Entertainment BEAT - BEATLES RINGO STARR'S BACK ON TOUR

Ringo Starr ON TOUR - Ringo Starr photo BEATLES together on Ed Sullivan show fair use photo BEATLES PAUL McCARTNEY - photo Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 WHO IS Larry King returns to the NR Top 10? - CNN photo A party with Ringo and I - NR photo by Mo Starkey Ringo's Tittenhurst Estate main house - NR photo Ringo sends his message of love and peace - (Photo: Tina 63)

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

Starr's name and image emerged prior to him becoming a Beatle. In 1959, he joined the Raving Texans band and adopted the stage name "Ringo Starr" because of the rings he wore. Fifty one years on Starr continues to rock n roll as he will turn 70 July 7 when his band appears at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City

Sunday May 30, 2010

RINGO ROCKS ON @ 70

If you would have told me in 1975 that former Beatle Ringo Starr would still be playing music at the age of 70, I would have suggested that you see a doctor and get your head examined. My thoughts stem from an alcohol drinking experience at that time with Ringo and Harry Nilsson at a pub in Aston, England. The drinks of choice were Martel cognac washed down with a bottle of Guinness stout. After the fourth Guinness I dropped out and left the drinking to them. I was sick and tired after having traveled for six weeks throughout Europe.

A few days later the partying continued at Ringo's then wife Maureen's house followed by a trip to an exclusive London nightclub where I dozed off and went to sleep. The experience was great as Ringo and Maureen were extremely nice people my problem was I was too pooped to pop and travel weary. The thing that was on my mind at that time was Ringo and Nilsson wouldn't live to be 50 if they continued to consume that much alcohol. As it turned out Nilsson passed away at the age of 52 but Ringo lives and rocks on.

After I wrote about Ringo's All-Star Band tour in 2008 and mentioned this experience television talk show host Larry King interviewed Starr and brought up the subject. Ringo admitted that since (our experience) he had changed his ways. One of those changes is he is now a vegetarian.

The Beatles are considered the best band of all time with Lennon and McCartney being the greatest composers ever. Ringo was the bands most vibrant personality and had the magnetism for attention and appeal from fans around the world. He's not a technically great drummer but with the Beatles he was the perfect fit. McCartney admitted that all of the Beatles weren't individually great musicians but as a group they were a strong unit.

The Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger appeared on King's show last week and credited the Beatles with giving the Stones the inspiration to make it outside of England. Jagger noted that prior to the Beatles International success an English band would only be popular in England. He added that the Beatles proved that an English band could be a major attraction around the world.

Starr's name and image emerged prior to him becoming a Beatle. In 1959, he joined the Raving Texans band and adopted the stage name "Ringo Starr" because of the rings he wore.

When the Beatles formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. By October 1960, the band was renamed Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and while they were performing in Hamburg, Germany Starr met The Beatles.

On October 16, 1960 he drummed in Hamburg with Lennon, McCartney and Harrison and recorded with them for the first time when they backed Hurricanes singer Lu Walters. After returning to the UK, Starr sat in for Pete Best as The Beatles' drummer on August 18, 1961 and February 5, 1962. The Beatles replaced Best as their drummer on August 16, 1962, after Best had played in the early recording sessions at EMI Studios.

Starr then became The Beatles' drummer. In addition to his contribution as drummer, Starr was featured as lead singer 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") and as songwriter with the songs "Don't Pass Me By", "What Goes On", and "Octopus's Garden".

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 (1966) and "With a Little Help from My Friends" on Sgt. Pepper. These melodies were tailored to Starr's baritone vocal range. Starr's backing vocals are heard on songs such as "All Together Now", "Carry That Weight", and "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill".

Starr did eventually begin composing, and is credited with "Don't Pass Me By" (on The White Album) and "Octopus's Garden" (on Abbey Road) as sole songwriter. Starr's name also appears as a co-writer for the Rubber Soul track "What Goes On" along with Lennon and McCartney, while the songs "Flying" (on the Magical Mystery Tour album) and "Dig It" (on Let It Be) are listed as being written by the entire group.

The Beatles broke up after the Let It Be Album was released in 1970. He and Paul McCartney are the only two of the four Beatles alive. John Lennon was shot and killed on December 8, 1980, in New York City. George Harrison died from lung cancer on November 29, 2001. After the group broke up Ringo went solo. - THE TOUR - CONTINUED

BEATLES Original UK LPs

* Please Please Me (1963)

* With The Beatles (1963)

* A Hard Day's Night (1964)

* Beatles for Sale (1964)

* Help! (1965)

* Rubber Soul (1965)

* Revolver (1966)

* Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

* The Beatles (aka White Album) (1968)

* Yellow Submarine (1969)

* Abbey Road (1969)

* Let It Be (1970)

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