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Tag: Ringo Starr

  • Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and More Mourn Passing of “Fifth Beatle” George Martin

    Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and More Mourn Passing of “Fifth Beatle” George Martin

    Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney are two of many celebrities within the music world who are mourning the passing of George Martin, the producer who was often called the “fifth Beatle.”

    Ringo Starr took to Twitter to confirm and mourn Martin’s death.

    Paul McCartney shared his feelings via his website.

    “I’m so sad to hear the news of the passing of dear George Martin. I have so many wonderful memories of this great man that will be with me forever. He was a true gentleman and like a second father to me. He guided the career of The Beatles with such skill and good humour that he became a true friend to me and my family. If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George. From the day that he gave The Beatles our first recording contract, to the last time I saw him, he was the most generous, intelligent and musical person I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.

    “It’s hard to choose favourite memories of my time with George, there are so many but one that comes to mind was the time I brought the song ‘Yesterday’ to a recording session and the guys in the band suggested that I sang it solo and accompany myself on guitar. After I had done this George Martin said to me, “Paul I have an idea of putting a string quartet on the record”. I said, “Oh no George, we are a rock and roll band and I don’t think it’s a good idea”. With the gentle bedside manner of a great producer he said to me, “Let us try it and if it doesn’t work we won’t use it and we’ll go with your solo version”. I agreed to this and went round to his house the next day to work on the arrangement.

    “He took my chords that I showed him and spread the notes out across the piano, putting the cello in the low octave and the first violin in a high octave and gave me my first lesson in how strings were voiced for a quartet. When we recorded the string quartet at Abbey Road, it was so thrilling to know his idea was so correct that I went round telling people about it for weeks. His idea obviously worked because the song subsequently became one of the most recorded songs ever with versions by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and thousands more.

    “This is just one of the many memories I have of George who went on to help me with arrangements on ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘Live and Let Die’ and many other songs of mine.

    “I am proud to have known such a fine gentleman with such a keen sense of humour, who had the ability to poke fun at himself. Even when he was Knighted by the Queen there was never the slightest trace of snobbery about him.

    “My family and I, to whom he was a dear friend, will miss him greatly and send our love to his wife Judy and their kids Giles and Lucy, and the grandkids.

    “The world has lost a truly great man who left an indelible mark on my soul and the history of British music.

    “God bless you George and all who sail in you!” Paul McCartney concluded.

    Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney are the only surviving members of the Beatles. John Lennon was murdered in 1980 and George Harrison died of cancer in 2001.

    John Lennon’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, shared his grief via Twitter.

    He shared a photo of George Martin on Instagram.

    Paul McCartney’s daughter, designer Stella McCartney, took to Twitter to share her grief.

    The passing of George Martin is proving to early Beatles fans that the end to an era is fast approaching. The only remaining members of the “fab four,” Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, are now in their 70s.

  • Ringo Starr Celebrates Birthday, Former Member of The Beatles Turns 75

    Ringo Starr, known best for his time as the drummer for The Beatles, celebrated a very special birthday on Tuesday. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon’s former band mate turned 75.

    A celebration took place outside of L.A.’s Capitol Records building, underneath a giant card that read, “Happy Birthday Ringo July 7, 2015 #PEACEANDLOVE.”

    Ringo Starr blew out candles to refrains of “Happy Birthday,” and those on hand for the event claim the musician is “just as spry as ever.”

    Paul McCartney shared happy birthday wishes via Twitter.

    Born Richard Starkey in Liverpool, England, Ringo Starr wasn’t expected to live much past age seven. He got an infection that put him in a coma, and spent his seventh birthday hospitalized. Doctors didn’t expect him to survive.

    In 1962 he answered a call for a local band that needed a drummer. In 1964 he joined John, Paul, and George on stage at The Ed Sullivan Show. The rest, as they say, is history.

    Only Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr remember The Beatles’ history firsthand, however. John Lennon was shot and killed back in 1980. George Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001.

    Ringo Starr was the oldest of The Beatles. Paul McCartney turned 73 on June 18th.

    One of Ringo Starr’s birthday wishes was to hear his fans shout out his motto, “Peace and Love!” at noon.

    The crowd was all too happy to oblige.

    Do you remember watching The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show back in the 1960s?

    Can you believe Ringo Starr is 75 years old?

