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Danny Baker
Born	(1957-06-22) 22 June 1957 (age 55) Deptford, London, England
Occupation	Radio DJ, Presenter, Journalist

Danny Baker^[1] (born 22 June 1957, Deptford, South London) is an English comedy writer, journalist, radio DJ and screenwriter. Since the late 1970s, he has worked for a wide range of publications and broadcasters including NME, LWT, the BBC, and Talk Radio.

Early life[link]

Baker was born in Deptford in south east London to a dock-working, union-leading father and factory-working mother and grew up in Bermondsey. He left school in 1972 at the age of 15 and initially worked in One Stop Records, a small but fashionable record shop in South Molton Street in London's West End.^[2]

Career[link]

Print journalism[link]

In 1976, with fellow Deptfordian Mark Perry, Baker founded the proto-punk fanzine Sniffin' Glue, and this led to an offer from the New Musical Express, home to the likes of Julie Burchill, Tony Parsons, Charles Shaar Murray and Nick Kent. Baker initially began working as the office receptionist, but was soon contributing regular articles and reviews before progressing to interviews. He often refers to these times during his radio shows, regularly citing examples of the ridiculous behaviour exhibited by his rock star interviewees.

In the later 1990s, Baker wrote a weekly sports column for The Times and was briefly a columnist for early issues of movie magazine Empire.

Television[link]

Reporting for LWT (1980s)[link]

By 1980, Baker was making documentaries for producer Janet Street Porter at LWT for the popular culture series 20th Century Box. The show consisted of a series of 30 minute documentaries on elements of youth culture. An edition documenting the burgeoning New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) scene included an early TV appearance of Iron Maiden performing at The Marquee Club and interviews with "air guitarists".

Baker's first mainstream break was as roving reporter-presenter on the Michael Aspel's LWT regional magazine The Six O'Clock Show alongside former Mastermind winner and former London black cab driver Fred Housego. Paul Ross (brother of Jonathan Ross whom Baker had as his best man) was his researcher. During his stint on The Six O'Clock Show, Baker was filmed having an altercation with a railway platform guard in which Baker can be heard remonstrating "Don't you know who I am?". This clip is often resurrected for clip shows.

Writing and presenting (Early – Late 1990s)[link]

In 1990, Baker presented The Game for LWT, a show which charted the ups and downs of a Sunday League in East London. Presented with a blend of passion and wit, the show went on to become a cult classic.

Baker began writing for television programmes in 1992 after being asked to prepare a piece for one of the first clip shows: TV Hell, which was a collection the worst TV programmes ever. Since then he has presented television shows such as Win, Lose, or Draw, Pets Win Prizes and TV Heroes, which was a series of 10-minute homages to some of Baker's entertainment idols including Fanny Cradock, Peter Glaze (from Crackerjack) and the Top of the Pops audience. In one episode of TV Heroes, a clip was shown of Baker leaping around to a performance of "Ooh What A Life" by the Gibson Brothers in 1979, which was captioned as "Danny Baker's first TV appearance". Baker later described himself as "looking like he was trying to put out a small fire".

Baker also began a BBC Saturday night chat show, called Danny Baker After All which borrowed its style from Late Night with David Letterman, but his style and guests (Rick Wakeman of prog rock band Yes was a regular) did not attract the mainstream audience the slot demanded. Film critic Mark Kermode's band The Railtown Bottlers was the show's house band.^[3]

Later he fronted television adverts for Daz washing powder and Mars bar confectionary. Adult satire comic Viz featured a critical cartoon, "Cockney Wanker", with Baker and actor Mike Reid as likely sources for the character. Baker parodied his Daz ads by appearing as himself on the sitcom Me, You and Him.

During this period, Baker began presenting on BBC Radio 5's 6-0-6 football related phone-in programme as well as the job of presenting Match of the Eighties, a six-part BBC series of football during the 1980/81 and 1985/86 seasons.

Baker was a writer on Chris Evans' TFI Friday show, as well as contributing material for presenters such as Angus Deayton and Jonathan Ross.

Guest appearances (Late 1990s – 2000s)[link]

During the late 1990s he made guest appearances on comedy shows including Have I Got News for You, Shooting Stars and Room 101. During this period he appeared in the press as a result of nights out with friends Chris Evans and England footballer Paul Gascoigne. Gascoigne was under media scrutiny for drinking and socialising while preparing for tournaments. After Gascoigne was left out of the 1998 World Cup squad, Baker went on Have I Got News For You to defend his friend and criticise the omission.

He also appeared on The Terry and Gaby Show from 2003 to 2004 (where he burnt his hand trying to perform a trick with a microwave and a piece of soap) and has appeared on BBC Two quiz show QI, becoming the show's first ever winner.

Baker worked again with Charles Shaar Murray on the Ramones documentary End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones, providing an audio commentary.

In 2005, Baker appeared in the video to "Is This the Way to Amarillo?", a number 1 single for Peter Kay and Tony Christie, which also featured other British personalities such as Keith Harris, Geoffrey Hayes, Shakin' Stevens and Jimmy Savile.

Baker's most recent TV project was The Sitcom Showdown which began on UKTV Gold in late April 2006. Baker appeared on Comic Relief Does The Apprentice in 2007 for Comic Relief. He also starred in The Rocky Horror Show, as the narrator, at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley and the New Wimbledon Theatre.

