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Ringo: With a Little Help
Ringo: With a Little Help is the first in-depth biography of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, who kept the beat for an entire generation and who remains a rock icon since the Beatles took the world by storm over fifty years ago. This book traces the entire arc of Ringo's remarkable life and career, from his sickly childhood to his life as the world's most famous drummer to his triumphs, addictions, and emotional battles following the breakup of the Beatles. Born in 1940 as Richard Starkey in the Dingle, one of Liverpool's most gritty, rough-and-tumble neighborhoods, he rose from a hardscrabble childhood marked by serious illnesses, long hospital stays, and little schooling to emerge, against all odds, as a locally renowned drummer. Taking the stage name Ringo Starr, his big break with the Beatles rocketed him to the pinnacle of worldwide acclaim in a remarkably short time. He was the last member of the Beatles to join the group but also the most vulnerable, and his post-Beatles career was marked by chart-topping successes, a jet-setting life of excess and alcohol abuse, and, ultimately, his rebirth as one of rock's revered elder statesmen.
426 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2015
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April 25, 2015
This year, 2015, sees Richard Starkey ‘s 75th birthday, and this book is being released to coincide with that event. It is certainly time that the drummer of the Beatles had his own, properly comprehensive, biography – as there have only been a couple of weak efforts over the years – and so I looked forward to reading this. However, this book begins almost apologetically and I had to wonder why this was? Ringo Starr was the drummer in the biggest band in the world, so what need is there to almost make excuses for writing his biography? I have to admit that this put me on my guard and, having finished reading it, I feel it is something of a missed opportunity.
If any of the Beatles were a ‘working class hero’ then young Richy Starkey was a much more likely candidate than his future band mate John Lennon. Growing up in the rough Liverpool area of the Dingle, his father walked out when he was three and his mother, Elsie, worked several jobs to try to make ends meet. If their precarious financial situation was not enough, Richy faced long hospital stays due to various illnesses and an interrupted education, which left him very behind academically; a fact he was all too aware off. Much of this has been well detailed; indeed Mark Lewisohn’s book, “Tune In,” has covered not only each Beatle’s childhood, but their family history, and much of this section of the book seems to have been cribbed from both Lewisohn’s research and direct quotes from the Beatles own, “Anthology.”
Although the author of this book is keen to state that this is not just about the Beatles, but about Ringo’s entire life, and career, so far; more than half the book deals with his life up to 1970. Of course, this period will be of the greatest interest to most readers, but there is nothing in here about Ringo’s life as a musician which I had not read before. There is his time in skiffle bands, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, giving up his apprenticeship to go to Butlins, taking his stage name of, ‘Ringo Starr,’ his time in Hamburg and becoming a Beatle. Much has been made over the years of Ringo replacing Pete Best and this book does not really cover this in great depth – if you are interested in finding out more, I would highly recommend, “Tune In,” (anyone interested in the Beatles should really read this) or Spencer Leigh’s, “Best of the Beatles.” Indeed, I was also perturbed to notice odd errors in this book and, really, with a band as well documented as the Beatles there is no excuse for such mistakes. For instance, it is mentioned that after Pete Best was sacked, he remained under Brian Epstein’s ‘managerial thumb,’ drumming for Lee Curtis and the All –Stars. However, Lee Curtis was managed by his brother, Joe Flannery (“Standing in the Wings: The Beatles, Brian Epstein and Me.”) and not Brian Epstein.
What has always been obvious is that, once Ringo joined the Beatles he had found the three brothers that this lonely, only child, had always craved. Once accepted into the band, he only ever needed the validation of his fellow band members and was a perfect fit – humorous and gentle natured. We go on the Beatles success, Beatlemania and touring, plus Ringo’s marriage to Maureen Cox. I did hope that I would learn more about Maureen from this book, but, sadly, she remains a fairly unknown character in the Beatles story. While we have autobiographies from Pattie Boyd and Cynthia Lennon, and Jane Asher was a success in her own right, Maureen never told her story. Yet, this woman was the mother of Ringo’s children – Zac, Jason and Lee. From, “Thanks, Mo!” on the Apple rooftop to Paul’s tribute, “Little Willow,” after her death, she was involved in the Beatles story from their beginnings in Liverpool (indeed, Paul dated her before Ringo) and yet, although events in her life are described – for example, when Ringo and Maureen and Paul and Jane went on holiday and the press criticised them for not being married, there is a quote from Maureen’s father – her feelings are rarely explored and neither does her personality come alive in this book. Likewise, although there are hints about Ringo’s troubled relationship with his children, especially eldest son, Zac, there is little detail about this.
The break-up of the Beatles saw Ringo being the first to leave the group – literally walking out of the studio after being fed up with the tension and, “freaked out by Yoko.” When the others asked him to return, he was touched to find the studio decorated with hundreds of flowers. However, nothing could hide the hostility for long and there is the infamous incident when Ringo was sent to persuade Paul to delay the release of his first solo album, which resulted in Paul throwing him bodily out of his house. Again, the author makes an assumption, when he suggests that all was well between them by the time of Mick Jagger’s wedding to Bianca; and he states that Paul and Ringo chartered a plane together to travel the wedding. Actually, there is footage of guests going to the airport to board a plane which was chartered by Jagger himself and, although Ringo and Maureen are there, as are Paul and Linda – they are not together and no one who watches the film of Paul striding through the airport with a face like thunder, holding his new daughter Mary, could say that he looks anything other than tense. Apparently, Paul and Ringo did not sit together on the flight , nor did they speak. Although they would make up, this is an obvious error and was easy to check – Rolling Stone articles covering the events are available on online for anyone to read.
The Seventies were a difficult time for Ringo, as he spiralled into drug and alcohol abuse. With George and Pattie having marital problems and Pattie’s affair with Eric Clapton, the situation was made worse by George’s affair with Maureen. Oddly, although Eric and George would be friends again, as would George and Ringo, but both George and Ringo’s marriages ended in divorce. The mid Seventies saw Ringo in LA, keeping company with John Lennon (separated from Yoko), Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon. It was a jet-setting lifestyle and a time which saw various film projects and album releases, non-stop travelling, a stalling career, various relationships and rumours of financial problems. If the Seventies were bad, the Eighties started even more terribly, with the assassination of John Lennon. However, Ringo had already met – and fallen in love with – actress Barbara Bach, on the set of “Caveman.” At first, it seemed that this marriage too might end in divorce, with fights and self destructive behaviour. However, both Ringo and Barbara finally stopped drinking and have a new, healthy lifestyle and a strong and successful union.
As he heads towards his mid-seventies, Ringo is a respected and celebrated musician – recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, by his old friend Paul, and touring with his All-Starr Band. This book gives a good overview of his life if you have not read it before, but it contains nothing that fans will not already know and is marred by far too many quotes from other sources, rather than original research, and inaccuracies. I feel it is something of a missed opportunity, which is a shame . Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
If any of the Beatles were a ‘working class hero’ then young Richy Starkey was a much more likely candidate than his future band mate John Lennon. Growing up in the rough Liverpool area of the Dingle, his father walked out when he was three and his mother, Elsie, worked several jobs to try to make ends meet. If their precarious financial situation was not enough, Richy faced long hospital stays due to various illnesses and an interrupted education, which left him very behind academically; a fact he was all too aware off. Much of this has been well detailed; indeed Mark Lewisohn’s book, “Tune In,” has covered not only each Beatle’s childhood, but their family history, and much of this section of the book seems to have been cribbed from both Lewisohn’s research and direct quotes from the Beatles own, “Anthology.”
Although the author of this book is keen to state that this is not just about the Beatles, but about Ringo’s entire life, and career, so far; more than half the book deals with his life up to 1970. Of course, this period will be of the greatest interest to most readers, but there is nothing in here about Ringo’s life as a musician which I had not read before. There is his time in skiffle bands, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, giving up his apprenticeship to go to Butlins, taking his stage name of, ‘Ringo Starr,’ his time in Hamburg and becoming a Beatle. Much has been made over the years of Ringo replacing Pete Best and this book does not really cover this in great depth – if you are interested in finding out more, I would highly recommend, “Tune In,” (anyone interested in the Beatles should really read this) or Spencer Leigh’s, “Best of the Beatles.” Indeed, I was also perturbed to notice odd errors in this book and, really, with a band as well documented as the Beatles there is no excuse for such mistakes. For instance, it is mentioned that after Pete Best was sacked, he remained under Brian Epstein’s ‘managerial thumb,’ drumming for Lee Curtis and the All –Stars. However, Lee Curtis was managed by his brother, Joe Flannery (“Standing in the Wings: The Beatles, Brian Epstein and Me.”) and not Brian Epstein.