  • Ringo Starr, Lenny Kravitz, Brad Paisley: Stars Mourn Passing of B.B. King

    Ringo Starr, Lenny Kravitz, Brad Paisley, and more took to social media on Friday to mourn the passing of blues legend B.B. King. The guitar player died in his sleep on Thursday at the age of 89.

    B.B. King had long suffered from type 2 diabetes, having been diagnosed more than 20 years ago. He had experienced a number of health issues in recent months, and was hospitalized in April for dehydration. King was forced to cancel a string of tour dates due to his poor health.

    A lawyer for B.B. King said Ringo Starr was among the first of many to offer his condolences.

    Starr expressed his sadness via Twitter.

    Country singer Brad Paisley followed Ringo Starr’s lead, tweeting the following.

    Lenny Kravitz followed suit, sharing his thoughts on the blue legend’s death via Twitter, too.

    Despite the differences in the types of music Ringo Starr, Brad Paisley, and Lenny Kravitz perform, there’s no doubt they’ve all been inspired by B.B. King’s talent and channeled it into their own work at some point in their careers.

    It was less than five months ago when Ringo Starr was sharing his condolences for the passing of Joe Cocker via Twitter as well.

    Surely as word spreads that B.B. King has died, Ringo Starr and the rest of those expressing their thoughts and feelings over his passing will reach an unfathomable number. Whether part of the music world or not, most everyone knew of and loved the musician.

  • Cynthia Lennon, John Lennon’s Ex-Wife, Dies at 75

    Cynthia Lennon, the ex-wife of John Lennon, died on Wednesday of cancer at her home in Mallorca, Spain. She was 75. John and Cynthia Lennon were married from 1962 to 1968 and had one child, Julian Lennon. Julian was with his mother when she passed away.

    A representative for Julian Lennon posted a statement on his website announcing his mother’s passing.

    “Cynthia Lennon passed away today at her home in Mallorca, Spain following a short but brave battle with cancer. Her son Julian Lennon was at her bedside throughout. The family are thankful for your prayers.
    Please respect their privacy at this difficult time,” the statement reads.

    John and Cynthia Lennon met while they were attending the Liverpool College of Art, right before the Beatles became famous.

    “I got pregnant, we got married, the Beatles began–and we were all plunged into the whirlwind,” she said in an interview with People magazine back in 1981.

    John and Cynthia divorced, and he married Yoko Ono a year later. Yoko Ono and John Lennon remained married until his death in 1981.

    Julian Lennon posted the following tribute to his mom on his website and on his YouTube page.

    Many people weren’t aware that Cynthia Lennon even existed during the early days of the Beatles. The band’s management did their best to keep her hidden, so John Lennon would appeal to more teenage girls.

    Cynthia Lennon wrote two books throughout the years that detailed her time married to the Beatles legend. In 1978, she published a book of memoirs called A Twist of Lennon, followed by a more intimate biography called John, that was published in 2005.

    Condolences are likely going out to Julian Lennon from around the world on the death of his mother.

    Do you suppose he will hear from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr–the only surviving members of The Beatles?

  • Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr Remember Joe Cocker

    Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr, and a wealth other singers and celebrities paid tribute to the late Joe Cocker, who died Monday at the age of 70. The singer died following a battle with cancer. He is best known for his 1974 hit song, ‘You Are So Beautiful.’

    Joe Cocker collaborated with Jennifer Warnes on his only hit to surpass ‘You Are So Beautiful.’ ‘Up Where We Belong’ was a quick chart climber–reaching the number one spot on the Billboard charts–in 1982.

    Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr, Hugh Laurie, Steven Tyler, Josh Groban, and more took to Twitter to remember Joe Cocker following the announcement of his untimely passing.

    As Bryan Adams said in his tweet, Joe Cocker was one of the best rock singers ever. Hopefully the family members and close friends he leaves behind find some solace in the words that each of these singers/musicians has expressed in an effort to ease just a tiny bit of their pain.

  • Ringo Starr Not In Rare Photos To Be Sold At Auction

    Pete Best was the original drummer for the Beatles. He was dismissed from the band on August 16, 1962. He was told it was because he wasn’t a good enough drummer. Whether or not that is true is a matter of much speculation and debate.

    We know that Best was replaced by Ringo Starr, and the rest as they say is history. Although it’s hard to imagine the Fab Four with anyone not named Paul, John, George, or Ringo, memorabilia from the brief two year period before Starr joined the band generates a lot of interest from collectors.

