Ringo Starr

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Richard Starkey
Also known as	Ringo Starr
Born	7 July 1940 (1940-07-07) (age 69) Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Genre(s)	Rock, pop
Occupation(s)	Actor, musician, singer–songwriter, drummer
Instrument(s)	Drums, percussion, vocals
Voice type(s)	Baritone
Years active	1957–present
Label(s)	Parlophone, United Artists, Capitol, Apple, Swan, Vee-Jay, Tollie, MGM, Polydor, Atlantic, RCA, Mercury, Koch, Private Music, Boardwalk, Rykodisc
Associated acts	The Beatles, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Plastic Ono Band
Website	RingoStarr.com
Notable instrument(s)
Ludwig Super Classic Drumset Ludwig Black Oyster Pearl Drumset

Richard Starkey, MBE (born 7 July 1940), better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer for the rock group The Beatles. When The Beatles formed in 1960, Starr belonged to another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in 1962, taking over from Pete Best. In addition to his contribution as drummer, Starr featured as lead singer on a number of successful Beatles songs, and also as songwriter with the songs "Don't Pass Me By", "Octopus's Garden", and in collaboration with the other members, the song "What Goes On".

As drummer for The Beatles, Starr was musically creative without using advanced drumming techniques. Starr described himself as "your basic offbeat drummer with funny fills", technically limited by being a left-handed person playing a right-handed kit.^[1] Drummer Steve Smith said that Starr's popularity "brought forth a new paradigm" where "we started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect" and that Starr "composed unique, stylistic drum parts for The Beatles songs".^[2]

After The Beatles' break-up in 1970, Starr achieved commercial success with a number of solo singles and albums, and continued occasional work with each of his fellow ex-Beatles as they too developed their post-Beatles musical careers. Starr has also appeared in a number of films; he played the central character in several Beatles films, and has appeared in numerous other films both before and after his time with The Beatles. He has also featured in a number of TV documentaries, hosted TV shows, and acted as the narrator for the children's TV series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. He now tours with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.

Contents 1 Early years 2 Musical role in The Beatles 2.1 Drumming ability and appreciation 3 After The Beatles: 1970-1984 4 Recent years: 1985-present 4.1 Music: albums, concerts/tours, awards, appearances 4.2 Other news items 5 Personal life 6 Films 7 Television 8 Possibility of knighthood 9 Awards and recognition 10 Discography 11 Filmography 12 All-Starr Band editions 13 Footnotes and references 14 External links

[edit] Early years

Ringo Starr was born Richard Starkey to Richard and Elsie Starkey (née Gleave),^[3] at 9 Madryn Street, Dingle, Liverpool.^[4][5][6] Starr's parents split up when he was three years old.^[7] His mother subsequently married Harry Graves,^[8] whom he liked and who encouraged his interest in music.^[7][8][9] Starr's childhood featured numerous hospital visits, starting when, aged six, he contracted appendicitis, which developed complications, causing him to fall into a coma;^[10] later, aged thirteen, he developed chronic-pleurisy and was admitted to a sanatorium for two years.^[11] After this last extended visit to hospital, he did not return to school.^[8][12] As a result he was ineligible to attend grammar school, or even to sit its Eleven-plus qualifying examination, due to the amount of time he had spent off school.^[13] This left him behind scholastically, though he did eventually learn to read and write. Starr went to Dingle Vale Secondary Modern School, leaving in 1955. Whilst there, he showed an aptitude for art and drama, as well as practical subjects such as mechanics.^[13]

Starr's health problems had another enduring effect: allergies and sensitivities to food. When he travelled to India in 1968 with the other Beatles, he took his own food with him.^[14]

Like the other Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, Starr eventually became caught up in Liverpool's skiffle craze.^[15] In 1957, he and his friend Eddie Miles formed The Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group, Miles electing to use the stage name "Eddie Clayton", from a local landmark, Clayton Square.^[16] Then, in 1959, Starr joined the Raving Texans, a quartet that backed singer Rory Storm.^[17] It was during his time with Storm that he gained the nickname Ringo Starr, because of the rings he wore,^[18] because it sounded 'cowboyish', and because the name Starr allowed his drum solos to be billed as 'Starr Time'.^[19]

Starr originally met The Beatles in October 1960, in Hamburg, where he was performing with Storm's band, by then renamed Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.^[20][21] He also sat in for Pete Best on several occasions.^[22] When The Beatles removed Best as their drummer on 16 August 1962, Starr was their choice to replace him.^[23] Storm had mixed feelings about losing Starr.^[24][25] Best's fans were upset, holding vigils outside Best's house and fighting at The Cavern Club, shouting 'Pete forever! Ringo never!'^[25]

[edit] Musical role in The Beatles

Starr had his first gig with The Beatles on 13 March 1961 and joined The Beatles full time in 1962,^[26] and generally sang at least one song on each studio album as part of establishing the vocal personality of all four members. In some cases, Lennon or McCartney would write the lyrics and melody especially for him, as they did for "Yellow Submarine" from Revolver (1966) and "With a Little Help from My Friends" on Sgt. Pepper. These melodies would be tailored to Starr's baritone vocal range. Starr's backing vocals can be heard on songs such as "All Together Now", "Carry That Weight", and "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill".