What has always been obvious is that, once Ringo joined the Beatles he had found the three brothers that this lonely, only child, had always craved. Once accepted into the band, he only ever needed the validation of his fellow band members and was a perfect fit – humorous and gentle natured. We go on the Beatles success, Beatlemania and touring, plus Ringo’s marriage to Maureen Cox. I did hope that I would learn more about Maureen from this book, but, sadly, she remains a fairly unknown character in the Beatles story. While we have autobiographies from Pattie Boyd and Cynthia Lennon, and Jane Asher was a success in her own right, Maureen never told her story. Yet, this woman was the mother of Ringo’s children – Zac, Jason and Lee. From, “Thanks, Mo!” on the Apple rooftop to Paul’s tribute, “Little Willow,” after her death, she was involved in the Beatles story from their beginnings in Liverpool (indeed, Paul dated her before Ringo) and yet, although events in her life are described – for example, when Ringo and Maureen and Paul and Jane went on holiday and the press criticised them for not being married, there is a quote from Maureen’s father – her feelings are rarely explored and neither does her personality come alive in this book. Likewise, although there are hints about Ringo’s troubled relationship with his children, especially eldest son, Zac, there is little detail about this.
The break-up of the Beatles saw Ringo being the first to leave the group – literally walking out of the studio after being fed up with the tension and, “freaked out by Yoko.” When the others asked him to return, he was touched to find the studio decorated with hundreds of flowers. However, nothing could hide the hostility for long and there is the infamous incident when Ringo was sent to persuade Paul to delay the release of his first solo album, which resulted in Paul throwing him bodily out of his house. Again, the author makes an assumption, when he suggests that all was well between them by the time of Mick Jagger’s wedding to Bianca; and he states that Paul and Ringo chartered a plane together to travel the wedding. Actually, there is footage of guests going to the airport to board a plane which was chartered by Jagger himself and, although Ringo and Maureen are there, as are Paul and Linda – they are not together and no one who watches the film of Paul striding through the airport with a face like thunder, holding his new daughter Mary, could say that he looks anything other than tense. Apparently, Paul and Ringo did not sit together on the flight , nor did they speak. Although they would make up, this is an obvious error and was easy to check – Rolling Stone articles covering the events are available on online for anyone to read.
The Seventies were a difficult time for Ringo, as he spiralled into drug and alcohol abuse. With George and Pattie having marital problems and Pattie’s affair with Eric Clapton, the situation was made worse by George’s affair with Maureen. Oddly, although Eric and George would be friends again, as would George and Ringo, but both George and Ringo’s marriages ended in divorce. The mid Seventies saw Ringo in LA, keeping company with John Lennon (separated from Yoko), Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon. It was a jet-setting lifestyle and a time which saw various film projects and album releases, non-stop travelling, a stalling career, various relationships and rumours of financial problems. If the Seventies were bad, the Eighties started even more terribly, with the assassination of John Lennon. However, Ringo had already met – and fallen in love with – actress Barbara Bach, on the set of “Caveman.” At first, it seemed that this marriage too might end in divorce, with fights and self destructive behaviour. However, both Ringo and Barbara finally stopped drinking and have a new, healthy lifestyle and a strong and successful union.
As he heads towards his mid-seventies, Ringo is a respected and celebrated musician – recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, by his old friend Paul, and touring with his All-Starr Band. This book gives a good overview of his life if you have not read it before, but it contains nothing that fans will not already know and is marred by far too many quotes from other sources, rather than original research, and inaccuracies. I feel it is something of a missed opportunity, which is a shame . Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
May 7, 2023
I loved this book, a real in-depth look at the life of my favourite Beatle. Ringo’s the best of them, yeah come at me McCartney fans I’ll fight you on that. My only problem with the book was that there wasn’t enough of it, not because it hadn’t finished it’s story but because I’d still like to still be reading it. What more can you say, but Peace and Love. Peace and Love Man, Peace and Love ❤️
April 26, 2015
Does Ringo Starr get enough credit as a musician? Other professionals have cited his influence on them, mainly by virtue of The Beatles' reach and an equal focus on all four members. Think of how many kids watched the band on Ed Sullivan and went to pursue music - not all of them became guitarists.
Others may argue that Ringo is no Buddy Rich or Neil Peart - then again you can reverse that argument. How well would Neil and Buddy have paraded through A Hard Day's Night or mugged through Help! and The Magic Christian without Ringo's effusive charm? Legend has it Buddy once told a young fan, "fuck off, kid," so it's safe to say we wouldn't have heard him narrating any Thomas the Tank Engine stories.
Ringo was/is a drummer, memorable enough to make Best Of lists, and more so an entertainer. Think of each of the Beatles movies: Ringo has a significant side story in AHDN, is practically the focus of Help!, and opens Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour. Sometimes people debate over rock groups and the possibility of expendable members. Ringo isn't one of them.
Ringo the musician is not without his critics, but it's not enough to dismiss his skills entirely. He can claim a fair number of fans in the industry. While he didn't enjoy lasting solo success on the music charts compared to the other ex-Beatles, he never had a problem lining up capable sidemen for his albums. Check the liner notes of any of his records - each is a who's who in classic rock. I can't say if these music makers expected high sales, but it's clear they believe enough in Starr's talent to give their time to him.
Despite five decades in the public eye, you don't find much in the way of detailed biographies on the man. Look on Goodreads, and you'll see his photography collections, and a few bios with negative reviews - claims of poor writing and research. Michael Starr's Ringo: With a Little Help may very well set a precedent. Like other Beatle biographies, this is an unauthorized work - author Starr (no relation, of course) even notes a Facebook post from Starr's official page denying any participation in the book's creation. It's possible Starr isn't interested in having his whole life story told, which makes sense considering the professional and personal nadirs revealed here.
The tone of Ringo, however, is kind. Ringo reads quite the opposite of Howard Sounes's Fab:An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney. Where Sounes's biography teeters between disappointment of and scorn for its subject, Ringo is almost apologetic in recounting post-Beatle struggles, as though the author doesn't want to put the star in a bad light. Even so, consider the content to work with: a string of low-charting solo albums (when they did chart), low-grossing movies and failed TV pilots, and a decade's worth of drunken debauchery. Hey, it happened, but Ringo survived. His All Starr Band is on it's thirteenth tour, and he's about to be inducted solo into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Granted, it's being done not as a performer but under the title of Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence or whatnot, but the Rock Hall could simply have let the Beatles induction suffice for him.
On top of all this, he's 75 and looks 40. Eat your broccoli, kids.
As a biographer, author Starr appears to have done his homework. Ringo comes with an extensive bibliography and list of cited sources, though it looks as though he relied heavily on certain ones - specifically Beatles books I've read for the first third of the history. You won't find many new revelations in the Beatles era, beyond the hints of reunion in the following years. One nit pick: the book states the claim of a near crime-free evening in New York during the Sullivan show, which the people at Snopes have debunked.
Ringo's post-Beatle debauchery well matched, if not surpassed, the decadence of Lennon's fabled Lost Weekend, only in his case it's a Lost Decade or two. You would expect a more rounded portrayal of Ringo here, and experience his frustration of wanting to move on from the past. I get the impression, though, author Starr is more interested in protecting Ringo and downplaying some of the uglier public moments.
With the new tour and Rock Hall honors, and every year until 2020 will be the 50th anniversary of something Beatle-related, Ringo is a timely release, one for fans interested in more about the man who inspired so many to pick up sticks.
ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley
Others may argue that Ringo is no Buddy Rich or Neil Peart - then again you can reverse that argument. How well would Neil and Buddy have paraded through A Hard Day's Night or mugged through Help! and The Magic Christian without Ringo's effusive charm? Legend has it Buddy once told a young fan, "fuck off, kid," so it's safe to say we wouldn't have heard him narrating any Thomas the Tank Engine stories.
Ringo was/is a drummer, memorable enough to make Best Of lists, and more so an entertainer. Think of each of the Beatles movies: Ringo has a significant side story in AHDN, is practically the focus of Help!, and opens Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour. Sometimes people debate over rock groups and the possibility of expendable members. Ringo isn't one of them.
Ringo the musician is not without his critics, but it's not enough to dismiss his skills entirely. He can claim a fair number of fans in the industry. While he didn't enjoy lasting solo success on the music charts compared to the other ex-Beatles, he never had a problem lining up capable sidemen for his albums. Check the liner notes of any of his records - each is a who's who in classic rock. I can't say if these music makers expected high sales, but it's clear they believe enough in Starr's talent to give their time to him.
Despite five decades in the public eye, you don't find much in the way of detailed biographies on the man. Look on Goodreads, and you'll see his photography collections, and a few bios with negative reviews - claims of poor writing and research. Michael Starr's Ringo: With a Little Help may very well set a precedent. Like other Beatle biographies, this is an unauthorized work - author Starr (no relation, of course) even notes a Facebook post from Starr's official page denying any participation in the book's creation. It's possible Starr isn't interested in having his whole life story told, which makes sense considering the professional and personal nadirs revealed here.
The tone of Ringo, however, is kind. Ringo reads quite the opposite of Howard Sounes's Fab:An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney. Where Sounes's biography teeters between disappointment of and scorn for its subject, Ringo is almost apologetic in recounting post-Beatle struggles, as though the author doesn't want to put the star in a bad light. Even so, consider the content to work with: a string of low-charting solo albums (when they did chart), low-grossing movies and failed TV pilots, and a decade's worth of drunken debauchery. Hey, it happened, but Ringo survived. His All Starr Band is on it's thirteenth tour, and he's about to be inducted solo into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Granted, it's being done not as a performer but under the title of Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence or whatnot, but the Rock Hall could simply have let the Beatles induction suffice for him.