Radio career[link]

BBC GLR/5 Live/Radio 1 (1989–1997)[link]

Baker began his radio career on BBC GLR in 1989, presenting Weekend Breakfast from 6-9am on Saturdays and Sundays. The show was produced by Chris Evans, who became a good friend to Baker. With GLR eventually opting for a more orthodox breakfast show at weekends, Baker moved to the 10am to 1pm slot on Sundays.

In 1990, Baker joined the newly launched BBC Radio 5, presenting Sportscall, a phone-in sports quiz broadcast every Saturday lunchtime.

From October 1991 to October 1992 he presented 6-0-6 and, from February 1992 until October 1993, he presented Morning Edition from 6.30-9am every weekday morning. The show blended Baker's love of unusual trivia with 'grown-up' music. This was where Baker first teamed up with Danny Kelly and Allis Moss. Mark Kermode added weekly film reviews, and would later appear with his band 'The Railtown Bottlers' every week on the first series of Baker's TV show.^[3]

Baker's loud-mouthed, iconoclastic anchoring of 6-0-6 polarised opinion.^{[citation needed]} He was often fearless in his attacks on football authority, particularly the 'blazers' at the Football Association. His influence on the station remains, such as in BBC 5 Live's present day preparedness to court unpopularity within the game through its robust criticism of players, managers and referees.

Baker joined BBC Radio 1 in October 1993, taking over the weekend mid-morning show from 10am-1pm from Dave Lee Travis who had resigned on air following the sackings instigated by Matthew Bannister and Trevor Dann during the early 1990s. However, due to poor ratings, from November 1994 he was heard on Saturdays only from 10am-12midday. Simon Mayo took over Sunday mornings.

Baker's style led to a fall in listeners at Radio 1 but despite his tendering his resignation on at least two occasions, management added extensions to his contract. From October 1995, his Saturday show went out from 12.30-2.30pm. He left the station in September 1996. His co-hosts during this period included BBC continuity announcer Allis Moss, Dr.H, Laurie Sore, Andy Darling and Danny Kelly.

While continuing with his Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 1, in 1996 Baker joined BBC Radio Five Live to present a Sunday lunchtime show with Danny Kelly, Baker & Kelly Upfront.

On leaving BBC Radio 1, Baker returned to BBC GLR to present a three-hour Sunday show from 10am-1pm. 'Baker and Kelly Upfront' also returned, now at Saturday lunchtime, while Baker also took on a new show, 'The Baker Line', a Wednesday evening version of the 606 phone in show.

While 'Baker and Kelly Upfront' was light-hearted, 'The Baker Line' was darker and emotionally charged. Baker was at his most outspoken, and in early 1997, he was sacked from Five Live when station bosses alleged that he had incited threatening behaviour during an angry outburst about a referee.^[4]

Talk Radio/Virgin Radio (1998–2000)[link]

Baker joined Talk Radio to present a similar football phone-in with Kelly each Saturday from 5.30-7.30pm. A pre-match show was added from 11.30am to 1pm. After moving to the Saturday breakfast slot (8am to 12 noon), he engineered his own dismissal after a matter of weeks by refusing to centre the show on football, preferring to intersperse chat with his own music selections.

After leaving Talk Radio, he joined Virgin Radio in early 1999, taking over from Jonathan Ross on Sundays from 10am-1pm.

Not long after, Baker was approached by the BBC and was asked whether he wanted to present a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2. Baker turned down the offer by saying the time wasn't right, and the show was given to Jonathan Ross. Baker also deputised on Virgin's Saturday lunchtime football show from 12-2pm for a handful of shows, alongside Danny Kelly until he left the station in 2000.

BBC London 94.9 (2001–2002 and 2005–Present)[link]

In September 2001, Baker joined BBC London 94.9 presenting a Saturday morning show from 8-11am. Just 6 months later, in March 2002, and with a new co-presenting team which included Amy Lamé, Mark O'Donnell and David Kuo, he took over the breakfast show from 6-9am, with a new theme tune in the form of the Anthony Newley song The Candy Man.

Although not drawing a large listenership, Baker won "Sony Radio DJ of the year" for the show. However, the day after winning the award, he announced his intention to leave the show at the end of the month. The last show was on Friday 27 May 2005.

On Monday 17 October 2005, after a sabbatical at home, Baker rejoined BBC London 94.9 where he took over the weekday 3-5pm show from Jono Coleman, who had moved to co-present the breakfast show with former actress JoAnne Good.

His current (2005- ) BBC London 94.9 shows tend to feature off-the-wall phone-ins and discussions with his on-air team, Amy and Baylen Leonard, often regarding music and entertainment nostalgia of the 1960s and 1970s. His interviews focus on off-beat trivia rather than the guests' latest or most famous work. He takes pleasure in interspersing his shows with relatively obscure rock tracks from bands such as Yes, Todd Rundgren, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart.

All Day Breakfast Show/Podcasts (2007)[link]

On 15 March 2007, Baker launched the All Day Breakfast Show, a podcast to reach listeners beyond BBC London's FM radio reach. Regulars Amy Lamé, Baylen Leonard and David Kuo all contributed and the first show featured an appearance by comedian and actor Peter Kay.

The All Day Breakfast Show was recorded daily, Monday to Friday at 11am GMT, "in the past for listeners in the future" originally in Baker's own studio based from the kitchen of an Italian restaurant and known as La Cucina and later from the offices of Wippit media. Each show was available as a download and lasted between 40 and 60 minutes.