The Beatles used Starr's unusual turns of phrase, or "Ringoisms" as they became known, such as "a hard day's night" and "tomorrow never knows", and turned them into songs.^[27] Recalling this, McCartney said, "Ringo would do these little malapropisms, he would say things slightly wrong, like people do, but his were always wonderful, very lyrical... they were sort of magic...".^[28] As well as inspiring his bandmates' creativity in this way, Starr occasionally contributed his own lyrics to unfinished Lennon and McCartney songs, such as the line "darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there" in "Eleanor Rigby". Frustrated at times of being the odd man out in the group in regard to songwriting, Starr commented in The Beatles Anthology that when he presented a song to The Beatles, it would often sound to the other three Beatles like a popular song of the day. Starr did eventually begin composing, and is credited with "Don't Pass Me By" (on The White Album) and "Octopus's Garden" (on Abbey Road) as sole songwriter.

His disgust with the band's tensions and boredom at waiting around to contribute during the sessions for the White Album caused him to quit the group temporarily. He spent two weeks with actor Peter Sellers on the latter's yacht, Amelfis, in Piraeus, where he wrote "Octopus's Garden". He did not return for two weeks, even though the other Beatles urged him to come back: Lennon sent telegrams, and Harrison set up flowers all over the studio for Starr's return saying "Welcome home".^[29] Starr's name also appears as a co-writer for the Rubber Soul track "What Goes On" along with Lennon and McCartney, while the songs "Flying" (on the Magical Mystery Tour album) and "Dig It" (on Let It Be) are listed as being written by the entire group. On issued material after the break-up, Starr wrote "Taking a Trip to Carolina" from the second "bonus" disc of Let It Be... Naked, and received joint songwriting credits with the other three Beatles for "12-Bar Original", "Los Paranoias", "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)", "Suzy Parker" (heard in the Let It Be film), "Jessie's Dream" (heard in the Magical Mystery Tour film) and The Beatles' version of "Free as a Bird."

[edit] Drumming ability and appreciation

Starr himself said, "Whenever I hear another drummer I know I'm no good. I'm no good on the technical things [...] I'm your basic offbeat drummer with funny fills. The fills were funny because I'm really left-handed playing a right-handed kit. I can't roll around the drums because of that."^[1]

George Martin's version was, "Ringo hit good and hard and used the tom-tom well, even though he couldn't do a roll to save his life", although Martin later added, "He's got tremendous feel. He always helped us to hit the right tempo for a song, and gave it that support—that rock-solid back-beat—that made the recording of all the Beatles' songs that much easier."^[1]

Lennon said, "Ringo's a damn good drummer. He always was a good drummer. He's not technically good, but I think Ringo's drumming is underrated the same way as Paul's bass playing is underrated."^[1]

Drummer Steve Smith extolled Starr's qualities beyond the technical, in terms of his musical contribution as drummer:

“

Before Ringo, drum stars were measured by their soloing ability and virtuosity. Ringo's popularity brought forth a new paradigm in how the public saw drummers. We started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect. One of Ringo's great qualities was that he composed unique, stylistic drum parts for The Beatles songs. His parts are so signature to the songs that you can listen to a Ringo drum part without the rest of the music and still identify the song.[2]

”

Phil Collins, the drummer for Genesis, who was himself influenced by Starr, said:

“

Starr is vastly underrated. The drum fills on the song "A Day in the Life" are very complex things. You could take a great drummer today and say, 'I want it like that.' He wouldn't know what to do."[30][31]

”

Many drummers acknowledge Starr as an influence, including Dave Grohl of Nirvana/Foo Fighters, Orri Páll Dýrason of Sigur Rós,^[32] Max Weinberg of the E Street Band, Danny Carey of Tool, Liberty DeVitto of Billy Joel's band, Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden, Eric Carr of Kiss, Phil Rudd of AC/DC, Phil Collins, Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater, Pedro Andreu of Heroes del Silencio and others.^[31]

