Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr team for Beatles tribute

LOS ANGELES — Nothing in pop culture has matched the pure adrenaline rush and seismic jolt of The Beatles' arrival on U.S. shores nearly 50 years ago.

In marking that watershed moment, famous admirers gathered Monday night to celebrate the band and its songbook during an all-star salute taped at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

And nothing they served up matched the sheer thrill of seeing and hearing the two surviving Beatles rekindle their magical heyday.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr closed their own tribute show, first in short separate sets, then in a joyous collaboration. The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles will air Feb. 9 (CBS, 8 p.m. ET/PT), exactly 50 years after the band's debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, an appearance that drew a record-setting 73 million viewers.

The two-hour special won't draw those numbers — not even the Super Bowl can — but there's plenty here to pull in Beatles fans and music junkies.

Among the pre-Fab highlights were Imagine Dragons' reimagined Revolution, the twin pianos duet of Let It Be by Alicia Keys and John Legend, Ed Sheeran's lovely acousticIn My Life and a snarling Hey Bulldog from Dave Grohl and Jeff Lynne.

"I can honestly say if it weren't for The Beatles, I would not be a musician," Grohl told the audience, noting that the legendary quartet is "my mom's favorite band, my favorite band and now my daughter's favorite band."

[link to www.usatoday.com]