After nearly six months of free podcasts, the All Day Breakfast Show began charging £2 per week in early September 2007. However, after one week of paid shows, Baker put the ADBS on indefinite hold until "a few things get sorted out". Users had reported short shows and difficulty downloading episodes. After several weeks of silence and internet "twitch"^[vague], the All Day Breakfast Show officially announced its return to the air on 19 October 2007. No announcement on the main website was given, but in a 5 minute mini-show downloadable initially only to paid subscribers who happened to check the download section of the website, Danny Baker and Baylen Leonard announced the return of the show. They confirmed that from "next week" they would be broadcasting three times a week. They also suggested (possibly only partially in jest) that due to BBC cuts announced the previous day, that they may be planning to end their official BBC London show and move to being an "Internet only" show.

This new scheduling model continued – apparently successfully - for the next eight weeks. However, on 15 December 2007, Baker himself posted a notice on the "All Day Breakfast Show" and "Baker and Kelly" websites announcing that both shows were cancelled with immediate effect. The notice said that this was a result of "an irreversible and utter breakdown between the on-air team and the company Wippit media who have ... provided it to you online."

The notice in full:

Dear All,

It appals me to say it but there will be no more All Day Breakfast Shows nor Baker & Kelly's. There has now been an irreversible and utter breakdown between the on-air team and the company who have, with varying degrees of success, provided it to you online. I suppose I should have heeded the warning of many of you after the initial, half-assed sign up but, Jesus Christ, I wanted this to work. I have absolutely no idea where any subscription fees are, went or remain. All I know is that we all have created an enormous amount of strong, funny, unbeatable internet shows and in return received nothing. And I mean nothing. Not a brass penny in nine long months just some hefty studio bills along the way. Now it has come down to the old "Ah well if you read your contract you'll find..." and I feel like some dumb-cluck boy band.

Truth is when you're fifty years old, a successful broadcaster for two thirds of your life, and you're standing, crushed, on the sweaty Northern Line every day going to work without even so much as getting your ticket reimbursed... well it kind of rankles you know? I don't know any of my peers or, indeed, any of our genuinely genius audience who would tolerate such a circumstance. It's a rotten shame but enough is enough. The shows were too good and I have too much respect for myself and the team to allow this farcical situation to continue a belly-laugh longer. When I think of the hours and hours of midnight oil that Sonny put in to the magnificent websites alone it frankly makes my blood boil. What a sucker. (Me that is, not you Son).

Radio - in whatever form I can deliver it - is what I do for a living. The current situation is, professionally, killing us all.

I can't thank you enough for any of the two-quids - wherever they currently are - that you were good enough to invest in the ADBS. I just hope what you heard made it worthwhile. That will be the only recompense I can take from this whole wretched episode.

Regards and with great apologies to you all,

DB.

Wippit responded on 17 December 2007 with the following, alluding to Baker's failure to quit his daily radio show as agreed:

Unfortunately the All Day Breakfast Show in COLOR has ceased to be due to a breakdown in contract negotiations between our company and Danny Baker. Mr. Baker did not wish to meet his agreed obligations regarding exclusivity and the new terms proposed by his agent were not acceptable to Wippit. Last week Wippit offered Mr. Baker 100% of ADBS in COLOR revenues and declared no further interest in the podcast, but this offer was rejected by Baker’s agent. With the exception of ADBS and Baker and Kelly none of the other seven podcasts produced by Wippit are affected.

On 8 September 2007 Baker and Kelly had resumed their partnership, releasing the first podcast of their football programme for the 2007–2008 season. A total of twelve such podcasts were produced, before their cancellation was announced on 15 December 2007 as a result of the dispute with Wippit.

Return to 6-0-6, Radio 2 and Saturday Show (2008–Present)[link]

Having announced on his BBC London radio show on 21 May 2008 that he would be returning to present BBC 5 Live's 6-0-6 football phone-in for a limited period that summer,^[5] Baker hosted six shows during Euro 2008 beginning on Sunday 8 June (following Austria's game against Croatia) and culminating after the final on Sunday 29 June.^[6]

Danny Baker at Flugtag, London, 2008.

Baker went on to make a long-term return to 6-0-6 in September 2008, hosting a Tuesday night show for the duration of the 08/09 football season.^[7]

Baker's first Radio 2 show was announced by the BBC Press Office on 11 November 2008, with a statement revealing that he and Zoe Ball would co-present four Saturday morning shows from 22 November to 13 December 2008 in the slot usually occupied by Jonathan Ross, who had been suspended for three months by the BBC.^[8] The shows were generally well-received, and notably different in style to Ross's regular programme.

At the end of the 08/09 football season Baker's 6-0-6 Tuesday night show (nicknamed the 'Pirate Ship' – Baker oft donning a pirate's hat and wig for the benefit of the digital TV simulcast) that he co-hosted with Issy Clarke shifted to an expanded Saturday morning slot, debuting on 5 September 2009 on BBC 5 Live. The show returned in September 2010 after the summer break with Lynsey Hipgrave replacing Clarke as co-host. Hipgrave had been co-hosting during the World Cup as Clarke was working elsewhere during the tournament. Previously Hipgrave had been providing travel reports during the show and across other weekend morning shows on the station.

Baker, with co-presenter Hipgrave, won the Gold Award in the Speech Radio Personality of the Year award, for the second consecutive year.^[9]

Other ventures[link]

Football videos[link]

Baker has presented a number of popular football videos and DVDs including Own Goals and Gaffs (1992), Right Hammerings, Whose Season Was It Anyway? (both 1993), Own Goals and Gaffs 2, Best Short Corners (both 1994), Fabulous World Of Freak Football (1995) and The Glorious Return Of Own Goals And Gaffs (2009).