In his extensive survey of The Beatles' recording sessions, Mark Lewisohn confirmed that Starr was both proficient and remarkably reliable and consistent. According to Lewisohn, there were fewer than a dozen occasions in The Beatles' eight-year recording career where session 'breakdowns' were caused by Starr making a mistake, while the vast majority of takes were stopped owing to mistakes by the other three members.^[31] Starr is considered to have influenced various modern drumming techniques, such as the matched grip, placing the drums on high risers for visibility as part of the band, tuning the drums lower, and using muffling devices on tonal rings.^[2]

McCartney sent Starr a postcard on 31 January 1969 (the day after the band's performance on the roof of Apple Studios) stating: 'You are the greatest drummer in the world. Really.' This postcard is included in Starr's book Postcards From The Boys.^[33]

In all The Beatles' album and single releases, there are only four tracks on which Starr does not drum. For the band's second recording session with Starr as a member on 11 September 1962, producer George Martin replaced the studio-inexperienced Starr with session drummer Andy White to record takes for what would be the two sides of The Beatles' first single, "Love Me Do" backed with "P.S. I Love You".^[34] Starr played tambourine on "Love Me Do" and maracas on "P.S. I Love You" for this session.^[35] McCartney took over the drums on "Back in the U.S.S.R." from the White Album (1968) after Starr had walked out, and he also played the drums on "Ballad of John and Yoko", recorded on 14 April 1969, since only he and Lennon were immediately available to record the song.^[36] Starr commented that he was lucky in being "surrounded by three frustrated drummers" who could only drum in one style.^[37]

[edit] After The Beatles: 1970-1984

After the announcement of the breakup of The Beatles on 10 April 1970, Starr released two albums before the end of that year. Sentimental Journey featured Starr's renditions of many pre-rock standards and included the arranger talents of Quincy Jones, Maurice Gibb, George Martin and McCartney, among others. His next album, Beaucoups of Blues, put Starr in a country context, and included renowned Nashville session musician Pete Drake. He scored hit singles with "It Don't Come Easy" (1971) and "Back Off Boogaloo" (1972), the latter of which was his biggest UK hit, peaking at #2. He achieved two #1 hits in the US, with "Photograph" (co-written with Harrison) and "You're Sixteen" (written by the Sherman Brothers of Mary Poppins fame).

He participated in The Concert for Bangladesh organized by Harrison in 1971, as well as drumming on Harrison's All Things Must Pass and Living in the Material World, Lennon's John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, and Yoko Ono's early solo work. Indeed, his song "Early 1970" (the B-side of "It Don't Come Easy") voiced a hope that he could remain friendly and play music with all three of his former Beatles band mates. Starr then made his debut as a film director with the T. Rex documentary Born to Boogie. Starr became firm friends with T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan and during the period of filming the documentary, Starr released the single "Back Off Boogaloo".^[38]

Starr remains the only Beatle to have failed to top the UK singles charts as a solo artist, although he did chart two number one singles in the US. He is also the only Beatle to have failed to top the UK album listings, his highest position being #7, achieved in the UK with both Sentimental Journey and Ringo; the latter reached #2 in the US charts, giving Starr his highest album position there.

In 1971, he started a furniture company with designer Robin Cruikshank. Starr's own avant-garde designs included a flower-shaped table with adjustable petal seats and a donut-shaped fireplace.^[39]

The 1973 album Ringo, produced by Richard Perry, with participation by the other three former Beatles on different tracks, was commercially successful. The album Goodnight Vienna followed the next year and was also successful. Hits and notable tracks from these two albums included "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen" both reaching number one on the US charts, and "I'm The Greatest" (written by Lennon) from Ringo, and "Only You (And You Alone)" and "No No Song" from Goodnight Vienna. In late 1975 these singles and others were collected for Starr's first greatest hits compilation, Blast from Your Past, which was the last album to be released on Apple Records.^[40] During this period, he became romantically involved with Lynsey de Paul.^[41] He played tambourine on a song she wrote and produced for Vera Lynn, "Don't You Remember When", and he inspired another De Paul song, "If I Don't Get You The Next One Will", which she described as being about revenge, when, asleep in his office, he missed a dinner appointment with her.^[41]

Starr's recording career subsequently diminished in commercial impact, although he continued to record and remained a familiar celebrity presence. Starr signed with Atlantic Records in the mid 1970s, and in 1976 the album Ringo's Rotogravure was released. While it did feature a minor hit single, the album sold only fairly well. In fact, Rotogravure turned out to be Starr's last top 40 album in the US to date peaking at #28 on Billboard and the Single turned out to be the last top 40 single in the US in the 70"s "A Dose of Rock And Roll". This caused the label to revamp Starr's formula; the results were a curious blend of disco and '70s pop. The album Ringo the 4th (1977) was a commercial disaster, and Starr soon signed with Portrait Records. His stint with Portrait began on a promising note: 1978 saw the release of Bad Boy, as well as a network TV special. Neither were very popular, and Starr did not release another album with Portrait.^[42]

