Ringo Starr was always somewhat in the shadow of the more famous members of The Beatles. He joined the group later than the others, and the role of the drummer is typically a supporting one. Yet, Starr had the ability to unite everyone and, by Lennon’s own admission, was in a way the heart of the band. On iliverpool.info, we discuss the musician’s biography and his career.
A Brief Biography
Even in his 80s, Ringo has remained active on the musical path he chose in his youth, and in 2012, he was recognised as the wealthiest drummer in the world. What led to this?
Childhood
The future musician was born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940, in the Dingle area of Liverpool. Ringo was the only child of confectioners Richard and Elsie. His father soon lost interest in family life, so his mother divorced him. His stepfather proved to be a much better influence; for example, it was he who bought the boy his first drum kit in 1957. His mother’s new husband fully supported his stepson’s passion for music.
As a child, Starr was frequently ill and spent a lot of time in hospitals, causing him to miss a great deal of school. At the age of six, he had appendicitis, which developed into peritonitis, and he nearly died. At 13, he contracted tuberculosis and was sent to a sanatorium. However, it was there that he first began to play in a hospital ‘band’ with other patients, as the staff wanted to find ways to distract and occupy them. Young Richard Starkey discovered percussion by tapping a mallet on the cabinets next to his bed. And so, in a sanatorium, a future stage star was born. The drums remained Richard Starkey’s favourite instrument throughout his life.
At the age of 15, the boy tried to earn money by working as a waiter on a ferry. However, Ringo Starr quickly realised that this could lead to him being conscripted into the navy, so he promptly quit. He also worked briefly as an apprentice at an equipment factory in Liverpool. The future Beatle had to do all this because he had fallen so far behind in his schooling that there was neither sense nor opportunity in trying to catch up.
Fortunately, music became his salvation, specifically the skiffle genre, where household objects were often used instead of professional musical instruments, as they were cheaper. This is how the famous Liverpudlian’s music career began in his teenage years.
Personal Life
In 1965, Starr married Maureen Cox, and they had three children, the first of whom was named Zak. The couple divorced in 1975 due to Ringo’s infidelities. He later admitted to being abusive towards his wife and neglectful of his children.
The drummer and vocalist’s second marriage was, one might say, more successful. In 1980, he met actress Barbara Bach, and they were married in 1981.
In 1985, the star musician became the first of The Beatles to become a grandfather when his son Zak, who also became a drummer and has performed with his father at some concerts, had a child. Starr and Bach have spent their later years together, dividing their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Monte Carlo.
Career
Starkey began playing regularly with a group of fellow creatives in the late 1950s. His first real band with proper musical instruments was Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. It was then that he adopted the stage name Ringo Starr. The name “Ringo” alluded to his habit of wearing rings, while “Starr” evoked the style of country and western music, where something bright and star-like was fashionable. He would sometimes perform drum solos, which were called “Starr Time”.
The Beatles
In the early 1960s, Starr met the newly formed band The Beatles, and on 18 August 1962, he officially joined them. Thus, our hero found himself in the musical group that would become the greatest of at least the 20th century. Before him, Pete Best was on percussion, but for various reasons, he had to be replaced. Not all fans of the group, and especially of Best, understood this decision. Some fans were so enraged that they gave Starr a black eye at his first concert at The Cavern Club. But the period of animosity was short-lived. Fans later came to love The Beatles with this lineup, with Starr and without Best and Sutcliffe.
Although Starr’s primary role was drumming, he also sang. Ringo performed lead vocals on at least one song on every Beatles album, with a total of 11 such tracks.
- Boys. This was a cover of a song by the popular girl group of the time, The Shirelles.
- I Wanna Be Your Man. This song was recorded after Ringo had been singing “Boys”—someone else’s song that didn’t quite suit him as it was about boys, not girls. A more fitting male-perspective lyric was written, but it was first sung by The Rolling Stones before Ringo recorded his version.
- Matchbox. A sad song where the hero feels abandoned and insignificant, like a matchbox. The song was meant to bolster Starr’s reputation as a vocalist. The protagonist expresses his dissatisfaction and disappointment because his love was unrequited.
- Honey Don’t. This song had been sung by both Pete Best and John Lennon, but it sounded best when performed by Starr.
- Act Naturally.
- What Goes On. A country-rock track with pleasant harmonies and a guitar solo. The song was recorded at a time when problems were beginning to surface within the band. Starr felt he was being neglected, but his bandmates decided to appease him by giving him a writing credit on the song, even though Lennon had actually written it long before. However, there is some suggestion that Ringo contributed a few lines to the lyrics.
- Yellow Submarine. One of Starr’s best-known songs with The Beatles. A charming song about a mariner born in Liverpool. It was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
- With a Little Help From My Friends. Ringo loves this song and has performed it many times since the band broke up.
- Don’t Pass Me By. Starr wrote the music and lyrics for this song. Although he wrote it early in his Beatles career, it was not released until 1968.
- Good Night. The song was written by Lennon as a lullaby for his 5-year-old son, Julian. Starr was entrusted with the vocals, and he delivered them with a tenderness no one else in the group could match.
- Octopus’s Garden. A fun and slightly silly song, in a similar vein to “Yellow Submarine”.
Solo Career and the All Starr Band
In the 1970s, it was time for Ringo’s solo career. He released several successful solo hits, including “It Don’t Come Easy”, “Photograph”, and “You’re Sixteen”. The musician from Liverpool’s biggest solo hit was the single “Back Off Boogaloo”.
Starr’s first solo album was titled “Sentimental Journey”, featuring the music he grew up on. Then, in 1971, his real breakthrough came when he released a string of seven consecutive singles that reached the Top 10 in the charts. It all started with “It Don’t Come Easy”, and the second was the aforementioned “Back Off Boogaloo”.
The years 1974–1978 were also productive. Songs released during this time include “Only You (And You Alone)” and “The No No Song”. He released five quality albums during this period. For a while, our hero also acted in films and devoted time to his new love, whom he met on a film set.
In 1989, Ringo formed his own group, the All Starr Band, and achieved consistent success performing live. He simply called up his musician friends and invited them to spend the summer playing together. The audiences were thrilled.
The 1990s were also quite productive for the star from Liverpool. In particular, Ringo recorded a wonderful album, “Time Takes Time”. Then, in the 21st century, well into his later years, he continued to perform and remained highly respected by his listeners.