Ringo Starr

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THE SONG IS CALLED 'BOYS'. THE BOY SINGING IS CALLED RINGO. HE'S CALLED RINGO
BECAUSE OF HIS PASSION FOR WEARING LOTS OF RINGS. RINGO IS THE MOST RECENT
ADDITION TO THE GROUP AND HE'S ALSO THE OLDEST MEMBER. RINGO?S FRIENDS CALL
HIM RICHIE, A NAME HE PICKED UP IN DINGLE, ONE OF THE TOUGHEST AREAS OF
LIVERPOOL. OFTEN COMPARED TO NEW YORK'S STORIED "HELL'S KITCHEN". THE COBBLE
STREETS AND ANCIENT BUILDINGS WHICH SURROUNDED HIS TERRACED HOME DIDN'T HIDE
THE BOMB CRATERS WHICH WERE LEFT THERE IN 1940, THE YEAR OF RINGO?S BIRTH.
RICHIE WENT TO ST. SILAS SCHOOL IN DINGLE, BUT DROPPED OUT AT THE AGE OF SIX
BECAUSE OF APPENDICITIS. HE HAD COMPLICATIONS WHICH RESULTED IN
HOSPITALISATION FOR A YEAR. RECOVERING HE WENT BACK AND STARTED ALL OVER
AGAIN. BUT AT THE AGE OF THIRTEEN, A COLD GOT AWAY FROM HIM AND HE DEVELOPED
PLEURISY WHILE ON A TRIP TO LONDON. RUSHED BACK TO HIS LIVERPOOL HOME, HE
SPENT ANOTHER YEAR IN HOSPITAL. THAT ENDED SCHOOLING AND RINGO WENT TO WORK
IN AN ENGINEERING COMPANY. IN 1959, AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME, RINGO GOT HIS FIRST
DRUMKIT. HE WAS EIGHTEEN AT THE TIME.

RINGO, THE SMALLEST MEMBER OF THE GROUP, STANDING FIVE FEET EIGHT INCHES TALL,
JOINED JOHN, PAUL AND GEORGE IN THE PREDAWN ERA OF BEATLEMANIA. COMPLETE
WITH BEARD. THE BEARD WAS SHAVEN, HIS SIDEBURNS SAVED. AND THE TRANSFORMATION
BEGAN. RULE NUMBER ONE, FORGET THE HAIRCUTS. AND THIS HE DID. IN FACT SO
SUCCESSFULLY THAT SOME OBSERVERS BEGAN TO BELIEVE THAT HIS BROWN-HAIRED
LOCKS WERE LONGER THAN THOSE OF GEORGE.
"NO, GEORGE'S IS LONGER THAN MINE. YEH, MINE'S A SCRUFFY MESS."

ALTHOUGH RINGO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE BEATLE MAD MOVEMENT FOR OVER A
YEAR, HE'S STILL AMAZED AT THE IMPACT THE GROUP HAS MADE. IN RINGO?S WORDS,
"NONE OF US HAVE QUITE GRASPED WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT YET. IT'S WASHING OVER OUR
HEADS LIKE SOME HUGE TIDAL WAVE. BUT WE'RE YOUNG AND YOUTH IS ON OUR SIDE. AND
IT'S YOUTH THAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW. I DON'T CARE ABOUT POLITICS OR ANYTHING.
JUST PEOPLE. AND THE PEOPLE CERTAINLY SEEMS TO CARE ABOUT THE BEATLES." AS
RINGO PUTS IT, "WE'RE INTERNATIONAL FIGURES. EVERYONE WANTS TO INVESTIGATE US
AND GET INSIDE US AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES A BEATLE TICK.

THEY SENT BIG WRITER DOWN TO TALK TO US. WRITERS WHO SAY THEY WANT TO TALK
TO US ABOUT OUR SOCIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE. IN BIRMINGHAM THERE WERE DOZENS
OF POLICEMEN CONTROLLING SCREAMING FANS AT THE STUDIO DOORS WHILE WE
REHEARSED A TELEVISION PROGRAM." "WELL," RINGO SAYS, "IF THEY DIDN'T SCREAM, I
GUESS WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY. BUT DON'T ASK ME TO EXPLAIN IT."
FOR RINGO IS NOT ONE FOR EXPLANATION, OR FOR THAT MATTER TALKING EITHER. YOU
SEE, RINGO IS THE QUIET ONE. HE SITS AT HIS DRUMS LIKE SOME BUDDHIST IDOL, AND
WEARS A WORRIED FROWN MORE OFTEN THAN A SMILE. ONCE IN A WHILE HE LETS A
SMILE SHATTER HIS MELANCHOLY SAYING, "I'M NOT REALLY MISERABLE. IT'S JUST ME
FACE."

RINGO CONSIDERS HIS INITIATION INTO THE GROUP AS THE GREATEST SINGLE EVENT OF
HIS LIFE. TO HIM THE TASTE OF SUCCESS MEANS THAT HIS MOTHER DOESN'T HAVE TO
WORK ANY MORE. HE TAKES GREAT PLEASURE IN PROVIDING THOSE THINGS FOR HIS
MOTHER WHICH INCREASE HER HAPPINESS.

BEATLE MANAGER BRIAN EPSTEIN CONSIDERS RINGO A TREMENDOUS BLOSSOMING
TALENT. AND GOES A STEP FURTHER TO SAY, " I THINK HE WILL PROVE TO HAVE GREAT
ACTING ABILITY, PROBABLY THE GREATEST OF THE FOUR."
RINGO SOMETIMES REFERS TO HIMSELF AS THE ODD-BALL BEATLE, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF
THE FACT THAT FATE DUBBED HIM WITH THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE INGREDIENT
WHICH COMPLETED THE QUARTET. WHEN ASKED HOW HE FEELS WITH THE LABEL OF THE
DIFFERENT MEMBER OF THE GROUP, HIS RYE SENSE OF HUMOUR BUBBLED IN THIS REPLY,
"WELL, I, I'VE, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A DRUMMER AND I'M, I'VE ALWAYS SAT AT
THE BACK SO I ENJOY IT AT THE BACK. WHEN THEY START THROWING THINGS IT'S A GOOD
PLACE TO BE."

ALTHOUGH HE LIKES TO SING, HE PREFERS TO PLEASE HIS FANS BY PLAYING HIS DRUMS
AND LEAVING THE VOCAL WORK TO THE OTHER THREE MEMBERS OF THE GROUP. WHEN
ASKED IF HE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT TO SING MORE OFTEN, HE MODESTLY
REPLIED, "UH, NO I THINK WHEN WE DO A SHOW ONE OF THEM'S ENOUGH FOR ME. AND IT'S
MORE FUN FOR THE KIDS IF THREE OF THEM ARE SINGING AT ONCE THAN JUST ME."
"IT ISN'T THE SCREAMING FANS OR THE THINGS THEY THROW THAT AFFECT ME. THAT'S
NORMAL. YOU GET USED TO IT. I LOVE 'EM AND IT'S GREAT TO KNOW THEY LOVE YOU. IT'S
A FEELING THAT I MIGHT LET THEM DOWN."
THE FEELINGS OF RINGO STARR.

WELL, RINGO?S WORRIES IN THIS DEPARTMENT ARE COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED BECAUSE
HIS FAN MAIL OFTEN NUMBERS THE GREATEST. BUT ALL THE FAN MAIL AND ADULATION
HEAPED UPON RINGO HASN'T CHANGED HIS ATTITUDE AT ALL. HE SHARES THE SAME LIKES
AND DISLIKES OF HIS FELLOW BEATLES. AS RINGO WOULD PUT IT, "I'M NOT INTERESTED IN
LIVING IT UP. ALL THE MONEY'S INVESTED. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH IT IS. I DON'T
TAKE OUT VERY MUCH, JUST FOR CLOTHES AND A FEW CIGARETTES. WHEN IT ENDS,
"WELL", RINGO SAYS, "I'VE BEEN SKINNED BEFORE. BUT I?D LIKE TO HAVE ENOUGH TO DO
SOMETHING. WELL, SOMETHING WITH ME HANDS. I'VE ALWAYS LOVED BASKET WORK OR
POTTERY, SHAPING SOMETHING, MAKING SOMETHING, BEING ABLE TO SAY I DID THAT."
RIGHT NOW RINGO, ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE BEATLES, IS MAKING SOMETHING,
MUSICAL HISTORY.

 

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