On top of all this, he's 75 and looks 40. Eat your broccoli, kids.
As a biographer, author Starr appears to have done his homework. Ringo comes with an extensive bibliography and list of cited sources, though it looks as though he relied heavily on certain ones - specifically Beatles books I've read for the first third of the history. You won't find many new revelations in the Beatles era, beyond the hints of reunion in the following years. One nit pick: the book states the claim of a near crime-free evening in New York during the Sullivan show, which the people at Snopes have debunked.
Ringo's post-Beatle debauchery well matched, if not surpassed, the decadence of Lennon's fabled Lost Weekend, only in his case it's a Lost Decade or two. You would expect a more rounded portrayal of Ringo here, and experience his frustration of wanting to move on from the past. I get the impression, though, author Starr is more interested in protecting Ringo and downplaying some of the uglier public moments.
With the new tour and Rock Hall honors, and every year until 2020 will be the 50th anniversary of something Beatle-related, Ringo is a timely release, one for fans interested in more about the man who inspired so many to pick up sticks.
ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley
October 26, 2021
Having read many books on The Beatles and on John Lennon, Paul McCartney specifically, I was really excited to read this book about Ringo even though I know his life story.
With that all being said if I could give this book, and I use the word book loosely, no stars, I would. Horrible, non-researched information with little to no proofreading! So many spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes I was going crazy! But the biggest mistake and the one that completely sent me over the edge was when the author (using the word author loosely) said that Paul McCartney wrote the song “Across the Universe”. If you are a true Beatles fan you must know that John Lennon wrote the song after having an argument with Cynthia (his first wife) and then the World Wildlife picked it up and put the song on their charity album. After that blunder I was ready to toss the book but since I invested so much of my reading time I finished the book but without the same excitement.
I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. There is a tremendous catalog of much better books out there on The Beatles and on John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and yes even Ringo Starr. Read those and keep far, far away from this dribble!
With that all being said if I could give this book, and I use the word book loosely, no stars, I would. Horrible, non-researched information with little to no proofreading! So many spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes I was going crazy! But the biggest mistake and the one that completely sent me over the edge was when the author (using the word author loosely) said that Paul McCartney wrote the song “Across the Universe”. If you are a true Beatles fan you must know that John Lennon wrote the song after having an argument with Cynthia (his first wife) and then the World Wildlife picked it up and put the song on their charity album. After that blunder I was ready to toss the book but since I invested so much of my reading time I finished the book but without the same excitement.
I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. There is a tremendous catalog of much better books out there on The Beatles and on John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and yes even Ringo Starr. Read those and keep far, far away from this dribble!
October 15, 2018
"Gotta pay the dues if you wanna sing the blues, and you know it don't come easy" - Ringo
Basic but comprehensive - not to mention unauthorized - bio on the self-described "little fellow" of the Fab Four, Michael Starr (no relation) covers a lot of ground here. From his sickly post-WWII Liverpudlian childhood days to teenage / young adult stints as a drummer in strictly local-level talent bands, Ringo Starr's life was forever changed by the eight tumultuous years (1962-1970) he spent as a member of the Beatles. After the group's break-up he found success as a solo performer - can any other music act claim that ALL of the core members achieved legitimate success on their own after a disbandment? - in the 70's and later as an actor, most notably as W.H Audry's Thomas & Friends train series narrator. There's a divorce from his first wife and then a long-running alcoholism issue, but otherwise Starr is portrayed as a nice, talented and down-to-earth 'bloke.'
3.5 stars
Basic but comprehensive - not to mention unauthorized - bio on the self-described "little fellow" of the Fab Four, Michael Starr (no relation) covers a lot of ground here. From his sickly post-WWII Liverpudlian childhood days to teenage / young adult stints as a drummer in strictly local-level talent bands, Ringo Starr's life was forever changed by the eight tumultuous years (1962-1970) he spent as a member of the Beatles. After the group's break-up he found success as a solo performer - can any other music act claim that ALL of the core members achieved legitimate success on their own after a disbandment? - in the 70's and later as an actor, most notably as W.H Audry's Thomas & Friends train series narrator. There's a divorce from his first wife and then a long-running alcoholism issue, but otherwise Starr is portrayed as a nice, talented and down-to-earth 'bloke.'
3.5 stars
January 9, 2016
Here is a case of the value of information vs the presentation: I have read plenty of Beatle books, but never much about Ringo himself. They always focus on the songwriters, leaving Ringo quite underrepresented. This book seeks to tell Ringo's story.
But holy cow, the editing is just awful. Frequently whole sentences and paragraphs are repeated, slightly reworded but with otherwise identical content. It's almost like the author wrote a couple of versions of a particular thought with the intention of deleting it but then forgot to remove the alternate version. And it happens all the time. It makes for a very sloppy book.
I don't blame the author here, though. The publisher, editor, and copyeditor should have caught this.
But holy cow, the editing is just awful. Frequently whole sentences and paragraphs are repeated, slightly reworded but with otherwise identical content. It's almost like the author wrote a couple of versions of a particular thought with the intention of deleting it but then forgot to remove the alternate version. And it happens all the time. It makes for a very sloppy book.
I don't blame the author here, though. The publisher, editor, and copyeditor should have caught this.
October 30, 2024
So I’m not at all saying I know a ton about the Beatles, but I have a small collection well small is relative. Anyway I have 9 hours remaining and I’ve heard two questionable sentences. I’m not putting them in this paragraph because they don’t really make that big of a deal in the long run. That’s prob why they weren’t caught or why the proofreader just read past. This isn’t really the best bio regardless. But Ringo was the one Beatles that’s been difficult for me to find much on, which is so unfair to him. He gets judged so harshly, but I think people don’t actually analyze his drumming style and how concise it is. No he’s not flashy (those rings start later in his career heehee) but drumming had to keep up with two of the most musically self-serving and stubborn men to have ever graced the scene. And they often played to whatever beat they felt like, which then made Ringo to practically learn his playlist all over again. Please know I’m not judging the most influential band to have ever played. It’s just a fact. I triple dog dare any drummers out there to pick a song or two and learn to play it with zero sheet music and sound like Ringo. Play it JUST LIKE RINGO. You’ll think “oh that’s so tedious.” But it’s not.
10/27 ok now I’m upset. This is the “whine and cry and complain about Yoko because obviously it’s all her fault the Beatles broke up” chapter. God authors! Do your research! This trope is probably the most popular yet hated myth I have ever read. LET IT GO! It’s false false false. I don’t think anyone will ever know 100% what happened in those last years. Even if there is a Let It Be video. If I had to blame ANY of the females it would be Linda hands down, but it’s not one person’s issue. This band was just too dynamic and pushed to their limits way too hard and fast. They weren’t meant to be The Rolling Stones. They were an enigma, a miracle of music that will never be repeated.
(And yes I know who the author is)
10/27 ok now I’m upset. This is the “whine and cry and complain about Yoko because obviously it’s all her fault the Beatles broke up” chapter. God authors! Do your research! This trope is probably the most popular yet hated myth I have ever read. LET IT GO! It’s false false false. I don’t think anyone will ever know 100% what happened in those last years. Even if there is a Let It Be video. If I had to blame ANY of the females it would be Linda hands down, but it’s not one person’s issue. This band was just too dynamic and pushed to their limits way too hard and fast. They weren’t meant to be The Rolling Stones. They were an enigma, a miracle of music that will never be repeated.
(And yes I know who the author is)
May 16, 2016
PennsyLady (Bev)
an audio book narrated by Peter Berkrot
I'll preface by saying I know others found editorial errors in some 2015 paper copies.
The audio book (2016) (Tantor Media) read quite smoothly.
Initially I listened with some interest to Ringo's younger years.
I was, however, one of those kids watching the Ed Sullivan show,
in black and white, in early 1964.
So, with the British Invasion, my interest accelerated.
The biography is unauthorized but quite comprehensive.
There were points where it became a bit lengthy but I'll overlook that.
I had a basic black and white sketch of Ringo Starr; the book added color and dimension and gave me a more expansive understanding of Ringo's place in pop culture history.
3.5 ★
an audio book narrated by Peter Berkrot
I'll preface by saying I know others found editorial errors in some 2015 paper copies.
The audio book (2016) (Tantor Media) read quite smoothly.
Initially I listened with some interest to Ringo's younger years.
I was, however, one of those kids watching the Ed Sullivan show,
in black and white, in early 1964.
So, with the British Invasion, my interest accelerated.
The biography is unauthorized but quite comprehensive.
There were points where it became a bit lengthy but I'll overlook that.
I had a basic black and white sketch of Ringo Starr; the book added color and dimension and gave me a more expansive understanding of Ringo's place in pop culture history.
3.5 ★
April 5, 2016
Pretty good biography of Ringo Starr, but no major revelations here. The one thing that does come across is the aimlessness of Ringo's post-Beatle years, until he finally got clean and sober. The most poignant image in the book is a picture of Ringo on stage with the Beach Boys in 1984 -- at a huge concert with over 100,000 people. Ringo said later he had no memory of that day.