The Game (1990), a cult classic television show presented by Baker, following bottom-division East London Sunday League football teams, was released on DVD through Revelation Films on May 24, 2010.

Books[link]

In 2009, he released a book co-written with Danny Kelly entitled Classic Football Debates Settled Once and for All, Vol. 1. Despite the title, the book itself makes clear that a sequel is not planned, though some extra material was written for the paperback edition, released to coincide with the 2010 World Cup.

Led Zeppelin[link]

Danny was made an official member of Led Zeppelin by Robert Plant at the Q Awards 1992.^[10] 25 minutes later, Danny resigned citing musical differences.

Personal life[link]

His passions range as widely as punk music, the U.S., progressive rock, Steely Dan, Disney, The Marx Brothers and P. G. Wodehouse. He has a large collection of vinyl records and a collection of redundant laserdiscs that his family refer to as 'Baker's folly'. On 8 February 2008, two days after giving up drinking for Lent in support of Amy Lamé, Danny announced on air on his BBC London 94.9 show, that he was selling his record collection.

It has frequently been claimed that Baker inadvertently killed Bob Marley by treading on his foot at a charity football match. However, although Baker did break Marley's toe in a 1977 football match, and Marley's cancer began with foot melanoma, the match was played after the onset of his illness.^[11]

Baker is a life long supporter of his local football club, Millwall.^[12]

On meeting one of his heroes Mel Brooks he was delighted to find Brooks had used the name "Danny Baker" as character names in one of his early works as he felt it "was the most Gentile name I could think of".

Baker is married to Wendy (born 7 March 1955). They have three children: Bonnie, Sonny and Mancie. He lives in Blackheath, South East London.^[2]

On 1 November 2010 Baker announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer and would start chemotherapy instantly and radiotherapy in January.^[13] On 14 June 2011 he announced that he had been given the all clear.^[14]

Baker resumed broadcasting on BBC London on 18 April 2011.

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• The All Day Breakfast Show official web site.
• Site with a wealth of Baker-related information and archives of his work
• Danny Baker at the Internet Movie Database

Ringo Starr MBE
Ringo Starr in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Richard Starkey
Also known as	Ringo Starr
Born	(1940-07-07) 7 July 1940 (age 71) Liverpool, England
Genres	Rock, pop, psychedelic rock, world music
Occupations	Musician, singer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, drums, percussion, piano, keyboard, guitar
Years active	1957–present
Labels	Parlophone, United Artists, Capitol, Apple, Swan, Vee-Jay, Tollie, 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 instruments
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 and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He joined the Beatles in August 1962, taking the place of Pete Best. In addition to his drumming, Starr is featured on lead vocals on a number of successful Beatles songs (in particular, "With a Little Help from My Friends", "Yellow Submarine", and the Beatles version of "Act Naturally"). He is credited as a co-writer of the songs "What Goes On" and "Flying", and as the writer of "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden".

As drummer for the Beatles, Starr was musically creative, and his contribution to the band's music has received high praise from notable drummers in more recent times. Starr described himself as "your basic offbeat drummer with funny fills".^[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". In 2011, Starr was picked as the fifth-best drummer of all-time by Rolling Stone readers.^[2]

Starr is the most documented and critically acclaimed actor among the Beatles, playing a central role in several of their films, and appearing in numerous other films, both during and after his career with the Beatles. After the Beatles' break-up in 1970, Starr achieved solo musical success with several singles and albums, and recorded with each of his fellow ex-Beatles as they too developed their post-Beatle musical careers. He has also been featured in a number of TV documentaries, hosted TV shows, narrated the first two series of the children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends and portrayed "Mr. Conductor" during the first season of the PBS children's television series Shining Time Station. Since 1989, Starr has toured with eleven variations of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.

Early life[link]

Ringo Starr was born on 7 July 1940 at 9 Madryn Street, Dingle, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, the son of Elsie (née Gleave) and Richard Starkey, a confectioner.^[3][4][5][6] His paternal grandfather was born with the surname "Parkin", and later adopted his stepfather's surname, "Starkey".^[7] Starr's parents split up when he was three years old,^[8] and his mother subsequently married Harry Graves,^[9] who encouraged his interest in music.^[8][9][10] Starr's family moved when he was three years old to a smaller home at 10 Admiral Grove. Starr attended an Evangelical Anglican church during his childhood.^[11] He was afflicted by illness for much of his early years. When aged six, he had appendicitis, which developed complications, causing him to fall into a coma.^[12] At thirteen, he developed chronic pleurisy and was admitted to a sanatorium for two years.^[13] After this extended hospital visit he did not return to school.^[9][14] The periods of hospitalisation left him behind scholastically, and as a result he was ineligible to attend a grammar school or even sit its Eleven plus qualifying examination.^[15] Earlier, Starr attended St Silas, a Church of England primary school in High Park Street, close to his home in Admiral Grove;^[16] singer Billy Fury attended the school at the same time. Later, Starr attended Dingle Vale Secondary Modern School (now Shorefields Technology College), leaving in 1955.^[17] While there, he showed an aptitude for art and drama as well as practical subjects including mechanics.^[15] Starr's health problems had another enduring effect in the form of allergies and sensitivities to food, and when The Beatles travelled to India in 1968, he took his own food with him.^[18]

Like John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, Starr became caught up in Liverpool's skiffle craze.^[19] In 1957, he and his friend Eddie Miles formed the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group.^[20] In 1959, he joined the Raving Texans,^[21] now adopting the stage name "Ringo Starr" because of the rings he wore^[22] and because it sounded "cowboyish", and his drum solos were billed as "Starr Time".^[23] By October 1960, the band was renamed Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and while they were performing in Hamburg, Starr met The Beatles.^[24][25] On 16 October 1960 he drummed in Hamburg with Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, recording with them for the first time to back Hurricanes' singer Lu Walters.^[26]

After returning to the UK, Starr sat in for Pete Best as The Beatles' drummer on 18 August 1961 and 5 February 1962.^[27] The Beatles removed Best as their drummer on 16 August 1962, after Best had played in the early recording sessions at EMI Studios.