    One of the first photographs ever taken of The Beatles (without Ringo Starr) will be sold at auction. The extremely rare picture of the band playing at Liverpool’s Cavern Club was taken in 1961. It is just one of 330 lots to be auctioned off at The Annual Liverpool Beatles Auction at Paul McCartney Auditorium at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts on Saturday, August 23.

    The Ringo-less photo is part of a series of pictures of the band from the very beginning of their career. The snapshot features Paul sitting down at the front of the stage, John playing guitar on the right, George sitting down on an amp playing guitar on the left, and Pete Best playing the drums in the background.

    Stephen Bailey, who is the manager of The Beatles Shop in Liverpool, said a man named Mathew Street brought in the photograph along with a series of negatives. He stated, “My father was a professional photographer and these might be of interest to you.”

    All of the negatives were in perfect condition, including another picture of John, George, Paul, and Pete posing with six young girls. Bailey discovered that this particular picture was taken on June 14, 1961, at St. John’s Hall, Tuebrook, Liverpool. Bailey went a step further and was able to track down two of the girls from the photograph.

    The rare photographs are already generating a lot of buzz. “I am very excited about the auction. It just gets bigger and better every year,” said Bailey. He expects the photographs to bring in around 1,500 pounds (about $2,000 US.)

    Image via Wikimedia Commons


  • George Harrison: Sister Saved Him for Ed Sullivan

    George Harrison might not have made it on to the Ed Sullivan Show back in 1964 had it not been for the vigilant watch of his older sister Louise. Harrison arrived in New York with the Beatles for the famous Ed Sullivan Show gig as well as a few other performances in February of 1964, but he was immediately deemed much quieter than the rest. George Harrison, it seems, was suffering from a horrendous case of strep throat and had a temperature of 104 degrees.

    The band’s manager Brian Epstein didn’t want Harrison taken to a hospital even though the hotel’s in-house doctor said he belonged in one because of the severity of his illness. He didn’t even want a nurse to be called in because he didn’t want Ed Sullivan to get wind that one of the Beatles was seriously ill. It was decided instead that George Harrison’s older sister, Louise, who was along as his guest on the trip, would move into his private hotel room and serve as his nurse–administering the medications the in-house hotel doctor had prescribed. She is noted today as possibly having saved George Harrison for his performance with the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.

    That was fifty years ago. Louise Harrison is now 82 years old. She was 11 years older than George. She has spent a good part of her life living in her younger brother’s shadow–living in Branson where she is working on a book about her late brother.

    “A lot of people have asked me over the years if it was exciting. But I don’t really remember if it was exciting or not. I was too busy worrying about George. I was so concentrating on hoping he could make it,” Louise said in an interview for the New York Post.

    Louise Harrison does recall the excitement of actually leaving the Plaza for the Ed Sullivan theater so the Beatles could get ready to take the stage.

    “We had to run through a big bunch of police holding up their arms, like they do at military weddings, making a tunnel for us to run out the door and into the limo,” she recalls.

    “And then we took off down the street, and all the people who had climbed on top of the limo were falling off. We looked out the back window, and all these eyeglasses and pocketbooks and hats and shoes and all kinds of things were coming down the street behind us.”

    Only two of the four Beatles are alive today–Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr–and they will take the stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater on February 9th for a special 50th anniversary show. John Lennon and George Harrison will be in the hearts of many fans who watch the historical TV special. Louise Harrison will no doubt be among them. When her famous brother died she got nothing from his estate and the monthly gift he had always sent her ended.

    That hasn’t stopped her from honoring George Harrison, however, and keeping her brother’s legacy alive.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ringo Starr Honored Prior to Grammy Appearance

    Ringo Starr received the Lifetime of Peace and Love award from the David Lynch Foundation on Monday night, during a concert in L.A. The foundation helps provide scholarships to teach transcendental meditation — a practice the Beatles dabbled in — to at-risk youth, veterans and domestic violence victims.

    Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono expressed their love for Ringo and offered congratulations to him for receiving this award via video presentations. The wife of the late George Harrison was in the audience.

    “It’s a weird place to be this evening,” Starr said. “All this praise is overwhelming really. It’s really great to look out and see all these people I recognize and three of them are meditating.”

    Lynch’s foundation helps provide scholarships to teach transcendental meditation to at-risk youth, veterans and domestic violence victims.

