Ringo Starr talks about how he left his previous band to join The Beatles.
The Conversation
You took a big risk you were playing
with the Hurricanes I was and you got a
chance to go with this Beatles group
yeah I know but the Hurricanes were
bigger at the moment they were and but I
loved from Germany where we met really
we were playing Roar in hurricanes and
the Beatles were playing the different
clubs than the guy KOs me to own both of
them put us on the same club and I loved
John Paul and George I just loved that
front line and you know we would do at
the weekend hours between us and I'd
be there for the last gig you know uh
just sitting there watching the front
line requesting
s uh yeah so then they asked and I had
no hesitation but people did say you
going to leave Rory and I said yeah yeah
I'm going to leave you know just make a
step up I'm interested to know why that
was you you like the group I did I love
you like the music yeah they were great
players they were the where uh you know
Rory was a showman and we were players
and we had a guitarist called Johnny
guar who was great but that was about it
really uh but we you know we were big in
Liverpool and uh I just loved them so
you know the thing Brian called it was a
wedding's day he said would you join the
bend I said sure I said when he said oh
tonight I said no I have to I can come
Saturday cuz they've got to get another
drum
cuz you know we're all playing the same
songs well let's go back for for a
minute even before the Hurricanes you
heard lightning Hopkins you heard tub
you heard Hank Williams Hank Williams
all of those did you hear other the Dr
drummers for example Jean Kuper was a
big drummer I went to see uh I think it
was The Glenn Miller Story Glen uh Jean
Kuper was actually in it yeah but people
always ask me oh what about those
drummers and those records I never
listened to the drummer I listened to
the whole thing you know there was an Al
Green track called I'm a ram and the guy
hit the high boom boom boom it's like
magic to me and I remember sit you know
I remember those moments we're sitting
with clous Borman in this apartment we
have in London and
uh so that did but Al Jackson yes I know
the names and they played on great
records but it wasn't like I was
listening for the drums you've been in
the wind for a long time my friend
better than having
wind well I can agree with that yeah
yeah yeah I have you know from
when I left the factory this is
what I've done you know I've played I've
toed made a few good
records made a few good records you know
and I know many people particularly
people who are at the top or have been
at the top who lose their Mings they do
they they lose the entities they where
they come up to you haven't done that uh
well thanks I hope not um I don't I
think it's all part of where we came
from as well and but you know I always
give credit that there was you know
we're talking about the Beatles four of
us I mean I was in Rory storm and the
hurricanes but there were four of us and
we all from the same city
and we would look at each other you know
if one of us would be freaking out or
being a big shot three other people
would go excuse me you know and that
kept us and you know it's interesting is
the time we met
Elvis I really thought how sad he's on
his own and he had all those people
around but he was on his own I had three
great mates I'm well enough of it here
and but you mentioned earlier you had a
god-given gift yeah time how much of it
is a god-given gift and how much it is
all those hours you spent practicing I
didn't I hate
practicing I hate sitting there I tried
it when I first got the kit upstairs in
the back room you know all those movies
that were made and it was the most
boring thing ever I did all my learning
with other musician Ians other bands I
was lucky cuz there were a lot of us
around and we weren't
all great players we were all learning
so I learned everything with everyone
else at that time this is in Liverpool
when in Liverpool yeah but I was looking
in the factory the guy who lived next
door to me in the street worked in the
factory and he was Eddie miles a great
guitarist uh he just one of those guys
picked it off can play anything you know
and my best friend Ro boy had to made a
test base and I had a snare drum and
brushes and we used to play to the men
at lunchtime in the basement and that's
how I started and now I'm talking to you
the life is good but life hasn't always
been good even for Singo no Singo was uh
had his downside he got
completely crazed with the alcohol and
cocaine and drugs and my career went
into the dumper and because my use went
up and that's all I did I ended up in a
spot
where I didn't know how you didn't do
that I didn't know how you didn't do
alcohol and drugs so we're talking about
when you hit rock bottom was during the
s uh yeah or was it before then no no
I was my my career sort of went down
from it started really going down fast
around about
and uh then I was on the on the
road to Hell really what brought you
around I mean some people never get out
of it
uh yeah you know that day arrived where
I came out of a blackout and I'd done a
lot of
damage and uh I I thought I said to Baba
we you've got to get me in one of those
places she called somebody you called
somebody and and we ended up in Sierra
tuon and uh and I drank all the way I
didn't know you didn't drink I drank all
the way to the rehab and I got to know
Mike in Chicago airport he was the the
guy behind the bar and and that was
it I have another drink
since now this is your second marriage
but you're working what years in this
marriage well we've been together
years and we've been married for
years well you know there are a lot of
men in this audience who would like to
know what it's like to be married to a
Bond girl for years
great but she's more than a Bond girl
and I'm more than a beetle so uh it was
one of those madnesses you know in my
life we were in in January going to
Mexico to do this
movie and I was checking in and she was
checking in over there with her
boyfriend was seeing her off and I just
fell in love with the lady and uh my
story is then she tortured me for a
couple of months and then we haven't
been apart
since well one of your children Zach
yeah um has followed your footsteps
plays with the who a great drummer in
his own life incredible drummer yeah he
uh I gave him one lesson
and then like two weeks later I thought
I'll give
you the second lesson and he said oh I
can do that Dad I said well you're on
your own and uh you know that's what
he's done he's found his own style he's
done it his own way uh yeah is he
left-handed he's not left-handed no well
so he had a little better start well
he that's what it was yeah but my other
son plays s also it's like mad you know
but he uh is more of a family man and so
he didn't want to like go out there and
do that stuff well question did you try
to encourage your children into music no
but Zach you know is also a good on
guitar he's like
musical uh I played the music he was
like when I bought him his first kit
CU it was taken an
interest and uh it's basically done on
his own