In 1975, Starr founded his own record label called Ring O'Records, and four albums were released on the label between 1975 and 1978 (Startling Music by David Hentschel, Graham Bonnet by Graham Bonnet, Restless by Rab Noakes and a re-release of an Apple Records album, The Whale by John Tavener) as well as 16 singles by artists such as: Bobby Keys, Carl Grossman, Colonel Doug Bogie, David Hentschel, Graham Bonnet, Suzanne, Johnny Warman, Stormer, Rab Noakes and Dirk & Stig (the last being names of characters from The Beatles pastiche band "the Rutles", created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes).^[43]

In 1980, Harrison wrote "All Those Years Ago" for Starr to sing on his album Can't Fight Lightning which was later released as Stop and Smell the Roses. Harrison sang a re-written version himself, including it on his 1981 album Somewhere in England following Lennon's murder. Starr, along with Paul and Linda McCartney, played on Harrison's version. Starr was interviewed by Rolling Stone and Musician around this time. Stop and Smell the Roses was a well regarded album, but again did not sell particularly well. Lennon had offered Starr a pair of songs to use on Roses: "Nobody Told Me" and "Life Begins at 40". However, following the murder, Starr did not feel comfortable recording them; the former was released posthumously under Lennon's name on the album Milk and Honey, while the latter's painfully ironic lyrics kept it unissued until 1998's John Lennon Anthology.

After Lennon was murdered in 1980, Starr and his girlfriend Barbara Bach flew to New York City to comfort Lennon's widow Yoko Ono.^[44]

In 1990, Starr recorded a version of the song "I Call Your Name" for a television special marking the 10th anniversary of John Lennon's death and the 50th anniversary of his birth. The track, produced by Jeff Lynne, features a supergroup composed of Lynne, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh & Jim Keltner.^[45]

[edit] Recent years: 1985-present

[edit] Music: albums, concerts/tours, awards, appearances

In 1985, he performed, with his son Zak Starkey, as part of Artists United Against Apartheid on the recording Sun City.

In 1987, Starr drummed on the George Harrison song "When We Was Fab" from his album Cloud Nine. The song, co-written by Harrison and Jeff Lynne, charted in the Top 30 in both the UK and the USA.

In October 1988, both Starr and Bach attended a detox clinic in Tucson, Arizona, each receiving a six-week treatment for alcoholism.^[46] Starr later complained that it had been difficult to recover with the "press flying overhead" on a constant basis.^[47] In July 1989, 'Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band' gave their first performance, to an audience of ten thousand, in Dallas, Texas.^[48] The band consisted of Starr and a varying assortment of musicians who had been successful in their own right with popular songs at different times.^[49] The concerts interchanged Starr's singing, including selections of his Beatles and solo songs, with performances of each of the other artists' well-known material, the latter incorporating either Starr or another musician as drummer.^[49] The eighth All-Starr Band tour took place in 2003.^[50]

The success of the initial All-Starr tour^[51] led to Starr releasing his first album in nine years, 1992's Time Takes Time. The album was produced by four of the top producers in music: Phil Ramone, Don Was, Jeff Lynne and Peter Asher, and featured guest appearances by various stars including Brian Wilson and Harry Nilsson.

In 1997, Starr guested on drums on two songs on the Paul McCartney album Flaming Pie. McCartney had written a song about Starr's ex-wife Maureen Starkey ("Little Willow")^[52] and asked Starr if he'd play on another ("Beautiful Night"). The day after the "Beautiful Night" session, the two recorded a jam session which developed into another Flaming Pie song, "Really Love You", notable for being the first song ever credited to McCartney/Starkey and officially released on an album.^[53]

In 1998, he released two albums on the Mercury label. The studio album Vertical Man marked the beginning of a nine-year "partnership" with Mark Hudson, who produced the album and, with his band The Roundheads, formed the core of the backing group for the album. In addition, many "famous guests" joined on various tracks, including George Martin, Paul McCartney, and—in his final appearance on a Starr album before his death—George Harrison. Most of the songs were written by Starr and the band. The Roundheads and Joe Walsh joined Starr for his appearance on VH1 Storytellers, which was released as an album under the same name. On the show, he performed greatest hits and new songs, and told anecdotes relating to them.^[54]

In 2002 Starr was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame joining the elite group of percussive inductees, which includes Buddy Rich and William F. Ludwig, Sr. and his son.