June 19, 2024
I saw Ringo and the All-Starr band perform at Summer Fest in Milwaukee , WI on July 3, 1995 on a side stage and was dumbfounded as to why an ex-Beatle isn’t performing on the main stage.
But this book covers all things Richard Starkey from birth to illnesses to playing drums for Rory Storm and into his major career break as The Beatles drummer. Covered pretty well are the major highlights of America, Ed Sullivan, tours, break-up, solo efforts, drug and alcohol issues and into his 2008 “Peace and Love” campaign. Really good bio!
But this book covers all things Richard Starkey from birth to illnesses to playing drums for Rory Storm and into his major career break as The Beatles drummer. Covered pretty well are the major highlights of America, Ed Sullivan, tours, break-up, solo efforts, drug and alcohol issues and into his 2008 “Peace and Love” campaign. Really good bio!
January 13, 2021
Really enjoyed this. Found the author would sometimes get into a little too much detail about the other people in Ringo's life and that would take me out of it. But overall really enjoyed it.
January 16, 2016
FAB!!!!
Everyone on Earth knows who The Beatles are, and if you don't, I suggest you get out from under that rock.
Ringo is my fave of the fab four, and when I saw this book, I couldn't resist. I know tons about John, Paul and George, but knew little about Ringo. Ever charismatic, and always bouncing around to the beat of his drums, Ringo is interesting to me. I had no idea how cool he really is though. I mean, I imagined it, but learned so much about him in this book. This book was a bit of an eye-opening read for me. I knew he was the one who replaced Pete Best at the drums, but the details were lost on me. This read brings a clear picture of his life before The Beatles and the transition into the band. It wasn't always easy for Ringo, but he earned his place quickly all the same.
After reading the book, Ringo is even groovier to me.
Of course, like any good biography, there were vignettes of the whole band, but the book did tend to stay focused on Ringo and his aspect of it all. Though this book was written by another, you really felt like you knew what Ringo felt during certain times of his career.
I also thought it was cute that the author shares the last name but is no relation. It was a nice way to introduce himself to the reader.
Fans of the fab four, Ringo fans and even fans of celebrity bios will love this book. It's quite detailed and gives you more insight than before.
Everyone on Earth knows who The Beatles are, and if you don't, I suggest you get out from under that rock.
Ringo is my fave of the fab four, and when I saw this book, I couldn't resist. I know tons about John, Paul and George, but knew little about Ringo. Ever charismatic, and always bouncing around to the beat of his drums, Ringo is interesting to me. I had no idea how cool he really is though. I mean, I imagined it, but learned so much about him in this book. This book was a bit of an eye-opening read for me. I knew he was the one who replaced Pete Best at the drums, but the details were lost on me. This read brings a clear picture of his life before The Beatles and the transition into the band. It wasn't always easy for Ringo, but he earned his place quickly all the same.
After reading the book, Ringo is even groovier to me.
Of course, like any good biography, there were vignettes of the whole band, but the book did tend to stay focused on Ringo and his aspect of it all. Though this book was written by another, you really felt like you knew what Ringo felt during certain times of his career.
I also thought it was cute that the author shares the last name but is no relation. It was a nice way to introduce himself to the reader.
Fans of the fab four, Ringo fans and even fans of celebrity bios will love this book. It's quite detailed and gives you more insight than before.
July 1, 2015
The best part of the new Ringo Starr biography by Michael Seth Starr (no relation) is an afterword featuring interviews with famous drummers Max Weinberg, Phil Collins, John Densmore and Kenny Aronoff about Ringo's drumming style and lasting musical influence. Michael Seth Starr's (occasionally poorly edited) book is readable for its depiction of Ringo's Liverpool youth and early career with (among other groups) Rory Storm and The Hurricanes. The Beatles period does feature an insight or two about Ringo fearing the fate of previous drummer Pete Best (examples being when George Martin replaced him on Love Me Do in the studio with more technically adept Andy White, as well as the portion of a 1964 tour when Ringo, hospitalized for a tonsillectomy, was briefly replaced by Jimmy Nicol). Author Starr loses interest in Ringo after the 1970s (which produced his successful solo albums RINGO and GOODNIGHT VIENNA, as well as several anecdotes on Ringo's supporting role in the carousing-in-Los Angeles clique of John Lennon, Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon). The remainder of the book covers the past 35 years in dreary once-over-lightly fashion, rehashing familiar tabloid stories and giving a who-cares account of Ringo's later albums (except to judge them solely by low sales figures). If only Michael Seth Starr had compiled an oral history of testimonials by Ringo's musical peers/colleagues...
July 16, 2016
There was a really good book in here, but there must have been a major deadline crunch or something, because there are some glaring editing gaffs that indicate a lack of a really good final copy edit. That's really too bad. At any rate, I have to admit I learned some things, and that's always good (I'm one of those people who read ALL those books about The Beatles, so I don't often learn much from new books). But I found the laziness of the copy edit really distracting. I hope there's going to be a second edition.
Also? Direct quote: "In May, they began recording their first album for Apple, tentatively titled [in italics] The Beatles--later simply called [in italics] The White Album (which is how it will henceforth be referenced)." Maybe it's because I was an English major, but I immediately discount any author who refers to the White Album in italics. And The Beatles was never its "tentative title"--it's the proper title of the album.
But as I say, underneath the bad editing there is a good book here.
Also? Direct quote: "In May, they began recording their first album for Apple, tentatively titled [in italics] The Beatles--later simply called [in italics] The White Album (which is how it will henceforth be referenced)." Maybe it's because I was an English major, but I immediately discount any author who refers to the White Album in italics. And The Beatles was never its "tentative title"--it's the proper title of the album.
But as I say, underneath the bad editing there is a good book here.
January 14, 2020
O livro é bom, apesar de constantemente achar que o autor se perdeu na hora de construir uma linha do tempo da vida do Ringo. É mesmo um apanhado de tudo que ele passou, muito interessante.
Minha crítica negativa é à edição, que conta com muitos erros, alguns não muito graves, como caixa alta no meio de palavras, e outros mais sérios, como dizer que Ringo casou em 1989 quando na verdade foi 1981.
Minha crítica negativa é à edição, que conta com muitos erros, alguns não muito graves, como caixa alta no meio de palavras, e outros mais sérios, como dizer que Ringo casou em 1989 quando na verdade foi 1981.
March 14, 2016
One word: EDIT
August 26, 2019
Okay. So, I read Ringo by Michael Seth Starr because I wanted to like Ringo. He is probably my least favourite Beatle and this is because of some o the negative things he has said and done over the years. For example, he has made seriously negative comments about Liverpool, then tried to backtrack saying that this is just ‘Scouse humour’ and anyone really from Liverpool would not have taken offence. As someone who was born, raised and still lives in this great city I beg to differ with his comments. They were – nay are – offensive and more importantly they are just plain wrong. Liverpool is amazing.
However, I am always willing to admit I was wrong or have my mind changed. Therefore I picked up the book Ringo – With a Little Help fully expecting to have my mind changed. Unfortunately, my mind remains the same. Michael Seth Starr has written a great book,. It is well researched and whilst you get the impression that his agenda for writing about Ringo is because he is a fan of Ringo, Starr’s appreciation didn’t manage to budge my over riding belief that Ringo isn’t very nice.
You also get the feeling that Starr (the author not the drummer) has a bit of a dislike for John Lennon. I think this general bias also had a bit of an impact on my reading of the book.
Whilst Ringo – A Little Help is well researched and well written, Starr did not manage to make me change my mind. Those who are a fan of The Beatles and of Ringo will enjoy Michael Seth Starr’s attention to detail.
Ringo – With a Little Help by Michael Seth Starr is available now.
However, I am always willing to admit I was wrong or have my mind changed. Therefore I picked up the book Ringo – With a Little Help fully expecting to have my mind changed. Unfortunately, my mind remains the same. Michael Seth Starr has written a great book,. It is well researched and whilst you get the impression that his agenda for writing about Ringo is because he is a fan of Ringo, Starr’s appreciation didn’t manage to budge my over riding belief that Ringo isn’t very nice.
You also get the feeling that Starr (the author not the drummer) has a bit of a dislike for John Lennon. I think this general bias also had a bit of an impact on my reading of the book.
Whilst Ringo – A Little Help is well researched and well written, Starr did not manage to make me change my mind. Those who are a fan of The Beatles and of Ringo will enjoy Michael Seth Starr’s attention to detail.
Ringo – With a Little Help by Michael Seth Starr is available now.
November 30, 2023
Learned lots of things I didn’t know, but it felt a little jumbled - jumping around too much for my taste.
August 5, 2025
4.5 starrs
Good book and nice to have something to read dedicated to Ringo. Very good and thorough on his early years, but a little light in the last 15-20 prior to the publication.
Good book and nice to have something to read dedicated to Ringo. Very good and thorough on his early years, but a little light in the last 15-20 prior to the publication.