    “Everybody loves Ringo,” Lynch said. “Not just because he’s a Beatle, not just because he’s one of the tastiest drummers ever, but because he radiates that peace and love.”

    Here is the Instagram photo that went with the David Lynch Foundation’s tweet.

    Various musicians honored Ringo Starr with their own renditions of his hit songs. Toward the end of the presentation he took the stage to play and sing Photograph.

    Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney will both appear and perform at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, although contrary to popular belief sources say they won’t perform together until Monday evening. On Monday night the two are scheduled to appear at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City.

    Paul and Ringo are the only two surviving Beatles and fans constantly talk about the two reuniting on stage. It seems on Monday night some of those fans will realize their dreams.

    It will be fun to see what Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr perform at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night as well, with some people no doubt holding out hope that their reunion might take place a day early.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Kris Kristofferson Will Be Joined By Fellow Country Stars In Special Grammy Performance

    Kris Kristofferson is set to have quite an exciting night tomorrow during the presentation of the 56th annual Grammy Awards. He will perform for audiences along with a couple of other legends, along with a newcomer to the genre.

    In a special performance that should be exciting for any fans of the genre, and especially for the fans of the classics, Kris Kristofferson will be joined on stage by legends such as Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, and the younger Blake Shelton.

    The legendary country singer-songwriter will be also honored as one of the artists receiving a lifetime achievement award for the success that he has had throughout this career in the genre of country music.

    The nominations for the big show were announced last month, with Jay-Z leading the way with nine nominations, with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and Kendrick Lamar following closely behind with seven.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZRj1Lg8TsM

    The Beatles are also another big act to be receiving the lifetime achievement this year, which will be accepted by Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. The two of them will also be sharing the stage for a performance at the Grammy Awards this year.

    Kris Kristofferson, now at the age of 77, is excited to be able to share the stage with a couple of his longtime friends, and share the stage at a show like the The Grammy Awards. As he is being honored along with The Beatles, he feels a bit odd, thinking that they were the superheroes that changed music in his lifetime.

    However, he has changed country music in a similar way to the way in which the The Beatles changed pop music. Merle Haggard said that he upgraded it, and made the genre more sophisticated.

    Following Grammy rehearsals in Los Angeles, the legendary country country singer said “It’s so much of a pleasure to be with these guys. One of the best parts of my life has been the guys who are my real heroes are my closest friends. Willie is the closest friend I have. And Merle, the first time I met him in Nashville, people told me to stay away from him because I had a beard and the hair.”

    Kris Kristofferson has gained fame as an actor in addition to being a country singer, a medium that younger audiences may recognize him better, for roles such as Blade and others.

    He is known as a country singer for his big hits such as “Me And Bobby McGee,” “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and many others. Kristofferson released his last album, “Closer To The Bone,” in 2009. He has collaborated with Willie Nelson on several occasions previously, including with the group “The Highwaymen,” which also included Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Paul McCartney And Ringo Starr Will Perform At The Grammys

    While the majority of the performers and nominees during the upcoming Grammy ceremony is clearly geared toward the younger audiences and mainstream popular music, a blast from the past will be present with at least one performance.

    The recent addition to the Grammy Awards is good news for any fans of The Beatles with the announcement that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will both be performing during the Grammys ceremony.

    Whether the two former Beatles will perform together is still to be determined, but they will both be taking the stage during the night along with many other performers.

    Paul McCartney is also nominated for several awards this year including Best Rock Song for his single “Cut Me Some Slack,” which he recorded with Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Krist Novoselic from Nirvana.

    After breaking up in 1970, the two ex-Beatles have gone their separate ways, and have continued to focus on their solo careers, while this could be an epic reunion for fans of their work. The last time that they performed together was at a benefit at Radio City Music Hall in 2009 featuring a host of other celebrities.

    Ringo Starr is also set to receive the 2014 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award along with Paul McCartney as the last surviving members of The Beatles. The other two members of the original group were John Lennon and George Harrison.

    Other performers that have been announced for the big show include nominees John Legend, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban and Sarah Bareilles, who will be joined by 2014 MusiCares Person of the Year, and legendary folk singer Carole King.

    For a full list of the nominees for this year’s Grammy Awards, check out their list here.

    This will mark the first time that many of the performers have taken the stage at the Grammys including Ringo Starr, although Paul McCartney has played on his own already.

