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Former Computer Programmer at Imperial College London (1981–1987)36m
What are some memorable anecdotes about Ringo Starr, the former Beatles drummer?
Ringo nearly emigrated to America before he joined the Beatles. In the official biography he said he’d applied to the American Embassy, but then got back a huge form which he couldn’t understand well enough to complete so he ended up staying in the UK.
He had a plan to avoid national service – in UK in the 1950s, young men would have to do 18 months national service. Ringo was born in 1940 and in his teenage years, he thought he would get called up – to avoid it, his plan was to join the merchant navy (merchant seamen were exempt) – it wasn’t the greatest plan; he’d have to serve for around 9 years to avoid 18 months National Service, but he (like all the Beatles) didn’t like armies. John Lennon’s plan was to escape to Ireland. As it turned out, the government started phasing out national service and John and Ringo avoided it by a few months by the time it was ended in 1960.
In the Anthology, Ringo recalled that George took him to collect his new car, when Ringo was driving back he had an accident – it was a bit awkward as Ringo didn’t have a license or insurance; ISTR he drove for nearly 5 years without a license. Ringo talked his way out of the accident. What’s remarkable is that George said that it was the first he’d heard about it – this was 35 years after the event!
Janice Nicholls was a judge on UK TV Series Thank Your Lucky Stars – which was the first national TV station to broadcast the Beatles. Janice recalled that when the Beatles played on the show after a visit to the USA, she jokingly asked Ringo what he’d brought back for her – Ringo gave her a drum stick and told her it was one he’d used for the Shea Stadium concert. Janice (obviously) treasured it, but then discovered that her father had used it for stirring paint(!)
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