8 things you never knew about Ringo Starr
Seventy-seven years ago today in Liverpool, England, Richard Starkey was born. Ringo Starr, as he came to be known, soon became one of music’s most iconic figures as drummer for The Beatles, after which he continued his success as a solo artist.
To celebrate his birthday, let’s take a look at some interesting facts you might never have known about Ringo Starr.
1. He almost died as a child – Twice, in fact. At the age of six, Ringo had his appendix removed. The routine procedure left him with peritonitis, leaving him comatose for a number of days. It took him 12 months to recover, and due to so much missed school, he was illiterate even at the age of eight.
2. He learnt to drum in hospital – When he was 13 years old, after having almost caught up at school, he contracted tuberculosis and was admitted to a sanatorium for two years. It was here he discovered a love of music, joining the hospital band as its drummer.
3. He never shakes hands – Understandably, Starr was a little shaken by his many childhood health complications. As a result, he’s a bit of a germaphobe, and prefers to bump elbows rather than shaking hands, Rolling Stone magazine revealed.
4. He’s left-handed – He’s widely regarded as one of the world’s best and most influential drummers of all time, but his playing style was actually a result of limitations placed on him as a left-handed drummer forced to play on a right-handed set.
5. He was the original narrator of Thomas the Tank Engine – The role of narrator has since been filled by Michael Angelis, George Carlin, Alec Baldwin and Mark Moraghan, but Starr was the original. He left after two years to pursue a solo music career.
6. He hates doing drum solos – Despite his talent and love for drumming, Ringo was never a fan of solos. In fact, Paul McCartney said he “never met a drummer who more hated the drum solos,” revealing the band had to “beg” him to do them.
7. He married a Bond girl – While filming Caveman in 1980, Starr met Barbara Bach, who had starred as Bond girl Anya Amasova in The Spy Who Loved Me, just three years earlier. They married in 1981 and are still together 36 years later.
8. He’s never had a pizza or curry – Despite having appeared in a Pizza Hut commercial in 1995, Ringo has never eaten a pizza in his life. “I’m highly allergic to onions and garlic and spices,” he explains. “I’ve never had a pizza, never had a curry.”
What’s your favourite song from Ringo Starr? Let us know in the comments!