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Biography
Ringo Starr was born Richard Starkey on July 7th 1940 in the "dingle" of Liverpool, England (The Dingle being the poor section) to Richard Starkey Sr. and Elsie Gleave. Richard Sr. left home when his son was three, leaving his wife and Ritchie (what Ringo was then called) on their own. When Ringo was five years old, he was enrolled into St. Silas Infants' School, but had to leave later in that year when he devolped a terrible appendicitis.
"I've got dim recollections of an awful pain, and sweat pouring down my face and Mum crying. I'd had appendicitis and had developed peritonitis. I remember lying on the stretcher with the sky twirling above me, and red blankets being wrapped around me, and the ambulance doors banging shut. Then I remember the smell of ether and quiet oblivion."
Ringo was comatose for nearly 3 months and the doctors told his mother that he was going to die. Amazingly, Ringo pulled through and regained consciencness. But his health probelm was far from over:
"One of the nurses told me I could get up, and I thought she was giving me an order, and meant get out of bed at once. Of course she didn't mean that at all; she was just telling me I was getting up later and intended coming back and helping me. As I put my feet on to the floor I fell, and hurt myself badly. For that I was in hospital for three years."
When he was finally released from the hospital, he was enrolled into school again, but this time in Dingle Vale Secondary Modern, because he was so far behind the rest of his grade.
In 1953, Elsie married Harry Graves (who Ringo would come to call his "Step Ladder"). The same year, while on vacation in London, Ringo got sick:
"Just before my fourteenth birthday I went for a holiday to London. It was raining when I left home and I refused to wear a mac. Looking back on it I don't know why I was so obstinate about it, but I suppose it was because Mum said I should wear one, that I decided I wouldn't. Anyhow I wish I'd taken her advice, because when I reached the great capital I resembled a half-drowned rat with a touch of hay fever. Unfortunately the hay fever developed into a cold and the cold developed into pleurisy. By the time a doctor was called I had to be rushed back to Liverpool. For that I was in the hospital another year."
Once again, Ritchie pulled through and when he was finally released from the hospital, decided not to return to school (he was simply too far behind everyone else and had he had a strong distaste for it anyway). While recovering, Ritchie looked into getting a job. Ritchie took a messanger's job on a British railway, but had to quit after he failed the medical exam. Next, he became a barman traveling between Liverpool and Wales, but was fired after telling off his boss. When he was 17, he took a job at an engineering company.
This was about the time when the Skiffle craze hit England. A fellow Engineering apprentice started The Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group. During lunchtime breaks, Ritchie and the rest of the group would entertain the other empolyees, and, in 1957, Ritchie's step-dad bought him his first real set of drums.
Ringo soon joined the Darktown Skiffle Group lead by Al Caldwell, but he played numbers with many other bands. Darktown Skiffle Group changed its name to Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and, under Al Caldwell (who was now calling himself Rory Storm)'s suggestion, Richard Starkey changed his name too. He was now Ringo Starr.
Rory Storm and The Hurricanes played around Liverpool and Hamburg, Germany and occasionally met up with another new skiffle group; The Savage Young Beetles, who then became The Silver Beatles, and finally, The Beatles. This band consisted of five members- John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Georgre Harrison, Stu Suttcliffe and Pete Best (who Ringo would often sit in for at shows when Pete couldn't attend.
Ringo had been filling in more and more for Pete and was eventually asked to join The Beatles permantently (The Beatles having just been offered a contract under EMI)
While recording their album "Please Please Me", The Beatles' producer George Martin, decided to let another drummer, Andy White drum on a few tracks:
"...I get down to London all thrilled to make a record, a peice of vinyl was like, the dream of life, and I get down there and there's this other drummer, Andy White"Not an exact Quote.
While Andy did drum on "Love Me Do" (while Ringo played tambourine) and "P.S. I Love You" (while Ringo played Maracas), the final album versions of these songs feature Ringo's drumming
The Beatles got really famous, really fast. Banging out hit after hit. As a Beatle, Ringo was always nice to everyone, kind, considerate, and a great drummer. His drumming didn't over-shadow the vocals or other instruments, he played at near perfect tempo.
In 1965, Ringo married his Liverpool girlfriend, Maureen Cox, and later in that year, had a son who he named Zak:
"a nice strong name that can't be shortened; [a] mad cowboy name that had been spinning round my brain at the time"
Two years later, Ringo's second child, Jason was born, and three years after that Ringo had a daughter who he named Lee. In 1975, Ringo and Maureen divorced.
The Beatles officially broke up in 1970, and Ringo released his first solo record; "Sentimental Journey" and then later, "Beaucoups of Blues". He acted in 2 movies; "Candy" and "The Magic Christian", and drummed in John Lennon's newly forned "Plastic Ono Band" and on George's solo album "All Things Must Pass". Despite the bad feelings that resulted from the Beatle breakup, Ringo was the only member who still remained friendly with the other members.
Ringo released a number of records between 1970 and '80, including "Ringo", "Bad Boy" and "Good Night Vienna" (among others). He also acted in a numberof movies, including "Caveman", where he met his second wife, Barabra Bach (they have been married 20 years as of today).
Ringo was also, during this time, slowly becoming an alcoholic, and (thankfully) finally sought help:
"I was having a lot of blackouts. The final blow for me was when I came to on a Friday afternoon, and I had trashed the place so bad, the staff felt that we'd had burglars. I trashed Barbara so bad, they thought she was dead. They found her covered in blood. I'd beaten her up, and I had no idea. This just absolutely shocked me. She could have been dead and I wouldn't have known, like in those horrible TV movies. And suddenly, this was the end of it for me. I believe God stepped in. It was like a split second of clarity, and I asked for help. I knew somewhere in the haze that Barbara had been talking about rehab, so I said, ``You've got to get us into one of those places.'' And she made some calls and got us to Tuscon, and I haven't had a drink since, thanks."
Having recovered from his alcohol addiction, Ringo was ready to start he career up again. In 1989, he began his very first All-Starr Band, with many other famous rockers. They toured around and it was very successful. He continued to have the All-Starr tours, and in 1998 released the critically acclaimed album "Vertical Man" which included the songs "I was Walking" and "La Dee Da". That same year, Ringo performed on Vh1'sStorytellers, from which a sound track was released.
In winter of 1999, Ringo released his very first Christmas album entitled "Ringo Starr: I Wanna Be Santa Claus" and hosted a radio Christmas special. In February of 2000, a Ringo Starr Anthology and box set is scheduled to be released (much to the happiness of the fans he's collected over the years).
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