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8 things you might not know about Ringo Starr
Arguably the world’s most famous drummer, Ringo Starr, born Richard Starkely, has packed a lot of drumming, touring and talent into his years.
Here are eight things you might not have known about the former Beatle.
1. He got the name “Ringo” because he enjoyed wearing rings. The name “Starr” originates from his time playing with Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, where he had his own featured slot called “Starr time.”
2. He's married to a Bond girl. Ringo's wife, Barbara Bach, is a former Bond girl. She appeared in the James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me.
3. As a schoolboy, other students would get Ringo to talk and then laugh at him because his sentences would often contain malapropisms, later known as “Ringoisms.” One of his most notable Ringoisms is "Hard Day's Night".
4. In the mid-80s, Ringo provided the original voice for the narrator and Mr. Conductor in the children’s TV series Thomas The Tank Engine.
5. Ringo is a vegetarian, but more due to health reasons than ethical ones.
6. Ringo was naturally left-handed, but played on a right-handed drum set. His grandmother helped him become ambidextrous by teaching him how to write with his right hand as a schoolboy.
7. Ringo’s not a big fan of redoing his drum parts, preferring to record them live in the studio with the band playing along, in one take! This style of recording is partly influenced by the Beatles sessions with George Martin, in which he had to learn to play quickly to prevent the tape from running out.
8. Ringo was the last Beatle to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo career, in 2015. He has released 19 solo albums to date, more than any former Beatle apart from McCartney.
What’s your favourite song from Ringo Starr? Let us know in the comments below.
Related links:
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s secret feud
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