Ringo Starr: 5 Things You May Not Know
The Beatles drummer turns another year better today. Here are some things you may not know about Ringo.
- Ringo is severely allergic to onions, garlic, and other spices. “I’ve never had a pizza. Never had curry.” His allergies did not prevent him from doing a Pizza Hut commercial in 1995.
- Ringo Starr is naturally left-handed, but he plays a right-handed drum kit. In 2012 he told Conan O’Brien, “I have a right-handed kit, but I lead with my left.” This stemmed from his grandmother directing him to use his right hand instead of his left.
- His birth name is Richard Starkey. The ‘Ringo’ part: he wore a lot of rings. ‘Starr’ came from his time with the band Rory Storm and The Hurricanes. He had his own featured slot called “Starr Time.”
- In the 70’s, Ringo formed a design company. His designs included a donut shaped fireplace and a flower shaped table with petal chairs.
- The Beatles all had different ranges. Paul McCartney was a tenor, John Lennon was a high baritone, George Harrison a standard baritone (on the higher side), and Ringo Starr a low baritone. Some of the songs such as “Yellow Submarine” and “With A Little Help From My Friends” were written by Lennon and McCartney to feature Ringo’s lower voice.
Listen for Ringo Starr songs today on WCSX!
https://youtu.be/awBy_K30Pe8
Donielle Flynn has two kids, two cats, two dogs, and a love of all things rock. She’s been in radio decades and held down top-rated day parts at Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington DC radio stations throughout her tenure. She enjoys writing about rock news, the Detroit community, and she has a series called “The Story Behind” where she researches the history of classic rock songs.