    The 56th Annual Grammy Awards air live from Los Angeles January 26th on CBS.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ringo Starr, Former Beatle, Releases “Photograph” Album

    Ringo Starr (a.k.a. Richard Starkey) is one of the best-known British musicians around, as well as performing as the drummer for the legendary 1960’s pop band The Beatles. Apart from his success with The Beatles, Starr spawned a solo career as well and recently released a new project called “Photograph.”

    According to CBS News, back in 1964, when The Beatles visited America to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, the popular band was the subject of various photographs taken, not only by screaming fans but by the press as well. Even the band members themselves had cameras as Starr stated to CBS below.

    “It was so great, it was exciting, we were coming to America, the musical land of our dreams. We all had cameras, a drink a cigarette – those were the three things we all carried all the time.”

    With this in mind, you may now have the impression now that the “Photograph” project by Starr is not an album of music but an album of images that include various photographs from the band’s first appearance in the United States. The pictures were found in Starr’s basement and later compiled into a genuine archive of Starr’s past.

    The Los Angeles Times states that a digital copy of “Photograph” was released earlier this year for iPads, but users can now purchase the physical version of the book from Genesis Publications. The book from Genesis is published with the following features:

    • Signed by “Ringo Starr”
    • Binding in leather and gold foil blocking
    • 250 rare and unseen photographs with mementos from Starr’s childhood

    “Photographs” can be purchased from Genesis Publishing at the link above for UK £345 (pounds sterling) ($500). All proceeds for “Photographs,” via Genesis Publishing, will be donated the Lotus Foundation.

    [Image source: CBS News Video]

  • Ringo Starr Brings Back His ‘Octopus’s Garden’

    Seventy-three-year-old drummer and legendary Beatle, Ringo Starr, is a man of many talents.

    Last year he was named the richest drummer in the world and has released 16 solo albums. Quite impressive for someone who famously proclaims to have never studied drums in the first place.

    While he has already taken the music world by storm, now he is also taking the literary world by storm. Ringo Starr is combining his talents with illustrator Ben Cort and publisher Simon & Schuster to bring the world a picture book from his popular hit, Octopus’s Garden. The well-known song was originally from the 1969 album, Abbey Road. The October release will also include a CD with Ringo singing a special track of the song as well as reading the children’s book itself.

    “It gives me great pleasure to collaborate with Ben Cort and Simon & Schuster for the further adventures of Octopus’s Garden. Peace and love,” Ringo Starr said.

    Ringo Starr left details about purchasing the book on his Facebook page. UK fans are able to purchase the book through a direct website, while fans in other areas are advised to look at Amazon or local retailers to get their hands on the book.

    The song was well-liked for having catchy beats as well as a soft peaceful melody. George Harrison had once famously both teased and praised Ringo for the creation of the song.

    “‘Octopus’s Garden’ is Ringo’s song. It’s only the second song Ringo has ever written, mind you, and it’s lovely,” George Harrison said.

    Fans are already talking about the release.

    [Images Via Ringo Starr’s Facebook Page]

  • Official: The Beatles Now Available Via iTunes

    UPDATE: iTunes has officially been updated and now features The Beatles prominently on the front of the iTunes store, as well as the company homepage. For more information check out The Beatles page on Apple.

    The Beatles on iTunes

    ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Yesterday Apple posted an announcement teaser on their homepage, for something "That you’ll never forget". Immediately people began to speculate what it could be: streaming music, wireless sync, cloud storage, subscription service, new logo, Beatles catalog… the speculation went on and on.

    iTunes: Tomorrow is just another day. That' you'll never forget.

    Not to start this old rumor up again, but it appears as though The Beatles will finally be available via iTunes, just in time for the Holidays. According to WSJ, "Apple Inc. is preparing to disclose that its iTunes Store will soon start carrying music by the Beatles, according to people familiar with the situation, a move that would fill a glaring gap in the collection of the world’s largest music retailer.

    The deal resulted from talks that were taking place as recently as last week among executives of Apple, representatives of the Beatles and their record label, EMI Group Ltd., according to these people. These people cautioned that Apple could change plans at the last minute."

    The Beatles were one of the few iTunes holdouts, the others being AC/DC, Bob Seger and Kid Rock.

    With the announcement Cupertino coming up very soon, will we finally see The Beatles in the iTunes Store? Tell us your toughts.