Only child of baker parents, Ringo Starr (85) learned to read and write with the help of a neighbor who later became his nanny. At the age of three, his father abandoned him, but Elsie, his mother, married Harry Greaves, whom the little boy adored from the beginning.
His musical origins are linked to pain as during his childhood and adolescence, he suffered from peritonitis and tuberculosis, which led to several years of hospitalization or bed rest at home. One of his teachers introduced him to musical instruments, especially a drum, which he played while sitting on the bed.
But it was his stepfather who gifted him his first drum kit at 16 years old, and thus, he knew that his future would be linked to these percussion instruments. He learned to play self-taught, made many mistakes on stage, and learned to correct them with different groups before doing so with the Beatles.
In 1962, they gave him his big opportunity. In those early days, the drummer briefly dated the attractive model Vicky Hodge (79), whom he met during the wild nights in London's Kings Roads. They enjoyed themselves until the early hours of the morning.
But something told the young woman that their relationship was not going to work, as Ringo was smitten with a girl named Maureen Cox, whom he met at the Cavern Club in London. By the manager's order, the relationship was kept secret to not disappoint the fans and damage the group's youthful image.
Everything changed when she became pregnant in 1965 and, consequently, they had to get married. Soon after, Zak was born and then came Jason and Lee. Thanks to them, he enjoys eight grandchildren and a great-grandchild. When the Beatles disbanded in 1970, Ringo drowned his sorrows in alcohol, causing serious cracks in his marriage.
The couple managed to rebuild, however, when Maureen's romance with George Harrison was publicized, the other Beatles member who passed away in 2001, it seems that Ringo exclaimed: "Better him than someone we don't know." But there was nothing to be done, and in 1975, after confessing mutual infidelities, they divorced.
From 1974 to 1980, Ringo was in love with the model turned photographer Nancy Lee Andrews (78), whom he had met at the house owned by actor Peter Lawford - the procurer of lovers for the Kennedys - in Santa Monica.
"I was offered a seat at the poker table and found myself next to Ringo. He was as charming, playful, witty, and adorable as the devil," Nancy would confess in an interview later. They lived fast.
They had homes in England, Monte Carlo, Amsterdam, and Los Angeles, spent most of the year traveling, had a great time at Tramps and Regine de Paris because Ringo was a fabulous dancer, and juggled schedules to accommodate the children.
It was Ringo who encouraged Nancy to pursue her dream of being a photographer and, in fact, she did the cover and back covers of two of the musician's albums, Ringo the4th and Bad Boy. And when everything was going smoothly, their love suddenly fractured.
During the filming of Caveman (1980), Ringo met Barbara Bach (78), who had achieved stardom as a Bond girl in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) with Roger Moore. Rumors circulated that they had started seeing each other in secret.
In this regard, Barbara confessed to Playboy at that time that "a lot of rubbish has been written about us, but nothing interesting. The truth is that we weren't together until the end of the movie. We got along well working, but each had other people, our respective friends. Then, suddenly, in less than a week - specifically the last week of filming - it just happened. We went from a friendly love to being in love."
The beginning of their romance was troublesome, as the musician left Nancy overnight, something incomprehensible to those around him since they had even gotten engaged. Therefore, Nancy sued him for breach of promise and demanded alimony. Ultimately, the singer was acquitted of everything.
But truth be told, this was not the first time Ringo lost his head over another woman while with Nancy, as around 1978, he briefly dated Shelley Duvall, who had become a big star thanks to The Shining. Reports from the time claim that Nancy and Ringo had taken a break when this happened.
Following Lennon's murder in December 1980, Ringo and Barbara traveled to New York to console Yoko, who, according to experts and some group members, was the cause of the Beatles' breakup. But Ringo did not see it that way and, from the beginning, supported Yoko.
Although Ringo and Barbara have not had children together, they have formed an incredible family with the children of their respective partners. Ringo's three children were joined by her other two, Francesca and Gianni, from her relationship with Augusto Gregorini.
Undoubtedly, Barbara has been his mainstay in the toughest moments. In the 80s, Ringo hit rock bottom. Lennon's murder, the rejection from record labels, and his own internal demons led him to seek refuge in drugs. In 1988, he decided to enter rehab accompanied by Barbara, his main support. "I have no idea how I went to bed every night and how I got to bed," the singer would confess later.
After 46 years of marriage, they continue to be a happy couple dividing their time between their residences on both sides of the Atlantic.
On April 24th, Ringo Starr releasedLong Long Road, his twenty-second studio album in which he collaborates with Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent, or Billy Strings.