November 6, 2018
It is time that the drummer of the Beatles had his own, properly comprehensive, biography – as there have only been a couple of weak efforts over the years – and so I looked forward to reading this. However, this book begins almost apologetically and I had to wonder why this was? Ringo Starr was the drummer in the biggest band in the world, so what need is there to almost make excuses for writing his biography? I have to admit that this put me on my guard and, having finished reading it, I feel it is something of a missed opportunity.
If any of the Beatles were a ‘working class hero’ then young Richy Starkey was a much more likely candidate than his future band mate John Lennon. Growing up in the rough Liverpool area of the Dingle, his father walked out when he was three and his mother, Elsie, worked several jobs to try to make ends meet. If their precarious financial situation was not enough, Richy faced long hospital stays due to various illnesses and an interrupted education, which left him very behind academically; a fact he was all too aware off. Much of this has been well detailed; indeed Mark Lewisohn’s book, “Tune In,” has covered not only each Beatle’s childhood, but their family history, and much of this section of the book seems to have been cribbed from both Lewisohn’s research and direct quotes from the Beatles own, “Anthology.”
Although the author of this book is keen to state that this is not just about the Beatles, but about Ringo’s entire life, and career, so far; more than half the book deals with his life up to 1970. Of course, this period will be of the greatest interest to most readers, but there is nothing in here about Ringo’s life as a musician which I had not read before. There is his time in skiffle bands, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, giving up his apprenticeship to go to Butlins, taking his stage name of, ‘Ringo Starr,’ his time in Hamburg and becoming a Beatle. Much has been made over the years of Ringo replacing Pete Best and this book does not really cover this in great depth – if you are interested in finding out more, I would highly recommend, “Tune In,” (anyone interested in the Beatles should really read this) or Spencer Leigh’s, “Best of the Beatles.” Indeed, I was also perturbed to notice odd errors in this book and, really, with a band as well documented as the Beatles there is no excuse for such mistakes. For instance, it is mentioned that after Pete Best was sacked, he remained under Brian Epstein’s ‘managerial thumb,’ drumming for Lee Curtis and the All –Stars. However, Lee Curtis was managed by his brother, Joe Flannery (“Standing in the Wings: The Beatles, Brian Epstein and Me.”) and not Brian Epstein.
What has always been obvious is that, once Ringo joined the Beatles he had found the three brothers that this lonely, only child, had always craved. Once accepted into the band, he only ever needed the validation of his fellow band members and was a perfect fit – humorous and gentle natured. We go on the Beatles success, Beatlemania and touring, plus Ringo’s marriage to Maureen Cox. I did hope that I would learn more about Maureen from this book, but, sadly, she remains a fairly unknown character in the Beatles story. While we have autobiographies from Pattie Boyd and Cynthia Lennon, and Jane Asher was a success in her own right, Maureen never told her story. Yet, this woman was the mother of Ringo’s children – Zac, Jason and Lee. From, “Thanks, Mo!” on the Apple rooftop to Paul’s tribute, “Little Willow,” after her death, she was involved in the Beatles story from their beginnings in Liverpool (indeed, Paul dated her before Ringo) and yet, although events in her life are described – for example, when Ringo and Maureen and Paul and Jane went on holiday and the press criticised them for not being married, there is a quote from Maureen’s father – her feelings are rarely explored and neither does her personality come alive in this book. Likewise, although there are hints about Ringo’s troubled relationship with his children, especially eldest son, Zac, there is little detail about this.
The break-up of the Beatles saw Ringo being the first to leave the group – literally walking out of the studio after being fed up with the tension and, “freaked out by Yoko.” When the others asked him to return, he was touched to find the studio decorated with hundreds of flowers. However, nothing could hide the hostility for long and there is the infamous incident when Ringo was sent to persuade Paul to delay the release of his first solo album, which resulted in Paul throwing him bodily out of his house. Again, the author makes an assumption, when he suggests that all was well between them by the time of Mick Jagger’s wedding to Bianca; and he states that Paul and Ringo chartered a plane together to travel the wedding. Actually, there is footage of guests going to the airport to board a plane which was chartered by Jagger himself and, although Ringo and Maureen are there, as are Paul and Linda – they are not together and no one who watches the film of Paul striding through the airport with a face like thunder, holding his new daughter Mary, could say that he looks anything other than tense. Apparently, Paul and Ringo did not sit together on the flight , nor did they speak. Although they would make up, this is an obvious error and was easy to check – Rolling Stone articles covering the events are available on online for anyone to read.
The Seventies were a difficult time for Ringo, as he spiralled into drug and alcohol abuse. With George and Pattie having marital problems and Pattie’s affair with Eric Clapton, the situation was made worse by George’s affair with Maureen. Oddly, although Eric and George would be friends again, as would George and Ringo, but both George and Ringo’s marriages ended in divorce. The mid Seventies saw Ringo in LA, keeping company with John Lennon (separated from Yoko), Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon. It was a jet-setting lifestyle and a time which saw various film projects and album releases, non-stop travelling, a stalling career, various relationships and rumours of financial problems. If the Seventies were bad, the Eighties started even more terribly, with the assassination of John Lennon. However, Ringo had already met – and fallen in love with – actress Barbara Bach, on the set of “Caveman.” At first, it seemed that this marriage too might end in divorce, with fights and self destructive behaviour. However, both Ringo and Barbara finally stopped drinking and have a new, healthy lifestyle and a strong and successful union.
As he heads towards his mid-seventies, Ringo is a respected and celebrated musician – recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, by his old friend Paul, and touring with his All-Starr Band. This book gives a good overview of his life if you have not read it before, but it contains nothing that fans will not already know and is marred by far too many quotes from other sources, rather than original research, and inaccuracies. I feel it is something of a missed opportunity, which is a shame .
If any of the Beatles were a ‘working class hero’ then young Richy Starkey was a much more likely candidate than his future band mate John Lennon. Growing up in the rough Liverpool area of the Dingle, his father walked out when he was three and his mother, Elsie, worked several jobs to try to make ends meet. If their precarious financial situation was not enough, Richy faced long hospital stays due to various illnesses and an interrupted education, which left him very behind academically; a fact he was all too aware off. Much of this has been well detailed; indeed Mark Lewisohn’s book, “Tune In,” has covered not only each Beatle’s childhood, but their family history, and much of this section of the book seems to have been cribbed from both Lewisohn’s research and direct quotes from the Beatles own, “Anthology.”
Although the author of this book is keen to state that this is not just about the Beatles, but about Ringo’s entire life, and career, so far; more than half the book deals with his life up to 1970. Of course, this period will be of the greatest interest to most readers, but there is nothing in here about Ringo’s life as a musician which I had not read before. There is his time in skiffle bands, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, giving up his apprenticeship to go to Butlins, taking his stage name of, ‘Ringo Starr,’ his time in Hamburg and becoming a Beatle. Much has been made over the years of Ringo replacing Pete Best and this book does not really cover this in great depth – if you are interested in finding out more, I would highly recommend, “Tune In,” (anyone interested in the Beatles should really read this) or Spencer Leigh’s, “Best of the Beatles.” Indeed, I was also perturbed to notice odd errors in this book and, really, with a band as well documented as the Beatles there is no excuse for such mistakes. For instance, it is mentioned that after Pete Best was sacked, he remained under Brian Epstein’s ‘managerial thumb,’ drumming for Lee Curtis and the All –Stars. However, Lee Curtis was managed by his brother, Joe Flannery (“Standing in the Wings: The Beatles, Brian Epstein and Me.”) and not Brian Epstein.
What has always been obvious is that, once Ringo joined the Beatles he had found the three brothers that this lonely, only child, had always craved. Once accepted into the band, he only ever needed the validation of his fellow band members and was a perfect fit – humorous and gentle natured. We go on the Beatles success, Beatlemania and touring, plus Ringo’s marriage to Maureen Cox. I did hope that I would learn more about Maureen from this book, but, sadly, she remains a fairly unknown character in the Beatles story. While we have autobiographies from Pattie Boyd and Cynthia Lennon, and Jane Asher was a success in her own right, Maureen never told her story. Yet, this woman was the mother of Ringo’s children – Zac, Jason and Lee. From, “Thanks, Mo!” on the Apple rooftop to Paul’s tribute, “Little Willow,” after her death, she was involved in the Beatles story from their beginnings in Liverpool (indeed, Paul dated her before Ringo) and yet, although events in her life are described – for example, when Ringo and Maureen and Paul and Jane went on holiday and the press criticised them for not being married, there is a quote from Maureen’s father – her feelings are rarely explored and neither does her personality come alive in this book. Likewise, although there are hints about Ringo’s troubled relationship with his children, especially eldest son, Zac, there is little detail about this.
The break-up of the Beatles saw Ringo being the first to leave the group – literally walking out of the studio after being fed up with the tension and, “freaked out by Yoko.” When the others asked him to return, he was touched to find the studio decorated with hundreds of flowers. However, nothing could hide the hostility for long and there is the infamous incident when Ringo was sent to persuade Paul to delay the release of his first solo album, which resulted in Paul throwing him bodily out of his house. Again, the author makes an assumption, when he suggests that all was well between them by the time of Mick Jagger’s wedding to Bianca; and he states that Paul and Ringo chartered a plane together to travel the wedding. Actually, there is footage of guests going to the airport to board a plane which was chartered by Jagger himself and, although Ringo and Maureen are there, as are Paul and Linda – they are not together and no one who watches the film of Paul striding through the airport with a face like thunder, holding his new daughter Mary, could say that he looks anything other than tense. Apparently, Paul and Ringo did not sit together on the flight , nor did they speak. Although they would make up, this is an obvious error and was easy to check – Rolling Stone articles covering the events are available on online for anyone to read.