Starr's first performance as a full Beatle was on 18 August 1962 at a Horticultural Society dance at Port Sunlight.^[27][28] After his appearance at the Cavern Club performance as a full Beatle the following day, Best's fans were upset at his sacking, holding vigils outside Best's house and fighting at the club, shouting 'Pete forever! Ringo never!'^[27][29] George Harrison received a black eye from one of the fans.^[30]

When he arrived at EMI Studios for the second time on 11 September, Starr was shocked to find another drummer there, session drummer Andy White who was commissioned by producer George Martin. Using sessions drummers familiar with studio techniques was a normal procedure for studio recordings in those days. Starr's view at the time was that Andy White was brought in because he thought George Martin viewed him as crazy. Of the 4 September rehearsal session, Starr stated, "He [George Martin] thought I was crazy and couldn't play. Because when we were doing 'Please Please Me', I was actually playing the kit and in one hand I had a tambourine and a maracas in the other, because I was trying to play the percussion and the drums at the same time, because we were just a four piece band".^[31] Starr also stated, "I thought, 'That's the end, they're doing a Pete Best on me.'" ^[32]

The Beatles: 1962–1970[link]

Ringo Starr (bottom right) with John Lennon (top left), Paul McCartney (top right) and George Harrison (bottom left), arriving in New York City in 1964

Vocals[link]

Starr generally sang at least one song on each studio album as part of an attempt to establish the vocal personality of all four members. In some cases, Lennon or McCartney wrote the lyrics and melody especially for him, as they did for "Yellow Submarine" from Revolver and "With a Little Help from My Friends" on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.^[33] These melodies were tailored to Starr's baritone vocal range. Starr's backing vocals are heard on songs such as "Carry That Weight",^[34] and "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill". He also is the lead vocalist on "Octopus's Garden.^[35]

Composition[link]

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.^[36] 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".^[37] 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".^[38] 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)^[39][40] and "Octopus's Garden" (on Abbey Road)^[41][42] 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".^[43] 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".^[44] Starr's name also appears as a co-writer for the Rubber Soul track "What Goes On" along with Lennon and McCartney,^[45] while the songs "Flying" (on the Magical Mystery Tour album)^[46] and "Dig It" (on Let It Be)^[47] 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" CD 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".

1964 illness[link]

McCartney, Harrison, Lennon and Jimmie Nicol in the Netherlands on 5 June 1964

In June 1964, the Beatles were scheduled to tour Denmark, the Netherlands, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.^[48] On 3 June, the day before the tour, Starr collapsed during an early morning photo session for the Saturday Evening Post at a portrait studio in Barnes, London. Stricken with a 102-degree fever and tonsillitis, he was rushed to the hospital. This bout with tonsillitis necessitated a stay in hospital and a few days of recuperation at home. During this time, Starr was temporarily replaced for the Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Adelaide concert dates by 24-year-old session drummer Jimmie Nicol. Beatles producer George Martin suggested Nicol because he had recently recorded at EMI with Tommy Quickly and recently became familiar with Beatles numbers while drumming on a recording session for an album called Beatlemania. At first, Harrison did not want Starr replaced and refused to go on the tour without Starr, but Brian Epstein and George Martin convinced Harrison to begin the tour. Starr was discharged from the hospital on 11 June, and he rejoined the group in Melbourne on 15 June 1964. Ultimately, Starr had his tonsils removed during the Beatles' Christmas holiday period later in the year. Starr later admitted that he feared that he would be permanently replaced during his illness.

Drumming skills[link]

While Starr himself has been the first to acknowledge the technical limitations of his drumming for the Beatles, the overall effect of his contribution has received high praise from notable drummers. Starr 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] 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] In 1968,^[49] Martin praised Starr's drumming on Sgt. Pepper, calling him "probably ... the finest rock drummer in the world today."^[50] Lennon, when asked if Starr was the best drummer in the world, jokingly replied, "He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles!"^[51] (on account of McCartney filling in for Starr on drums on several songs, such as "Back in the USSR", "Dear Prudence" and "Martha My Dear") - though this quote could be apocryphal.^[52] He definitely did say, "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] 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.^[53]

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

Phil Collins, the drummer for Genesis, who was himself influenced by Starr,^{[citation needed]} said:

In September 1980, John Lennon had this to say about Starr:

Many drummers acknowledge Starr as an influence, including Steve Gorman of the Black Crowes, Dave Grohl of Nirvana, Jen Ledger of Skillet, 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, Orri Páll Dýrason of Sigur Rós,^[57] the former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Pedro Andreu of Heroes del Silencio and others.^[55]

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.^[55] 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]

