It’s 7/7 – And Ringo Turns 77!
Happy birthday to Ringo Starr!
He’s the most famous drummer of all-time…one of four members of the greatest musical group ever…and July 7th is Ringo’s 77th birthday!
Let’s talk a moment to celebrate Ringo and all of the great entertainment he’s given us!
Ringo Starr was the most accomplished musician when The Beatles drafted him to take over the drumming from Pete Best. He helped give Paul and John’s songs a driving beat that helped propel them to stardom. Ringo was the heart and soul of The Beatles, and has always deserved a bit more credit than he got for the group’s success…
I assume you’ve heard of the band…The Beatles are, of course, the most influential and creative band ever assembled – and during their worldwide trips, did you know they sent postcards to friends and family?
Yes, I own one of the limited editions, autographed mail boxes that holds reproductions of these missives….more of them in a moment, but first, let’s find out more about Ringo, thanks to a terrific new biography!
“Ringo: With a Little Help” – by Michael Seth Starr
Forget the similar last name, Michael Seth Starr has covered television as a reporter and columnist at The New York Post since 1995, with a number of great entertainment biographies. Now, he take on the world’s most recognizable drummer!
“Ringo: With a Little Help” looks at Ringo’s entire life, from his sickly childhood to what the book calls his “triumphs, addictions, and emotional battles following the breakup of the Beatles as he comes to terms with his legacy.”
Again, here is this great new book!
The story of The Beatles is an amazing one, and this book takes you inside “Beatlemania” to see how life was inside the band. More importantly, it gives real insight into Ringo’s contribution – as well as his emotional state…
With Lennon and Harrison gone, Ringo and McCartney are the last two to keep the legacy alive, and I love that this book gives him his full due…kudos to Michael Seth Starr for a terrific Ringo bio!
Oh, and did you know that the other “lads” liked to mail stuff to Ringo?
“Postcards From The Beatles!”
I bought this limited edition book that features the reproduction of 53 postcards sent by George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney to Ringo!
The superb facsimile reproductions of the cards come with drawing and scribbles from the boys, showcasing their spontaneous wit as well as the art of The Beatles. As the promo says: “The messages sent with love and kindness give insight into the unique bond which existed between the members of the Fab Four.”
The entire set came in a specially designed English “postal box” with Ringo peeking out from the mail slot…
My limited edition copy also came signed by Ringo…and as fans of Howard Stern know – from his playing of Ringo’s recent “peace and love” message – Ringo is no longer signing anything. so it’s fun to have!
This is now available to buy as a regular book as well, and it comes with great insights from Ringo himself.
Ringo explains the meaning behind the cards, along with great anecdotes…
“Keep Off The Grass!”
I love this story from Ringo about this card:
“This is just after viewing the “Let It Be” film for the firs time. I didn’t like it that much when I first saw it. It was too much ito the discussions of John and Paul. There was the interesting bit on the day George had left and we just started playing like mad people. That how we dealt with this crisis within the band.”
If you haven’t seen the documentary “Let It Be”, long out of print, here is my story about it:
It’s a great inside look at the breakup of the band…
“With A Little Help From His Friends!”
As the biography says in the title, one song is without a doubt Ringo’s greatest moment: “With A Little Help From My Friends” from “Sgt. Pepper’s” – so here is a live version he performed a few years ago with Paul McCartney!
And of course, Ringo was more than just a drummer!
He was also part of the cult classic “The Magic Christian” – if you want to see Ringo’s great acting performance opposite Peter Sellars, then you need to click on my story here:
And yes, he got to spend some time with Raquel Welch as well:
Solo Ringo!
And never forget that Ringo began as the group’s most popular solo Artist after the breakup of The Beatles…he had a string of great singles…read all about the Beatles’ solo years here:
https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/03/exclusive-the-lost-beatles-album-the-fab-fours-solo-songs-remixed/
I can’t wait to read more about Ringo!
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Reblogged this on johnrieber and commented:
Happy 77th Birthday Ringo!
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