On 29 November 2002, Starr performed "Photograph" and a cover of Carl Perkins' "Honey Don't" at the Concert for George held in the Royal Albert Hall, London, on the first anniversary of Harrison's death. According to the official Concert for George website, "Ringo Starr caught everyone with a tear in their eye with a rendition of 'Photograph', a composition he wrote with George, which seemed to sum up how everyone felt." The song includes the lines, "Every time I see your face / it reminds me of the places we used to go / But all I've got is a photograph / and I realize you're not coming back anymore".

In 2006, Starr featured on the Jerry Lee Lewis duet album, Last Man Standing; he performed a cover, with Lewis, of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen".^[55]

In January 2008, the studio album Liverpool 8, produced by Dave Stewart, Mark Hudson and Starr himself, was released. Mark Hudson was the initial producer of the record but was replaced by Stewart after a falling out with Starr. (The album's production credits read, "Produced by Ringo Starr and Mark Hudson; Re-Produced by Ringo Starr and David Stewart." All of the songs but one were written with members of the Roundheads, although Stewart also has several co-writing credits). Starr's attorney Bruce Grakal told journalist Peter Palmiere that the partnership between Hudson and Starr was over and they would never work together again. This happened after Hudson dropped out of the 2006 tour as musical director to do the TV show "The One: Making A Music Star". According to Palmiere, Hudson now claims that the split was over Starr's insistence on using synthesized sounds, for which Stewart is known, whereas Hudson wanted real guitars, pianos, strings etc.^[56]

[edit] Other news items

In September 2005, Liverpool City Council decided they would bulldoze 9 Madryn Street, Starr's birthplace, as it had 'no historical significance',^[57] despite a previous reprieve back in July.^[58] The LCC later announced that the building would be taken apart brick by brick and preserved after all.^[59] As of November 2007 the LCC did not yet have planning permission for their demolition plans.^[60]

In the 24 December 2007 issue of Time (European edition), Starr was profiled in a three-page article focusing on his happiness in life and his music. The article mentioned the Liverpool 8 album, but only briefly. It also stated that Starr and Dave Stewart are collaborating on writing a musical, to be called The Hole in the Fence, and discussed Starr's then-upcoming performance in Liverpool on 11 January 2008.^[61]

In October 2008, Starr posted a video on his website stating that he will not be signing any more autographs after 20 October 2008. He stated that he is too busy and that anything after that date sent to any address will not be signed.^[62]

On 4 April 2009, Starr reunited with Paul McCartney at the David Lynch "Change Begins Within" Benefit Concert at Radio City Music Hall. After separate performances from Starr and other artists, McCartney's set came last, and towards the end he announced "Billy Shears", whereupon Starr joined him to perform With a Little Help From My Friends and, with all performers, I Saw Her Standing There and "Cosmically Conscious".^[63]

Ringo Starr appeared on-stage at Microsoft's 1 June 2009 E3 press conference with Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney and Olivia Harrison to promote the upcoming The Beatles Rock Band video game.^[64]

Ringo Starr is one of the 28 people who will receive the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in music in 2010. ^[65]

[edit] Personal life

Starr married Maureen Cox in February 1965,^[66] and they had three children Zak (b. 13 September 1965), Jason (b. 19 August 1967), and Lee (b. 17 November 1970); the couple divorced in 1975,^[67] and Cox died in 1994.^[68] In 1980, on the set of the film Caveman, he met actress Barbara Bach,^[69] who played the role of Major Anya Amasova (female lead and main 'Bond girl') in The Spy Who Loved Me. They were married on 27 April 1981, just a few weeks after the release of Caveman.^[70]

His son, Zak Starkey, is also a highly respected and prolific drummer, who until August 2008 was a semi-official member and drummer in Oasis—one of the many bands influenced by The Beatles. Starr arranged for Zak to receive drumming instruction from Zak's idol, The Who's late drummer Keith Moon, who was Zak's godfather and a close friend of Starr's.^[71] Zak also performs with The Who live and sometimes in studio. In 1985, Starr was the first of The Beatles to become a grandfather upon the birth of Zak's daughter, Tatia Jayne Starkey.^[72] Zak has performed with his father during All-Starr tours.^[73]

Like fellow ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, Starr is a vegetarian,^[74][75] and was left-handed until he became ambidextrous when, during his childhood, his grandmother helped him learn to write with his right hand, as Starr mentioned in the 24 December 2007 issue of Time. Unlike McCartney, who is vegetarian for ethical reasons, Starr is vegetarian because of stomach problems he had in the past.^[75]

