Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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STARR, Ringo

Drummer, singer, actor. Played with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes; picked to replace Pete Best in the Beatles and became world-famous, but the least well- equipped of the four for solo success. He sang solo on a few Beatles numbers ('With A Little Help From My Friends', 'Octopus's Garden') but was never taken seriously in that role. First solo album Sentimental Journey '70 was mawkish collection of evergreens to which he was hopelessly unsuited; he said he did it for his mother. Beaucoups Of Blues '71 was passable, made in Nashville with first-class pickers; one-off singles were hits '71--2, rockers made with George Harrison 'It Don't Come Easy' and 'Back Off Boogaloo' re-established his stock. For Ringo '73 prod. Richard Perry brought together George and John Lennon (in USA) and Paul McCartney (in UK) on the same LP; it made no. 2 USA: hits on Harrison's 'Photograph', Johnny Burnette's 'You're Sixteen', his own 'Oh My My' were listenable with Billy Preston, Marc Bolan, Harry Nilsson also in the cast. He'd played a cameo in film of Candy '67; continued filming with The Magic Christian '69, Frank Zappa's 200 Motels '71 and Blindman '72, That'll Be The Day '73 (his best, as an ageing Ted, co-starring with David Essex), Lisztomania and Stardust (with Essex again) '75; also produced Son Of Dracula, prod. and dir. Bolan biopic Born To Boogie, both '72. Musically it was downhill from there. Goodnight Vienna '74 had two hits; his label Ring O'Records failed; continued to make occasional LPs (Blast From Your Past '75, Rotogravure '76, Ringo The Fourth '77, Bad Boy '78, Stop And Smell The Roses '81). Divorced from Maureen, met second wife Barbara Bach making film Cave Man '81; he became an avuncular showbiz figure with interests in UK cable TV, etc. Guest spot on Carl Perkins TV special '86 demonstrated the old backbeat. Son Zak became a drummer, played with Ringo on Artists Against Apartheid 'Sun City' single and with Who's Roger Daltrey on Keith Moon tribute 'Under A Raging Moon' '85; he is said to be a better drummer than his father.