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".^[58] Starr played tambourine on "Love Me Do" and maracas on "P.S. I Love You" for this session.^[59] McCartney took over the drums on "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Dear Prudence" from the White Album (1968) after Starr had walked out,^[60] and also played the drums on "The Ballad of John and Yoko", recorded on 14 April 1969, since only he and Lennon were immediately available to record the song.^[61] Starr commented that he was lucky in being "surrounded by three frustrated drummers" who could only drum in one style.^[62]

After the Beatles[link]

1970s[link]

Ringo drumming with Bob Dylan and the Band

After the announcement of the break-up 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) (U.S. No.4) and "Back Off Boogaloo" (1972) (U.S. No.9), the latter of which was his biggest UK hit, peaking at No.2. He achieved two No.1 hits in the U.S., 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 organised 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. 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".^[63]

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.^[64]

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, "Oh My My" (US No.5) and "I'm the Greatest" (written by Lennon) from Ringo, and "Only You (And You Alone)" (US No.6) and "No No Song" (US No.3) from 1974's 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 released on Apple Records.^[65] During this period he became romantically involved with Lynsey de Paul.^[66] 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 after he missed a dinner appointment with her because he was asleep in his office.^[66]

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. Although yielding two minor hit singles, "A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll" (US No.26) and a cover of "Hey! Baby" (US No.74) the album achieved moderate sales but reached a respectable No.28. This caused the label to revamp Starr's formula; the results were a curious blend of disco and 1970s pop. The album Ringo the 4th (1977) was a commercial disaster, reaching no higher than No.162 on the charts. Afterward, 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. However, neither were very popular, with Bad Boy reaching a disappointing No.129 on the US charts. Consequently, Starr did not release another album with Portrait Records.^[67]

In 1975, Starr founded his own record label called Ring O'Records, telling Circus magazine he thought "the record company thing is going to be a gas". The only thing he didn't like about it was "the contract signing thing. If I had my way, everyone would be tied to my company by word of mouth but the solicitors won't have it." He mentioned the implicit trust the Beatles had in Brian Epstein and "it's that trust I want my artists to have in me."^[68]

The first album to be produced for the label was a re-make of the Ringo album, rearranged for synthesiser by David Hentschel.^[68]

All up, 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, 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).^[69]

The company wound up failing because Ringo didn't like the "going to meetings" aspect of things, saying "you'd usually have meetings to decide about the next meeting".^[70] The other problem was - while he thought the company had some good artists - the records weren't selling, therefore it was costing him money. It was for those reasons he had to wind up the company.^[70]

1980s[link]

Starr performing for the Prince's Trust, Wembley Stadium, England, 6 June 1987.

In 1980, Harrison wrote "All Those Years Ago" for Starr to sing on his album Can't Fight Lightning, later released as Stop and Smell the Roses. Harrison sang a rewritten 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. Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones also collaborated with Starr while recording Stop and Smell the Roses, at Cherokee Studios, adding guitar, bass, saxophone, keyboards, and back-up vocals. 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. During recording of "Stop and Smell the Roses", Lennon had offered Starr a pair of songs to use on Roses: "Nobody Told Me" and "Life Begins at 40". However, following Lennon's 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.^[71]

From 1984 to 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 all the episodes in Series 1 and Series 2. Starr also portrayed the character Mr. Conductor in the programme's American spin-off Shining Time Station, which debuted in 1989 on PBS. Starr left after the first season.

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. The same year, Starr, Harrison and Lynne joined Eric Clapton, Elton John, Phil Collins and Ray Cooper in a performance for the Prince's Trust charity.

In October 1988, Starr and Bach attended a detox clinic in Tucson, Arizona, each receiving a six-week treatment for alcoholism.^[72] Starr later complained that it had been difficult to recover with the "press flying overhead" on a constant basis.^[73] On 23 July 1989, 'Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band' gave their first performance to an audience of ten thousand in Dallas, Texas.^[74] 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.^[75] 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.^[75] The eighth All-Starr Band tour took place in 2003.^[76]

In 1989 Starr and his daughter Lee appeared together in a TV ad as part of the "New Generation of Olds" campaign featuring the catchphrase "This is not your father's Oldsmobile."^[77]

1990s[link]

The success of the initial All-Starr tour^[78] led to the release of Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, a compilation of live performances from the tour, in the fall of 1990. In the same year, 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 and Jim Keltner.^[79]

In 1991, he made an animated appearance as himself in the Simpsons episode "Brush with Greatness" and contributed an original song, "You Never Know", to the soundtrack of the John Hughes film Curly Sue. Starr released his first studio 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 1995, Starr appeared with Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork of the Monkees in a Pizza Hut commercial. In the commercial, he claims he is trying to reunite "the lads." The commercial ends with the three Monkees joining Starr. He looks into the camera and says "wrong lads."^[80]

In 1997, Starr guested on drums on two songs on the McCartney album Flaming Pie. McCartney had written a song about Starr's ex-wife Maureen Starkey Tigrett ("Little Willow")^[81] 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.^[82] 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 Martin, McCartney, and—in his final appearance on a Starr album before his death—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.^[83]

2000s[link]

Starr on stage in New York City in 2005

In 2000, he appeared in a television commercial for Charles Schwab Investments. As he sits with a group of young musicians trying to find a word that rhymes with "elation", Ringo suggests such financial terms as "dividend reinvestment participation", "market capitalisation" and "asset allocation". As the song "Money" plays in the background, the musicians stare at him in confusion. He finally says, "What? Too many syllables?"^{[84][85][86][87]}

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

On 29 November 2002 (the first anniversary of George Harrison's death), Starr performed "Photograph" and a cover of Carl Perkins' "Honey Don't" at the Concert for George held in the Royal Albert Hall, London. 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 realise you're not coming back any more".