The Seventies were a difficult time for Ringo, as he spiralled into drug and alcohol abuse. With George and Pattie having marital problems and Pattie’s affair with Eric Clapton, the situation was made worse by George’s affair with Maureen. Oddly, although Eric and George would be friends again, as would George and Ringo, but both George and Ringo’s marriages ended in divorce. The mid Seventies saw Ringo in LA, keeping company with John Lennon (separated from Yoko), Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon. It was a jet-setting lifestyle and a time which saw various film projects and album releases, non-stop travelling, a stalling career, various relationships and rumours of financial problems. If the Seventies were bad, the Eighties started even more terribly, with the assassination of John Lennon. However, Ringo had already met – and fallen in love with – actress Barbara Bach, on the set of “Caveman.” At first, it seemed that this marriage too might end in divorce, with fights and self destructive behaviour. However, both Ringo and Barbara finally stopped drinking and have a new, healthy lifestyle and a strong and successful union.
As he heads towards his mid-seventies, Ringo is a respected and celebrated musician – recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, by his old friend Paul, and touring with his All-Starr Band. This book gives a good overview of his life if you have not read it before, but it contains nothing that fans will not already know and is marred by far too many quotes from other sources, rather than original research, and inaccuracies. I feel it is something of a missed opportunity, which is a shame .
January 10, 2016
Ringo has been sadly overshadowed by his former bandmates and overlooked when it comes to biographies, despite having led a really interesting life. I always hoped he'd pen his memoirs, but that looks less and less likely to happen. Michael Starr (no relation) has done an admirable and thorough job with this unauthorized biography. As I write, there are 15 books about the Beatles sitting in the bookcase next to me, and probably a couple of dozen more that I've gotten rid of or borrowed from the library. And yet the pages of "Ringo: With a Little Help" are filled with book darts, marking things that were new to me, and that I want to look up on youtube. I was surprised that there was still so much new (to me) information out there, though much of it was from his pre- and post-Beatle years. But even the old, well-known stories looked a little different from Ringo's perspective.
"Ringo" loses a star for shoddy editing, too much (for my taste) focus on the "is Ringo a good drummer?" debate, and not even mentioning the deaths of Mal Evans or Linda McCartney. But overall, an important addition to any fan's library.
"Ringo" loses a star for shoddy editing, too much (for my taste) focus on the "is Ringo a good drummer?" debate, and not even mentioning the deaths of Mal Evans or Linda McCartney. But overall, an important addition to any fan's library.
January 22, 2016
Tedious, man. Tedious. I was waiting for a revelation that never came. I stuck it out and finished it though. Most of this information is common knowledge and the minutiae of Ringo's life is rather ordinary, in my opinion. I imagine this is a good read if you know nothing about Ringo.
September 6, 2015
Only a true Ringo fan could finish this insipid book, but it did inspire me to listen to his music again. That is the only good thing you can say about this awful book.
January 31, 2020
A biografia escrita por Michael Seth Starr (“não somos parentes!”), infelizmente, trata-se apenas de uma longa reportaqem escarafunchando tudo o que já foi publicado sobre Ringo Starr. Nem o biografado nem ninguém próximo a ele foi entrevistado exclusivamente para o livro. As entrevistas feitas pelo autor se limitam aquelas feitas com pessoas periféricas ou cuja proximidade ocorreu em algum lugar do passado. Portanto, nada de revelações bombásticas ou insights reveladores. Contudo, a pesquisa é muito bem feita e vale a leitura.
Em primeiro lugar, por ser o menos badalado dos quatro Beatles, a maior parte da sua vida pessoal soa como notícias fresquinhas. Ringo não era exatamente um Don Juan, mas fazia suas farras. E teve três relacionamentos mais sérios na vida, e dois casamentos. E esticou o Lost Weekend de Lennon por quase 15 anos. E nisso podemos encontrar uma surpresa.
Quem conhece os problemas de Ringo com o álcool, logo pensa que foi devido ao pouco sucesso de seus discos ou de sua carreira como autor, ou ainda a sua pouca criatividade, que eles mesmo reconhece. No entanto, ao ler sobre sua vida nos anos 70, chegamos a outra conclusão: seu ostracismo se deveu ao seu alcoolismo, e não o inverso.
Ringo vinha de dois bons discos, Ringo (73) e Goodbye Vienna (74), respectivamente o 3° e 4° da carreira; havia dirigido um documentário sobre o T.Rex e atuado em um filme elogiado, That’ll be the day, que também contava com Keith Moon. Apesar da critica positiva, teve preguiça de participar da sequência, Stardust. Mas o desleixo com que passou a gravar seus discos e escolher seus projetos cinematográficos, pensando mais no quanto iria se divertir, começou a queimar toda a gordura de boa vontade que a mídia e o público tinham com ele. Pra piorar, vieram os terríveis anos 60, que feriu de morte, com raras exceções, os artistas que começaram suas carreiras nos anos 60. Rolling Stones, George Harrison, Jethro Tull, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Elton John, a maioria passou por um inferno astral no período. Inclusive no Brasil. No cinema, Ringo ainda obteve um sucesso com Caveman, onde conheceu sua segunda esposa, Barbara Bach, mas precisou de uma baba durante as filmagens pra não enfiar o pé na jaca.
Em 1988, Ringo e a esposa entraram num spa de reabilitação (que funcionou!) e ele recuperou a dignidade e a simpatia da mídia com o lançamento americano da série infantil do trenzinho Thomas, de cuja versão britânica ele havia sido o dublador da primeira temporada (e não continuou porque não quis). Quanto à carreira fonográfica, apesar das críticas bastante positivas ao seu retorno em 1992 com Time Takes Time, o álbum não vendeu. Mas as turnês com a All-Starr Band, iniciadas em 1989, a partir da iniciativa do produtor David Fishof, que praticamente definiu o que o sóbrio Ringo faria até o final da vida.
Em segundo lugar, depois ler biografias de Paul e John, e assistir ao documentário sobre George, foi curioso revisitar o período dos Beatles do ponto de vista daquele que sentava atrás da bateria. Nessa parte, que toma bastante espaço no livro, já se sabe de antemão tudo o que vai acontecer, mas é divertido ver os outros três como figurantes, ainda mais sabendo o que eles estavam aprontando naquela época.
No que diz respeito ao relacionamento de Ringo com os três após a separação, fica evidente o apoio que os três sempre deram à carreira do amigo, principalmente George, no início. Mas John também foi muito generoso. Ringo foi o último Beatle a ver com John com vida. Ele e Barbara estiveram no Dakota um mês antes para falar do próximo álbum de Ringo, uma vez que John havia voltado à música. Ringo conta como ele estava feliz e que separou duas músicas para o amigo: Nobody told me e Life begins at 40. Lennon deixou agendadas datas em janeiro de 1981 para as gravações.
Em terceiro, como costuma ocorrer nessas biografias, o período mais instigante é o pré-fama. Como a pessoa ainda não é famosa, ela vive em aberto, sem se preocupar em se preservar ou falar e fazer besteira em público. E os amigos e conhecidos que ficaram pra trás não se importarão em se sentir importante ao dar entrevistas sobre aquele conhecido famoso.
Por fim, a parte técnica de Ringo é comentada ao longo do tempo. Ringo sofre muito com críticas. Ele se reconhece como uma pessoa pouco criativa e de técnica limitada, mas sabe o seu valor. Por ser autodidata, acabou criando um estilo próprio e até mesmo técnicas próprias que, devido ao impacto causado pelos Beatles, passou imitado por uma legião de jovens bateristas. E todos são unânimes em exaltar a capacidade rítmica do Baterista Mais famoso do Mundo, preciso como um metrônomo. Hoje, Ringo é mais reconhecido por seus pares do que foi nos anos 60, 70 e 80. No final do livro, há um epílogo com depoimentos de Phil Collins, Max Weinberg, John Densmore e Kenny Aronoff.
Em primeiro lugar, por ser o menos badalado dos quatro Beatles, a maior parte da sua vida pessoal soa como notícias fresquinhas. Ringo não era exatamente um Don Juan, mas fazia suas farras. E teve três relacionamentos mais sérios na vida, e dois casamentos. E esticou o Lost Weekend de Lennon por quase 15 anos. E nisso podemos encontrar uma surpresa.
Quem conhece os problemas de Ringo com o álcool, logo pensa que foi devido ao pouco sucesso de seus discos ou de sua carreira como autor, ou ainda a sua pouca criatividade, que eles mesmo reconhece. No entanto, ao ler sobre sua vida nos anos 70, chegamos a outra conclusão: seu ostracismo se deveu ao seu alcoolismo, e não o inverso.