[edit] Films

Aside from The Beatles films (A Hard Day's Night (1964), Help! (1965), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), Let It Be (1970)), Starr has acted in several films such as Candy (1968), The Magic Christian (1969) (alongside Peter Sellers), Blindman (1971), Son of Dracula (1974) and Caveman (1981). For the 1979 documentary film on the Who, The Kids Are Alright, Starr appeared in interview segments with fellow drummer Keith Moon. He starred as Larry the Dwarf in Frank Zappa's 200 Motels (1971). His voice is also featured in Harry Nilsson's animated film The Point! (1971). He appeared in The Last Waltz, the Martin Scorsese film about the 1976 farewell concert of The Band, a favourite of The Beatles. He co-starred in That'll Be the Day (1973) as a Teddy Boy.^[76] He played 'The Pope' in Ken Russell's Lisztomania (1975),^[77] and a fictionalized version of himself in the Paul McCartney penned Give My Regards to Broad Street in 1984.^[78]

In 1985, Starr played the Mock Turtle in the film version of Alice in Wonderland.^[79]

[edit] Television

In 1971, Starr played the father, and narrated the animated movie The Point! with songs written and sung by his good friend Harry Nilsson.

In 1972, Starr appeared briefly on Monty Python's Flying Circus as a guest star on the It's man Show in Episode 28. However, Starr did not say anything as the inner show ended when the It man said "It's...", a phrase used in many of the TV show's episodes.

Also in 1984, Starr hosted Saturday Night Live as a Jefferson-watching, plastic-bubble-wrapping Beatles artifact. When asked what he wanted from the kitchen his line was, "Peach Melba, please." A skit with Martin Short as Ed Grimley had Starr being repeatedly struck by lightning to no ill effect.

In 1984 and 1986, Starr narrated the children's series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, a Britt Allcroft production, which was first shown on Central Television and subsequently across the ITV network. He was unsure about taking the role at first, having never previously read the books by Reverend Awdry, and at the time he felt that children would be more interested in "dinosaurs with lasers." Nevertheless, he had a change of heart and took the role, narrating the first two series. Starr also portrayed the character Mr. Conductor in the program's American spin-off Shining Time Station, which debuted in 1989 on PBS. Starr left after the first season, however, and would be replaced by comedian George Carlin.

In 1989, he appeared with his daughter Lee in a US television commercial for Oldsmobile, in which he narrated the first line of automaker's new jingle (to his daughter), "This is not your father's Oldsmobile!".^[80]

In 1991, Starr appeared as himself in an episode of the animated comedy programme The Simpsons, titled "Brush with Greatness". He was the first Beatle to appear on the show. (Harrison and McCartney lent their voices to the series in later episodes, and the song "Mother" by John Lennon was played in one episode, meaning that all four Beatles have technically made a vocal appearance on the show.) In the same year Starr recorded the song "You'll Never Know", which was played over the end credits in the James Belushi motion picture Curly Sue.^[81]

In 1993, Starr filmed a documentary for the Disney Channel entitled "Ringo Starr: Going Home". The 90 minute special featured Starr revisiting his hometown of Liverpool and reminiscing about the early days of The Beatles, while also featuring current concert footage of Ringo's All Starr Band. The TV special came on the heels of Starr's first album release in 10 years, Time Takes Time, and therefore included clips of nearly all of the album's songs.

In 1995, Starr painted the design for the first card for Discover Card's Private Issue series of credit cards, and appeared in the commercials for the card until the second design came out.

In 1996, Starr appeared in a Japanese advertisement for apple juice; 'ringo' is Japanese for 'apple'. In the mid-1990s, Starr appeared in an advertisement for Pizza Hut, pronouncing that the time is ripe for 'the lads' to get back together. At the commercial's pay-off, he is joined by three members of The Monkees (Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Davy Jones) and quips to the camera, "Wrong lads."^[82]

In 2000, he appeared in the first of the "Smart Investor" TV commercials for Charles Schwab Brokerage. In the commercial, Starr is trying to help a group of young songwriters come up with a rhyme for "elation". Starr suggests such financial investment terms as "dividend reinvestment participation", "market capitalization", "European market fluctuation" and "asset allocation", as an instrumental version of the song Money, recorded by The Beatles, plays in the background. At the commercial's pay-off, he looks at the confused songwriters and says, "What? Too many syllables?"^[83]

In 2001, Starr voiced the Duck brothers in the cartoon show Courage the Cowardly Dog.

In January 2008, Starr appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross where he appeared to make disparaging comments about his hometown of Liverpool. When asked by Ross if he missed anything about the city, he laughed, eventually replying in the negative. This was greeted with disappointment by many residents, and deemed hypocritical in light of his appearance in the European Capital of Culture celebrations.