In 2003, Starr formed Pumkinhead Records with All-Starr Band member Mark Hudson.^[88] The label was not prolific, but their first signing was Liam Lynch, who produced a 2003 LP entitled Fake Songs.

Honorary Santa Tracker for 2003 and 2004 Ringo Starr in his Santa Tracking outfit.

Starr was an "honorary Santa Tracker" and voice over for the London stop in Father Christmas's annual Christmas Eve journey in 2003 and 2004 as depicted in the annual NORAD tracks Santa program. According to NORAD officials, he was "a Starr in the east" who helped guide North American Aerospace Defense Command's Santa-tracking tradition.^[89]

In September 2005, Liverpool City Council decided to bulldoze 9 Madryn Street, Starr's birthplace, as it had 'no historical significance',^[90] despite a previous reprieve back in July.^[91] The LCC later announced that the building would be taken apart brick by brick and preserved after all.^[92]

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".^[93] It was also announced he would be the star in a Pow! Entertainment animated film and comic book produced by comics creator Stan Lee.^[94]

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 were 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.^[95]

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 synthesised sounds, for which Stewart is known, whereas Hudson wanted real guitars, pianos, strings etc.^[96]

On 10 October 2008, Starr posted a video on his website stating that he would not be signing 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.^[97]

On 4 April 2009, Starr reunited with 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".^[98] In late May 2009, it was announced that Starr will collaborate with Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney to record some new tracks to record an entire album.^{[99][100][101]}

Starr appeared on-stage at Microsoft's 1 June 2009 E3 press conference with Yoko Ono, McCartney and Olivia Harrison to promote The Beatles: Rock Band video game.^[102]

Starr remains the only Beatle not 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 not to top the UK album listings, his highest position being No.7, achieved in the UK with both Sentimental Journey and Ringo; the latter reached No.2 in the US charts, giving Starr his highest album position there. In the USA, Starr's Apple singles fared rather well. Of all four members of the Beatles - in their respective solo careers - he has the second most consecutive top ten singles in the US with seven in a row: "It Don't Come Easy" (No.4), "Back Off Boogaloo" (No.9), "Photograph" (No.1), "You're Sixteen" (No.1), "Oh My My" (No.5), "Only You (And You Alone)" (No.6) and "No No Song" (No.3). McCartney has the most with eight in a row.

In November 2009, Starr once again performed the voice of Thomas the Tank Engine for "The Official BBC Children in Need Medley". This is the first No.1 UK hit Starr has been involved in since the Beatles disbanded in 1970 (not counting guest appearances on other singles by other artists).^[103]

2010s[link]

Ringo Starr backstage with a fan in Hamburg, July 2011

On 12 January 2010, he released his fifteenth studio album Y Not. On 13 January 2010, Starr and his band performed "Walk With You" from the album on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and closed out the show with a rousing rendition of "With a Little Help from My Friends". Starr also appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, performing with Ben Harper. Starr was also featured on The Jay Leno Show, where he played "The Other Side of Liverpool". On 22 January 2010, Starr appeared on Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief as a Celebrity phone operator.^[104] Starr appeared at the 52nd Grammy Awards with Norah Jones to present 'Record Of The Year' to Kings Of Leon on 31 January 2010 .

On 11 April 2010, Starr appeared on Weekend Wogan, a live radio show on BBC 2 Radio presented by Sir Terry Wogan, to promote his album Y Not in the UK and on 12 April 2010 he appeared on Loose Women, a lunchtime chat show on ITV. On 13 April 2010 Starr appeared on CNN's Connect the World on CNN International. On 7 July 2010, Starr celebrated his 70th birthday at Radio City Music Hall, New York with another All-Starr Band concert, topped with friends and family joining him on stage including Yoko Ono and his son Zak, and Paul McCartney as a surprise guest.^[105]

On 13 May 2011, Starr appeared on The One Show on BBC One, where he announced that he was working on a new album featuring a song called "In Liverpool".

Starr contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Think It Over" for the tribute album Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, which was released on 6 September 2011.

On 30 January 2012, he released the album, Ringo 2012. On 27 March 2012 was released Ray Wylie Hubbard's new album The Grifter's Hymnal, on which Ringo also played.^[106]

Personal life[link]

Starr married Maureen Cox on 11 February 1965^[107] and they had three children Zak (born 13 September 1965), Jason (born 19 August 1967) and Lee (born 11 November 1970); the couple divorced in 1975,^[108] and Cox died in 1994.^[109] In 1980, on the set of the film Caveman, he met actress Barbara Bach,^[110] well known for her role as 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.^[111] In 1985, Starr was the first of the Beatles to become a grandfather upon the birth of Zak's daughter, Tatia Jayne Starkey.^[112]

Zak Starkey is also a drummer, who until August 2008 was a semi-official member of 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 drummer Keith Moon, who was Zak's godfather and a close friend of Starr's.^[113] Zak also performs with the Who live (such as during the Super Bowl XLIV Halftime show in 2010) and sometimes in the studio. Zak has performed with his father during some All-Starr Band tours.^[114]

Like fellow ex-Beatle McCartney, Starr is a vegetarian,^[115][116] albeit for different reasons. McCartney is vegetarian for ethical reasons, but in Starr's case it is because of stomach problems he had in the past.^[116] As a child, Starr was left-handed until he became ambidextrous when his grandmother forced him to write with his right hand because she thought it was a witch spell for people to be left handed.^[117][118]

In the Sunday Times Rich List 2011 Starr was listed at number 56 with an estimated personal wealth of £150m.^[119] Starr and Bach split their time between homes in Cranleigh, Surrey;^[120] Los Angeles;^[121] and Monte Carlo.

