away,” Williams said. “First I thought it was like the game of life, like tic-tac-toe. And then I saw it was like a window pane, an open canvas into your dreams.”
Two other high-value works have been sold, for $65K and $55K respectively. The prices range from $1,800 for prints to $200,000 for an abstract titled “Spaceman Too,” a pair of faceless sci-fi figures in turquoise and magenta.
One of Ringo’s oldest friends, Paul McCartney, is said to want that piece. McCartney is due in Las Vegas on Oct. 4, at Allegiant Stadium. “Starr Art” will still be on display, and open for another VIP visit.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