In 2009, Starr appeared in a series of adverts publicising the change of name of insurance company Norwich Union to Aviva. Starr questioned whether he would have been as successful without changing his name, and in another, says "Don't call me by my stage name." after being referred to as 'Ringo'.

On June 1, 2009, Starr appeared alongside Paul McCartney at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (e3) in Los Angeles, CA to briefly speak about and promote The Beatles: Rock Band.

[edit] Possibility of knighthood

In December 2006, Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein started a campaign to get Starr knighted in a petition to the Prime Minister,^[84] joining fellow ex-Beatle Paul McCartney with the honour of being knighted. The petition has been met with widespread press coverage from The Sun^[85] newspaper and the Canadian National Post^[86] and has received 1,887 signatures.^[87] Starr himself has clearly stated both that he does not particularly support the Royal Family ("I think it should end with this queen. I think we can have the pageant without...them. I think they should have built a hospital in the name of the Queen Mum, but they didn’t, they just decided not to pay taxes and keep their money."^[88]), and that he is not personally interested in being knighted:

Interviewer: At the end of the song Elizabeth Reigns^[89]), ― which is a balanced view of the queen and company ― you say, “Well, there goes me knighthood.”

Starr: There goes me knighthood – yes, I think it has gone, well and truly...

Interviewer: Does that bother you at all?

Starr: No, I don’t want to be a Sir. I want to be a duke or a prince. If they come through with that, I’ll consider it.^[90]

[edit] Awards and recognition

On 12 June 1965, Starr and the three other Beatles were appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE); they received their insignia from Queen Elizabeth II at an investiture at Buckingham Palace on 26 October. He and the other Beatles were cumulatively nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer for their performances in the 1964 film A Hard Day's Night. The Beatles won the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song Score' for the 1970 film Let It Be. Each Beatle received an Oscar statuette.

The minor planet 4150 Starr, discovered on 31 August 1984 by Brian A. Skiff at the Anderson Mesa Station of the Lowell Observatory, was named in his honour.^[91] Starr was nominated for a 1989 Daytime Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series' for his role as Mr. Conductor in the television series Shining Time Station.

All four of The Beatles were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when the group was inducted in 1988.^[92] Since then, Lennon (1994), McCartney (1999), and Harrison (2004) have been inducted for their solo careers as well. Starr remains the only Beatle not to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo career. However, it was announced on 5 September 2007 that Starr will be on the ballot for membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.^[93]

During the 50th Grammy Awards, Starr, George Martin and Giles Martin accepted the Best Compilation Soundtrack award for Love.

On 9 November 2008, Starr accepted a Diamond Award on behalf of The Beatles during the 2008 World Music Awards ceremony in Monaco.

In 2010 Starr will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.^[94]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Filmography

[edit] All-Starr Band editions

For a detailed list of bands and members, see: Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band

To date, Starr has toured with ten versions of his All-Starr Band, where "everybody on stage is a star in their own right."^[95] The band has consistently toured for over a decade, and, in similar fashion to Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, rotates its lineup depending on the musicians' projects at a given time.

[edit] Footnotes and references

Footnotes:

References:

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Ringo Starr

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ringo Starr

• Official website
• Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band
• Ringo Starr's Drummerworld profile
• Ringo Starr at the Internet Movie Database
• "Ringo's paintings". Archived from the original on 2005-06-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20050626235618/http://www.limelightagency.com/ringo/frms/rs.html. 
• Press Conference with Ringo Starr on The BackStage Pass internet radio show
• The art of Ringo Starr

Preceded by None

Narrator of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends 1984-1986

Succeeded by Michael Angelis

v • d • e Ringo Starr Studio albums Sentimental Journey · Beaucoups of Blues · "Ringo" · Goodnight Vienna · Ringo's Rotogravure · Ringo the 4th · Bad Boy · Stop and Smell the Roses · Old Wave · Time Takes Time · Vertical Man · Ringo Rama · Choose Love · Liverpool 8 Live albums Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band · Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Volume 2: Live from Montreux · Ringo Starr and His Third All-Starr Band-Volume 1 · VH1 Storytellers · King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Ringo & His New All-Starr Band · Extended Versions · Tour 2003 · Ringo Starr and Friends · Ringo Starr: Live at Soundstage · Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band Live 2006 Compilations Blast from Your Past · Starr Struck: Best of Ringo Starr, Vol. 2 · The Anthology... So Far · Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr · Ringo 5.1: The Surround Sound Collection Christmas albums I Wanna Be Santa Claus Children's albums Scouse the Mouse Related articles Discography · The Beatles · All-Starr Band · Maureen Starkey · Barbara Bach · Zak Starkey · Brush with Greatness RingoStarr.com