Films[link]

Aside from the Beatles' films A Hard Day's Night (1964), Help! (1965), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), Yellow Submarine (1968), 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). Starr directed and appeared in Born to Boogie (1972), a concert film featuring Marc Bolan and T.Rex. 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.^[122] He played 'The Pope' in Ken Russell's Lisztomania (1975),^[123] and a fictionalised version of himself in the Paul McCartney-penned Give My Regards to Broad Street in 1984.^[124]

Awards and recognition[link]

In the Queen's Birthday Honours of 12 June 1965, Starr and the three other Beatles were appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE);^[125] 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.^[126] 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.^[127] Since then, Lennon (1994), McCartney (1999) and Harrison (2004) have been inducted for their solo careers as well. Starr remains the only Beatle not inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo career. However, it was announced on 5 September 2007 that Starr would be on the ballot for membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.^[128]

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.

On 8 February 2010, Starr was honoured with the 2,401st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. It is located at 1750 North Vine Street, in front of the Capitol Records building, as are the stars for Lennon, McCartney and Harrison.^[129]

Discography[link]

Ringo Starr in Paris, June 2011

Studio albums

• Sentimental Journey (1970)
• Beaucoups of Blues (1970)
• Ringo (1973)
• Goodnight Vienna (1974)
• Ringo's Rotogravure (1976)
• Ringo the 4th (1977)
• Bad Boy (1978)
• Stop and Smell the Roses (1981)
• Old Wave (1983)
• Time Takes Time (1992)
• Vertical Man (1998)
• I Wanna Be Santa Claus (1999)
• Ringo Rama (2003)
• Choose Love (2005)
• Liverpool 8 (2008)
• Y Not (2010)
• Ringo 2012 (2012)

Filmography[link]

• The Beatles Come to Town (1963) (short subject) – with the Beatles
• A Hard Day's Night (1964) – with the Beatles
• Help! (1965) – with the Beatles
• Reflections On Love (1966) (short subject)
• Magical Mystery Tour (1967) – with the Beatles
• The Beatles Mod Odyssey (1968) (short subject) – with the Beatles
• Yellow Submarine (1968)- with the Beatles
• Candy (1968)
• The Magic Christian (1969)
• Let It Be (1970) (documentary) – with the Beatles
• Music! (1971) (documentary)
• 200 Motels (1971)
• Blindman (1971)
• The Point! (1971) (Narrator on Home Video release)
• Did Somebody Drop His Mouse? (1972) (short subject)
• The Concert for Bangladesh (1972) (documentary)
• Born to Boogie (1972) (documentary) (also director)
• That'll Be the Day (1973)
• Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1973) (documentary)
• Son of Dracula (1974)
• Lisztomania (1975)
• The Day the Music Died (1977) (documentary)
• The Beatles and Beyond (1977) (documentary)
• Sextette (1978)
• Ringo (1978) TV film
• The Last Waltz (1978) (documentary)
• The Kids Are Alright (1979) (documentary)
• Caveman (1981)
• The Cooler (1982) (short subject)
• Princess Daisy (1983) (TV Movie) W/Barbara Bach (Robin and Vanessa Valerian)
• Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984)
• Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (1984–1986) (U.K. & U.S. Narrator: Series 1-2)
• Water (1985) (Cameo)
• Alice in Wonderland (1985)
• Sun City/The Making of Sun City (1986) (documentary)
• Queen: The Magic Years (1987) (documentary)
• Walking After Midnight (1988) (documentary)
• The Return of Bruno (1988)
• Shining Time Station (1989) (Mr. Conductor)
• "The Simpsons" (1991)
• The Beatles Anthology (1995) (documentary) – with the Beatles
• Concert for George (2003) (documentary)
• Oh My God (2009) (documentary)
• George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011) (documentary)

All-Starr Band editions[link]

Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band in Paris, June 2011

To date, Starr has toured with eleven versions of his All-Starr Band, where "everybody on stage is a star in their own right."^[130] The band has consistently toured for over a decade, and, in similar fashion to Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, rotates its line-up depending on the musicians' projects at a given time.

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• The Beatles (2000). The Beatles Anthology. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-0-304-35605-8. 
• Clayson, Alan (2003). Ringo Starr. MPG Books. ISBN 1-86074-488-5. 
• Gould, Jonathan (2008). Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain and America. Piatkus Books. ISBN 978-0-7499-2988-6. 
• Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0843-5. 
• Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1. 
• Macdonald, Ian (2008). "The Beatles' Records". Revolution in the Head (1 ed.). Vintage. ISBN 978-0-09-952679-7. 
• Manning, Sean (2008). Rock and Roll Cagematch: Music's Greatest Rivalries, Decided. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-39627-3. 
• Miles, Barry (1997). Many Years From Now. Vintage-Random House. ISBN 0-7493-8658-4. 
• Spitz, Bob (2005). The Beatles: The Biography. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-80352-6. 

External links[link]

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 Starr at AllRovi
• Ringo Starr Artwork
• Press Conference with Ringo Starr on The BackStage Pass internet radio show
• The art of Ringo Starr
• NYTimes interview for his 70th birthday
• Ringo Starr (Paris Le Palais des Sports 2011)