Ringo vinha de dois bons discos, Ringo (73) e Goodbye Vienna (74), respectivamente o 3° e 4° da carreira; havia dirigido um documentário sobre o T.Rex e atuado em um filme elogiado, That’ll be the day, que também contava com Keith Moon. Apesar da critica positiva, teve preguiça de participar da sequência, Stardust. Mas o desleixo com que passou a gravar seus discos e escolher seus projetos cinematográficos, pensando mais no quanto iria se divertir, começou a queimar toda a gordura de boa vontade que a mídia e o público tinham com ele. Pra piorar, vieram os terríveis anos 60, que feriu de morte, com raras exceções, os artistas que começaram suas carreiras nos anos 60. Rolling Stones, George Harrison, Jethro Tull, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Elton John, a maioria passou por um inferno astral no período. Inclusive no Brasil. No cinema, Ringo ainda obteve um sucesso com Caveman, onde conheceu sua segunda esposa, Barbara Bach, mas precisou de uma baba durante as filmagens pra não enfiar o pé na jaca.
Em 1988, Ringo e a esposa entraram num spa de reabilitação (que funcionou!) e ele recuperou a dignidade e a simpatia da mídia com o lançamento americano da série infantil do trenzinho Thomas, de cuja versão britânica ele havia sido o dublador da primeira temporada (e não continuou porque não quis). Quanto à carreira fonográfica, apesar das críticas bastante positivas ao seu retorno em 1992 com Time Takes Time, o álbum não vendeu. Mas as turnês com a All-Starr Band, iniciadas em 1989, a partir da iniciativa do produtor David Fishof, que praticamente definiu o que o sóbrio Ringo faria até o final da vida.
Em segundo lugar, depois ler biografias de Paul e John, e assistir ao documentário sobre George, foi curioso revisitar o período dos Beatles do ponto de vista daquele que sentava atrás da bateria. Nessa parte, que toma bastante espaço no livro, já se sabe de antemão tudo o que vai acontecer, mas é divertido ver os outros três como figurantes, ainda mais sabendo o que eles estavam aprontando naquela época.
No que diz respeito ao relacionamento de Ringo com os três após a separação, fica evidente o apoio que os três sempre deram à carreira do amigo, principalmente George, no início. Mas John também foi muito generoso. Ringo foi o último Beatle a ver com John com vida. Ele e Barbara estiveram no Dakota um mês antes para falar do próximo álbum de Ringo, uma vez que John havia voltado à música. Ringo conta como ele estava feliz e que separou duas músicas para o amigo: Nobody told me e Life begins at 40. Lennon deixou agendadas datas em janeiro de 1981 para as gravações.
Em terceiro, como costuma ocorrer nessas biografias, o período mais instigante é o pré-fama. Como a pessoa ainda não é famosa, ela vive em aberto, sem se preocupar em se preservar ou falar e fazer besteira em público. E os amigos e conhecidos que ficaram pra trás não se importarão em se sentir importante ao dar entrevistas sobre aquele conhecido famoso.
Por fim, a parte técnica de Ringo é comentada ao longo do tempo. Ringo sofre muito com críticas. Ele se reconhece como uma pessoa pouco criativa e de técnica limitada, mas sabe o seu valor. Por ser autodidata, acabou criando um estilo próprio e até mesmo técnicas próprias que, devido ao impacto causado pelos Beatles, passou imitado por uma legião de jovens bateristas. E todos são unânimes em exaltar a capacidade rítmica do Baterista Mais famoso do Mundo, preciso como um metrônomo. Hoje, Ringo é mais reconhecido por seus pares do que foi nos anos 60, 70 e 80. No final do livro, há um epílogo com depoimentos de Phil Collins, Max Weinberg, John Densmore e Kenny Aronoff.
February 6, 2020
I’d read biographies of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but never one of Richard Starkey, aka Ringo Starr, the drummer of the Beatles. So, I thought this would be interesting. As you would expect from a biography of a still-living person, it gives a reasonably solid outline of his life from birth to the book’s publication in 2015. An added, interesting bonus is the epilogue, featuring interviews with four well-known drummers – Phil Collins (Genesis & solo), Max Weinberg (mostly Bruce Springsteen), John Densmore (the Doors), Kenny Aronoff (many famous bands) - and how Ringo has influenced them.
However, there is a note at the start that should be a warning to all readers: published on Ringo’s social media and web pages, he says that he had nothing at all to do with this book. An unauthorised biography without access to its subject, it relies heavily on media gossip and hearsay for its information. Author Michael Starr did speak with a number people close to Ringo, such as music colleagues and personal friends. So, some of the text can be trusted as accurate when there are multiple sources, but with the fog of time, alcohol and drugs, a lot of key people uninvolved, and its reliance on popular mass media, it’s hard to say what’s real and what’s not.
Those omissions could be forgiven if it was well-written. Unfortunately, it’s not. While there are some good passages, a lot of the text itself is a mess and needs a heavy edit. It’s needlessly repetitive, sometimes duplicating entire paragraphs or phrases with slightly different wording. The author writes with a disjointed style, jumping from one thing to another without proper linking sentences, occasionally contradicting what he’d just said and sometimes just leaving an anecdote hanging without telling what happened after that, even if it was quite dramatic and would have had aftereffects. Some events are out of date order, which frequently makes it hard to follow the narrative. He mentions teenage American Beatles fan Marilyn Crescenzo for no apparent reason than she kept a diary about her obsession with Ringo, but her name changes to “Mary” by his last reference to her, he doesn’t indicate how he got access to her diary, and she disappears from the story after Ringo gets married. Despite some pages of citations at the back, they would be easier to use if the text were properly footnoted. There is no list of Ringo’s creative output, as any proper artist’s biography should have. To top all this off, the author sometimes punctuates strangely (e.g. hyphenating large numbers like “three-thousand”), and at one point misspells “disc” as “disk”.
Ringo comes across as a basically nice guy, a skilled, self-taught drummer who was part of the biggest band in history and allowed his insecurities to drive him to substance abuse, but got his life back on track and is now enjoying his twilight years. I wanted to like this book, but its presentation is too unprofessional and sloppy. The author and his editors need to completely revise it before it could be considered good.
However, there is a note at the start that should be a warning to all readers: published on Ringo’s social media and web pages, he says that he had nothing at all to do with this book. An unauthorised biography without access to its subject, it relies heavily on media gossip and hearsay for its information. Author Michael Starr did speak with a number people close to Ringo, such as music colleagues and personal friends. So, some of the text can be trusted as accurate when there are multiple sources, but with the fog of time, alcohol and drugs, a lot of key people uninvolved, and its reliance on popular mass media, it’s hard to say what’s real and what’s not.
Those omissions could be forgiven if it was well-written. Unfortunately, it’s not. While there are some good passages, a lot of the text itself is a mess and needs a heavy edit. It’s needlessly repetitive, sometimes duplicating entire paragraphs or phrases with slightly different wording. The author writes with a disjointed style, jumping from one thing to another without proper linking sentences, occasionally contradicting what he’d just said and sometimes just leaving an anecdote hanging without telling what happened after that, even if it was quite dramatic and would have had aftereffects. Some events are out of date order, which frequently makes it hard to follow the narrative. He mentions teenage American Beatles fan Marilyn Crescenzo for no apparent reason than she kept a diary about her obsession with Ringo, but her name changes to “Mary” by his last reference to her, he doesn’t indicate how he got access to her diary, and she disappears from the story after Ringo gets married. Despite some pages of citations at the back, they would be easier to use if the text were properly footnoted. There is no list of Ringo’s creative output, as any proper artist’s biography should have. To top all this off, the author sometimes punctuates strangely (e.g. hyphenating large numbers like “three-thousand”), and at one point misspells “disc” as “disk”.
Ringo comes across as a basically nice guy, a skilled, self-taught drummer who was part of the biggest band in history and allowed his insecurities to drive him to substance abuse, but got his life back on track and is now enjoying his twilight years. I wanted to like this book, but its presentation is too unprofessional and sloppy. The author and his editors need to completely revise it before it could be considered good.
November 25, 2020
ACTIN’ NATURALLY
Poor ol’ Ringo can’t get any respect lately. Of the four lads in the storied band, he seems to wind up on the short end in terms of musical talent, if you pay attention to critics new and old. Sure, he was in the world’s greatest group, but how many books have been written about him?
Well, at least one book has. This unauthorized book by a writer with the most improbably coincidental surname does not reveal much new material. Indeed, I’m up to here with all the sordid details of the behind-the-scenes.
What I really wanted to learn is how Ringo came about his drumming style. What were his influences? Did he influence others? For the answer to those questions, you’d be better off turning to the back of the book for the views of four modern rock drummers. All pay homage to this musician that has lately taken an unfair, uh, drumming.
In the past, luminaries such as Buddy Rich paid little heed, when they paid any at all. Ringo was a second-rate drummer who couldn’t even do a “mom and pop” drum roll. As it turns out, he was a left-handed drummer playing on right-handed drum setup. Huh, what? How is that? Paul was left-handed, but he acquired a left-handed bass guitar. Can’t you move your drums around to suit your preference?