v • d • e The Beatles John Lennon · Paul McCartney · George Harrison · Ringo Starr Pete Best · Stuart Sutcliffe Studio albums Please Please Me · With The Beatles · A Hard Day's Night · Beatles for Sale · Help! · Rubber Soul · Revolver · Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band · The Beatles · Yellow Submarine · Abbey Road · Let It Be U.S. albums Introducing... The Beatles · Meet The Beatles! · The Beatles' Second Album · Something New · The Beatles' Story · Beatles '65 · The Early Beatles · Beatles VI · Yesterday and Today EPs Long Tall Sally · Magical Mystery Tour Post-breakup albums Live at the BBC · Anthology 1 · Anthology 2 · Anthology 3 · Let It Be… Naked · Love · Solo albums Compilations 1962–1966 · 1967–1970 · Past Masters · Yellow Submarine Songtrack · 1 Filmography A Hard Day's Night · Help! · Magical Mystery Tour · Yellow Submarine · Let It Be Videography The Beatles at Shea Stadium · The Beatles Anthology · The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit · All Together Now Tours 1965 European tour · 1965 North American tour Discography Songs · Bootlegs · Outtakes Related people Allan Williams · Brian Epstein · Allen Klein · Derek Taylor · Lee Eastman · Neil Aspinall · Peter Brown · Mal Evans · Alistair Taylor · Apple Records · Dick James · George Martin · Geoff Emerick · Norman Smith · Ken Scott · Phil Spector · Jeff Lynne · Chris Thomas · Giles Martin · Dave Dexter, Jr. · Eric Clapton · Klaus Voormann · Harry Nilsson · Cynthia Lennon · Yoko Ono · Linda McCartney · Pattie Boyd · Jane Asher · Maureen Starkey · Olivia Harrison · Billy Preston · Rory Storm · Tony Sheridan · Horst Fascher · Andy White · Jimmy Nicol · Astrid Kirchherr · Magic Alex · Tony Barrow · Ken Mansfield · Peter Shotton · The Beatles' wives Related articles Beatlemania · Paul is dead · Record sales · Love · Lennon/McCartney · Fifth Beatle · The Beatles (TV series) · British Invasion · The Ed Sullivan Show · Abbey Road Studios · Apple Corps · Northern Songs · Harrisongs · Startling Music · The Beatles Anthology · The Rutles · Artists who have covered The Beatles · Songs covered by The Beatles · Beatles-Platz · Jeff Lynne and The Beatles · The Beatles: Rock Band · List of The Beatles concerts · The Compleat Beatles · Rubber Soul Project The Beatles portal

v • d • e The world of Thomas and Friends Engines: Thomas · Edward · Henry · Gordon · James · Percy · Toby · Duck · Donald and Douglas · Emily  Other characters: The Fat Controller · Annie and Clarabel · Bertie · Harold · Terence · Trevor Railways: North Western · Skarloey · Arlesdale · Culdee Fell · Mid Sodor · Sodor & Mainland · The Other Railway Places: The Island of Sodor · Locations in The Railway Series · Locations in Thomas and Friends   The Railway Series of books by the Rev. W. Awdry   List of Railway Series books · Major characters · Minor characters Authors: Rev. W. V. Awdry (creator) · Christopher Awdry Illustrators: William Middleton · Reginald Payne · C. Reginald Dalby · John T. Kenney · Peter and Gunvor Edwards · Clive Spong  Commercial: Merchandise · The Railway Stories (audiobooks) · (Audiobook narrators: Johnny Morris · Willie Rushton · Ted Robbins · Michael Angelis)   Thomas and Friends, the TV Show Characters: Railway Engines · Narrow Gauge Engines · Rolling Stock · Vehicles · People & Animals · Movie characters TV Series: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 Straight-to-Video: On Site with Thomas · Engines and Escapades Movies and Specials: Thomas and the Magic Railroad · Calling All Engines · The Great Discovery · Hero of the Rails Narrators: Ringo Starr · Michael Angelis · George Carlin · Alec Baldwin · Michael Brandon · Pierce Brosnan · All narrators Production: Britt Allcroft (series creator) · David Mitton (original model director) · Gullane Entertainment · HiT Entertainment Commercial: Day out with Thomas · Merchandise · Video game Thomas Land at Drayton Manor · Percy's Railway (roller coaster) · Troublesome Trucks (roller coaster) Related Series: Shining Time Station  · Robert D. Cardona Productions: TUGS · Theodore Tugboat

Persondata
NAME	Starkey, Richard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Starr, Ringo (stage name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Rock musician
DATE OF BIRTH	7 July 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH	Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH