RINGO | | | | | | | | Ringo is Ringo, that's all there is to it. And he's every bloody bit as warm, unassuming, funny, and kind as he seems. He was quite simply the heart of the Beatles.- John Lennon. 
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Ringo's just a lad. Everybody always loved him. And now that he's all dried out, he's just a lovable, interesting, intelligent bloke. - Paul McCartney | | | | | | | | | | | Richard Starkey, born on July 7, 1940, Dingle, Liverpool, England. Starkey established his reputation on the nascent Merseybeat circuit as drummer with Rory Storm And The Hurricanes. He later became acquainted with the Beatles, and having established a lively rapport with three of the group, became the natural successor to the taciturn Pete Best upon his firing in 1962. Ringo - a name derived from his many finger adornments - offered a simple, uncluttered playing style which formed the ideal bedrock for his partners' sense of melody. Although overshadowed musically, a deadpan sense of humor helped establish his individuality and each album also contained an obligatory Starr vocal. The most notable of these was "Yellow Submarine", a million-selling single in 1966. Ringo's success in the group's attendant films, A Hard Day's Night and Help!, inspired an acting career and comedy roles in Candy and The Magic Christian ensued. His solo recording career started with Sentimental Journey, a collection of standards, and Beaucoups Of Blues, a country selection recorded in Nashville, both predated the Beatles' demise.
 Fears that his career would then falter proved unfounded. Starr's debut single, "It Don't Come Easy", co-written with George Harrison , topped the US charts and sold in excess of 1 million copies while the same pair also created "Back Off Boogaloo" (UK number 2) and "Photograph". Ringo featured songs and contributions from each of his former colleagues, although none were recorded together. Buoyed by strong original material and judicious rock 'n' roll favorites, the album later achieved platinum status and was rightly lauded as one of the strongest ex-Beatles' collections. "You're Sixteen" topped the US chart in 1974, but despite further success with "Oh My My", "Snookeroo" (penned by Elton John and Bernie Taupin ) and "Only You", Starr's momentum then waned. His film career enjoyed a brief renaissance, with production work on Born To Boogie followed by a highly-praised role in 1973's That'll Be The Day. The albums Ringo The 4th and Bad Boy showed an artist bereft of direction, however, and the 1983 album Old Wave was denied a release in both the US and UK. This period was also marred by alcoholism and chronic ill-health.
 During this nadir, Starr reached a completely new audience as narrator of the award winning children's television series, Thomas The Tank Engine, but signaled his return to active performing with a guest appearance on Carl Perkins ' tribute show. However, an album recorded with US producer Chips Moman in 1987 was abandoned when sessions were blighted by excessive imbibing. Starr then underwent highly-publicized treatment at an alcohol rehabilitation clinic with his wife, actress Barbara Bach, before reasserting his musical career with the All-Starr Band. Levon Helm, Billy Preston, Joe Walsh and Dr. John were among those joining the drummer for a successful 1989 US tour, later the subject of an album and video. The stellar cast Starr was able to assemble confirmed the respect he is still afforded. Starr received a high-profile in 1992 with a new album and tour. The record coincided with the 25th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band which was a timely reminder that his playing on that album was quite superb, and, in addition to his equally fine performance on Abbey Road, begs for a reappraisal of his standing as a drummer which appears grossly underrated. | | | - 1971 "It Don't Come Easy" #4 UK, #4 US
- 1972 "Back Off Boogaloo" #2 UK, #9 US
- 1973 "Photograph" #8 UK, #1 US
- 1974 "You're Sixteen" #4 UK, #1 US
- 1974 "Oh My My" #5 US
- 1974 "Only You (And You Alone)" #28 UK, #6 US
- 1975 "No No Song" #3 US
- 1975 "Goodnight Vienna" #31 US
- 1976 "A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll" #26 UK
- 1981 "Wrack My Brain" #38 US
- 1992 "Weight of the World" #72 UK
- 1993 "Don't Go Where The Road Don't Go"
- 1998 "La De Da"
- 2003 "Never Without You"
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| | | - America: It's like Britain, only with buttons.
- I like Beethoven, especially the poems.
- It's been a hard days... night.
| | | | albums - Sentimental Journey (27 March 1970) UK #7, US #22
- Beaucoups of Blues (25 September 1970) US #65
- Ringo (9 November 1973) UK #7, US #2
- Goodnight Vienna (15 November 1974) UK #30, US #8
- Ringo's Rotogravure (17 September 1976) US #28
- Ringo the 4th (30 September 1977) US #162
- Bad Boy (16 June 1978) US #129
- Stop and Smell the Roses (20 November 1981) US #98
- Old Wave (16 June 1983)
- Time Takes Time (22 May 1992)
- Vertical Man (15 June 1998) US #61
- I Wanna Be Santa Claus (24 October 1999)
- Ringo Rama (24 March 2003) US #113
- Choose Love (7 June 2005)
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| | | I didn't like the look of Rory's drummer myself. He looked the nasty one, with his little grey streak of hair. But the nastier one turned out to be Ringo, the nicest of them all."
"Playing without Ringo is like driving a car on three wheels. - George Harrison | |
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