After The Beatles broke up in 1970, fans all over the world kept wishing they’d get back together. Even when John Lennon passed away in 1980, people didn’t stop hoping. They wanted the three Beatles who were still alive—Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—to play music together again on a big stage.
In 1995, something pretty close to that happened with The Beatles Anthology. Paul, George, and Ringo worked in a studio, using old recordings of John’s voice to make new songs. It was the nearest thing to a Beatles reunion we ever got. But eight years earlier, in 1987, two of them—George and Ringo—did something special. They performed together at a charity concert called the Prince’s Trust. It almost didn’t happen, though, because they were nervous people would think a bigger Beatles reunion was coming.
Why They Played Together
The Prince’s Trust is a group started by Prince Charles (who’s now King Charles III) in 1976 to help young people who were having a tough time. Over the years, he asked famous singers and actors to join in and raise money for it. In 1986, they threw a big concert at Wembley Stadium for the charity’s “birthday,” and Paul McCartney was one of the stars who performed. It went so well that they planned another one for 1987.
At that time, lots of singers were excited to do concerts for good causes, like Live Aid a few years before. It was a chance to help people and get noticed. Since they had Paul the year before, the organizers wanted to make 1987 even bigger by inviting George Harrison and Ringo Starr to play.
George Wasn’t Sure
George Harrison didn’t always love talking about The Beatles. Being super famous with the band had been hard for him, and he got tired of everyone asking about a reunion. Some say he even said no to Live Aid because they wanted a Beatles moment, and he didn’t like that idea.
But in 1987, George had a new album called Cloud Nine ready to come out. It was his first one in five years, and he really believed in it. Playing at the Prince’s Trust concert would help people hear about it. So, he said yes to performing at the two shows on June 6 and 7.
Then something tricky happened. After George agreed, Ringo called and said he’d been invited too. The organizers hadn’t told George that Ringo was coming when they first asked him. George felt like they were sneaking a Beatles reunion on him, and he almost quit. In the end, though, he decided to stick with it.
The Big Night
The concert didn’t tell everyone that two Beatles would be there. The first night, the crowd was already excited for stars like Elton John, Eric Clapton, and Phil Collins. But when George and Ringo stepped on stage together, everyone went wild!
George sang “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Here Comes the Sun,” with Ringo playing drums behind him. It was their first time performing live together in 16 years. Then Ringo sang “With a Little Help from My Friends,” and the crowd loved it.
No Big Reunion After All
Even after that awesome night, a full Beatles reunion with all three didn’t happen. In 1988, The Beatles were added to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which is a big honor. It could’ve been a perfect time for Paul, George, and Ringo to play together. But Paul didn’t show up because he was upset about some business stuff with the others and John’s wife, Yoko Ono. That pretty much ended the chance for one last big Beatles show.
Still, that 1987 concert was a special moment when George and Ringo shared the stage and made fans super happy—just for a little while!
