Ringo: With a Little Help

The first 2/3rds of the book you have likely read in other books (like Hunter Davies) and he uses direct quotes from about every Beatle book I've read. And sometimes he gets it wrong or his source got it wrong from it's source - but it's basically something you've likely read before. The final third of the book is what is really interesting. I knew, of course, about Ringo's All-Starr Band but didn't realize how many different people have played in that band over the years. All for a good cause. You really see Ringo's fear of being the underdog at drumming as he usually has at least one other drummer in the group (including his sone Zac. I had no idea how serious his drinking problem was or that he and Barbara checked into rehab together. I had no idea how many movies and records he has made (mostly flops) I did believe the stories of what a nice guy he was - and that;s mentioned over and over throughout the book. But even that las third of the bool got a little monotonous, factual but having only few insights into the man Ringo is. I did learn some things - like he was mostly illiterate for a large part of his life, and I didn't know so many drummers and other musicians have a great respect for Ringo and said he had a very unique syle but he wasn't the type of drummer that did fancy solos Several said that he could hold a beat better than any drummer they knew. I hope all those comments helped with Ringo's self-confidence since the Beatles themselves kind of bossed him around - showing or telling him how to play on a particular song. I've read in other books where Paul actually did the drums on a particular song but hoped Ringo wouldn't notice. What a terrible insult to Ringo. - of course, he would notice. But some commented that Paul was just a mediocre drummer himself. So the last third of the book is sort of an interesting read but I wasn't impressed with the full list of all the citations made by the author - it's as if he assembled the book but didn't actually write it, Don;t bother reading, UPDATE: after re-reading this and realizing there really isn't any other biography I guess we take what we get. From the Bio's of the other Beatles and from remarks from mostly women that he mostly slept with (how his wife didn't know I have no idea) but Ringo is truly one of the best rock drummers - because he can carry a beat, he can carry ANY bet. List to many of John Lennon's songs (especially Rain) very few drummers could have figured out how to put drumming to that song. Often Lennons stuff (even early on) has some unusual rhythms. I've tried to copy them on guitar myself and struggled. Ringo makes it sound effortless. There are a number of songs that Ringo and even George are left out. Lennon considers himself quite a good LEAD guitar player (look who plays lead on one or two songs on the last concert on the roof). And it was said by Lennon that only he and Paul played on the song "The Ballad of John and Yoko". And it was Ringo that said he would come back to the studio and hear the last takes and realize that it wasn't him playing drums and how much it hurt his feelings. But I think both Paul and John liked/loved Ringo (so did many fans) and during the end used him to negotiate between Paul and the other 3 Beatles (didn't work). Both John and Paul have said at different times that they didn't really treat George and Ringo as equals because they weren't song writers (Ie., you can be replaced) - which shows you how much ego in this band there is. George, of course, got much better with "Something" being one of the greatest love songs ever written according to Frank Sinatra. I personally think Ringo had so little to do in the studio he would just leave for all or part of the day and they just did the drum track for him and he'd come in and pretend he couldn't tell the difference. So cruel to such a nice man. I don't feel sorry for George, who wrote his autobiography and published in a leather bound/limited number at a high price. I've never met anybody who has read it, but John said in his Rolling Stone interviews that he was shocked to find that George had not mentioned John ONCE in his whole autobiography (that has to be a stretch since how could he write anything in his biography and mention Paul and Ringo and skip John. John said it really hurt him since he thought that he and George really had a good relationship. I haven't read the book, maybe I'll find a used version in a bookstore or on eBay. As far as biographies or autobiographies about Ringo keep in mind he was basically illiterate for a large part of his life due to lack of school after years of fighting TB in the hospital so he may be a little self-conscious about his ability to write or edit a book even with a ghost writer. His first wife - who loved him even after the divorce died from cancer many years ago. I read that Ringo and their 3 children were all with her when she passed. Ringo remains married to Barbara Bach (of James Bond fame) but I have never seen a picture of her with Ringo or in public alone - so she must really like her privacy.

There are many books written about the other Beatles. I decided to check out this one on Ringo. I'm not finished but so far it seems well written. I'm enjoying it

What a perfect biography! It was illuminating, well-researched, interesting and left this reader with such a good feeling about the subject.This lovingly-written book gives lots of information and great anecdotes. It especially gives Ringo his due. I believe it is easy for people to forget that prior to joining The Beatles, Ringo was THE drummer in the area, not just some spare guy that fate dropped in just prior to The Beatles rocket to stardom. I loved the stories about his family, his early girlfriends, his relationship with Maureen and his relationships with his Beatle brothers. John, George and Paul are just supporting players in this biography, which I especially appreciated because after all, this is Ringo's story and he had a story before and most certainly after The Beatles. However, the author has the courage to portray Paul as somewhat of a self-absorbed/self-important jerk (traits I have long suspected).For me, the most illuminating parts described Ringo's years after The Beatles. I knew he, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson had hung out together, but I had not realized what close friends they really were. I also loved reading about other important people in Ringo's life, including Barbara.Ultimately, it's a great book about a very talented and truly engaging human being, who impacted and continues to impact so many people. He is someone much-beloved by most people in his life and someone who still brings much joy to his fans.We love you, Ringo, and this book is a wonderful tribute to a great artist and even better human!

This is a very good book with a lot of detail. The only "drawback" might be that it is not an authorized version of Ringo's life, but one has no reason to think it is fictional in any sense of the word. It appears to have been extremely well researched. It is well written and easy to read. I imagine every person who becomes famous for any reason, must deal with the life dictated by certain aspects of being well known. Every person has differing aspects in their lives with which they must cope, but the most common denominator being that "Fame is a full-time job," as I once heard Tony Curtis remark to an interviewer. Many people don't know that fact until they're up to their eyes in adoring fans. Many people cannot cope with the life that fame brings; almost everyone has their own way of dealing with it. This is Ringo's story, and is very straightforward in showing his up's and down's throughout the years with The Beatles and afterwards. A good read which will give you some insight into the life of one famous person you may not know that much about. I certainly had no idea about many details of his life, especially after the Beatles. Interesting book for Ringo fans.

This was the first ever book I've read about Ringo. Everyone who's ever followed this band knows their early lives from all the books written about them. There hasn't been much written about Ringo, even after the band split. Most of the books have been about John, Paul and lately George. It's the usual story of a music star going on a alcohol and drug fueled life style. I wonder if Ringo will ever sit down and write his own version of his life and maybe set things right? Until he ever does, this may be only one of many books on this subject of Ringo Starr. I would recommend reading this "unofficial" story on his life.

Lots of new facts and information. Very detailed. Well researched. However, it would have been a more enjoyable read had this book been well edited. Lots of holes in grammar and syntax.

was interesting, but repeats itself and jumps back and forth in the tells

Well written, with a different perspective - that of the last member to join, the tribulations and ultimate survival of being locked into being A Beatle.Entertaining.

Really authoritative and carefully researched book that provides fresh insight into the biggest band in the world. A unique perspective on both the Beatles story and Ringos colourful life.