However the drums were set up, Ringo developed a distinctive style. First and foremost, he kept the beat. You have one job as a drummer, and that’s to be the noisy timekeeper. Everything else is called “drum fills.” Ringo was first-rate in what counted the most, and filled the songs admirably as well, particularly in “Rain,” “I Feel Fine” and his signature “A Little Help from My Friends.”
The Beatles were more than the sum of their parts. Ringo was good enough to be sought after by groups all over England. He was more well-known than the Beatles were when he was invited to join them. Paul McCartney himself said that when Ringo sat in for the moody Pete Best, “That was the moment, that was the beginning, really, of the Beatles.”
In order to truly appreciate Ringo, watch the last ten minutes of “A Hard Day’s Night” as he enthusiastically thrashes the cymbals and bobs his head throughout the performance. I have never seen another performer having as much fun as Ringo on stage.
Poor ol’ Ringo can’t get any respect lately. Of the four lads in the storied band, he seems to wind up on the short end in terms of musical talent, if you pay attention to critics new and old. Sure, he was in the world’s greatest group, but how many books have been written about him?
Well, at least one book has. This unauthorized book by a writer with the most improbably coincidental surname does not reveal much new material. Indeed, I’m up to here with all the sordid details of the behind-the-scenes.
What I really wanted to learn is how Ringo came about his drumming style. What were his influences? Did he influence others? For the answer to those questions, you’d be better off turning to the back of the book for the views of four modern rock drummers. All pay homage to this musician that has lately taken an unfair, uh, drumming.
In the past, luminaries such as Buddy Rich paid little heed, when they paid any at all. Ringo was a second-rate drummer who couldn’t even do a “mom and pop” drum roll. As it turns out, he was a left-handed drummer playing on right-handed drum setup. Huh, what? How is that? Paul was left-handed, but he acquired a left-handed bass guitar. Can’t you move your drums around to suit your preference?
However the drums were set up, Ringo developed a distinctive style. First and foremost, he kept the beat. You have one job as a drummer, and that’s to be the noisy timekeeper. Everything else is called “drum fills.” Ringo was first-rate in what counted the most, and filled the songs admirably as well, particularly in “Rain,” “I Feel Fine” and his signature “A Little Help from My Friends.”
The Beatles were more than the sum of their parts. Ringo was good enough to be sought after by groups all over England. He was more well-known than the Beatles were when he was invited to join them. Paul McCartney himself said that when Ringo sat in for the moody Pete Best, “That was the moment, that was the beginning, really, of the Beatles.”
In order to truly appreciate Ringo, watch the last ten minutes of “A Hard Day’s Night” as he enthusiastically thrashes the cymbals and bobs his head throughout the performance. I have never seen another performer having as much fun as Ringo on stage.
June 26, 2025
I’ve been a Beatles fan since 1964 and have read many books on them, maybe 50. I had read the biographies of John, Paul and George by definitive writer Phil Norman. He didn’t do one on Ringo who seems to be mostly left out. So I picked up this book which is the first biography on Ringo. Surprisingly or perhaps sadly he did not and would not contribute to the book. That being said, the author has done a thorough job researching Ringos life from before, during and after the Beatles.
I enjoyed the book and the authors writing style. I have thought that Ringo is the luckiest man in the world stepping in for Pete Best as the Beatles drummer when they were on the cusp of stardom. The book details most of that period and does not dispel my view. But ringos personality did boost the Beatles popularity in the 1960s.
After the breakup, he surprisingly found his way to have some hit music in a solo career. I never thought he had a good voice, and probably would not have a career without the Beatles fame, ending up similarly to Pete Best. After his solo career started to tank, Ringo had alcohol and drug issues. Family and marital problems with the price of fame. He resurfaced with the All Starr Band at age 50 and is going strong into his 80s. I went to see one of their concerts and enjoyed it.
I just finished a George biography this year, and he also had numerous problems after the Beatles. Both biographies show the flaws in the person.
I enjoyed the book and the authors writing style. I have thought that Ringo is the luckiest man in the world stepping in for Pete Best as the Beatles drummer when they were on the cusp of stardom. The book details most of that period and does not dispel my view. But ringos personality did boost the Beatles popularity in the 1960s.
After the breakup, he surprisingly found his way to have some hit music in a solo career. I never thought he had a good voice, and probably would not have a career without the Beatles fame, ending up similarly to Pete Best. After his solo career started to tank, Ringo had alcohol and drug issues. Family and marital problems with the price of fame. He resurfaced with the All Starr Band at age 50 and is going strong into his 80s. I went to see one of their concerts and enjoyed it.
I just finished a George biography this year, and he also had numerous problems after the Beatles. Both biographies show the flaws in the person.
January 29, 2022
This biography about the last and oldest Beatle, Richard Starkey, also known as Ringo completed the circle of the Fab Four. Born an only child in the Dingle, a poor section of Liverpool, Ringo was an easy going lad who always had friends and girlfriends. Sickly as a child, he never considered himself intellectual like John or mystic like George, but Ringo brought his wit, malaprops, and a clown like relief to the group of more serious characters. In other words, Ringo fit in.
After saying adieu to drummer Pete Best, who many considered a far more talented drummer, John Lennon quipped when asked about Ringo, that "Pete is a better drummer, but Ringo is a better Beatle." There you have it.
The book follows Ringo through his marriages, children, and becoming a solo artist and actor in his own right; it's well written and interesting. The only complaint I have is that the amount of repetitions(literally phrases typed twice, repeated information, and just a very fair job on editing marred the rating. It's always shocking to me how professional editors and professional writers can miss so many jarring mistakes. That's sloppy and shows a rush job. Ringo is worth a proper copy editor! Otherwise, I learned a lot about the life of Ringo, got insight into the other Beatles and enjoyed the read.
After saying adieu to drummer Pete Best, who many considered a far more talented drummer, John Lennon quipped when asked about Ringo, that "Pete is a better drummer, but Ringo is a better Beatle." There you have it.
The book follows Ringo through his marriages, children, and becoming a solo artist and actor in his own right; it's well written and interesting. The only complaint I have is that the amount of repetitions(literally phrases typed twice, repeated information, and just a very fair job on editing marred the rating. It's always shocking to me how professional editors and professional writers can miss so many jarring mistakes. That's sloppy and shows a rush job. Ringo is worth a proper copy editor! Otherwise, I learned a lot about the life of Ringo, got insight into the other Beatles and enjoyed the read.
April 18, 2019
This unauthorized biography of the Beatles drummer is interesting. The Beatles are usually portrayed as the Lennon-McCartney Show. The musicianship and stability Ringo brought to the group are often downplayed or overlooked, perhaps in large part because he is not a great songwriter. But he is still clearly an important and talented person, without whom there’d have been no Beatles. The book is most interesting as it explores Ringo’s childhood and Beatles career. There is great detail in this area. After the Beatles, details of Ringo’s life dissolve in alcoholism and meandering, uncommitted creative projects. This part of the book is more vague. I would have appreciated more about how Ringo overcame his alcoholism. This is probably more compelling than the book portrays; it is unfortunate Ringo did not respond to overtures to participate with this author. This biography is not mind-blowing or seminal or anything like that; it is serviceable and enjoyable. Reading about the cultural phenomenon of the Beatles from a different perspective is enough to make this book worthwhile.
September 30, 2023
Bardzo rzadko czytam biografie, więc ciężko mi porównać ją do innych pozycji z gatunku. Jednak uważam, że nie była to dobra książka.
Autor zdecydował opisać się jedną z ważniejszych postaci ze świata muzyki - perkusistę The Beatles. Wątpię, że można uznać Ringo za postać nudną albo prowadzącą zwyczajne życie. Spodziewałem się wielu ciekawych historii, anegdot czy wpadek. Jednak czytając tę książkę czułem się, jakbym przeglądał nagłówki medialne zebrane z okresu pięćdziesięciu lat napisaną z kronikarskiego obowiązku. Często w historii pojawiała się informacja typu: "Ringo nagrał swój album. Na albumie gościł ten znany człowiek. Album sprzedał się słabo". Brakowało mi w tym duszy, czegoś co sprawiłoby, że pomyślałbym "ooo, ciekawe".
Z pozytywów - zupełnie nie znałem historii The Beatles, więc to było ciekawe uzupełnienie wiedzy, nawet jeśli niezbyt ciekawe.
Autor zdecydował opisać się jedną z ważniejszych postaci ze świata muzyki - perkusistę The Beatles. Wątpię, że można uznać Ringo za postać nudną albo prowadzącą zwyczajne życie. Spodziewałem się wielu ciekawych historii, anegdot czy wpadek. Jednak czytając tę książkę czułem się, jakbym przeglądał nagłówki medialne zebrane z okresu pięćdziesięciu lat napisaną z kronikarskiego obowiązku. Często w historii pojawiała się informacja typu: "Ringo nagrał swój album. Na albumie gościł ten znany człowiek. Album sprzedał się słabo". Brakowało mi w tym duszy, czegoś co sprawiłoby, że pomyślałbym "ooo, ciekawe".
Z pozytywów - zupełnie nie znałem historii The Beatles, więc to było ciekawe uzupełnienie wiedzy, nawet jeśli niezbyt ciekawe.
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