Happy Birthday to Ringo Starr.....

      Ringo Starr turns 71 today....

     I almost began writing this as a "In Praise Of" blog. Why? Because with all of the fame, and the fortune that comes with it, Ringo always seems to have been on the short end of the stick when it comes to respect. 

      Part of this comes from the era immediately after the break up of the Beatles. The 70's (especially the first few years) was full of musical indulgence and drummers were no different. Looking back now, one has to wonder how many drugs were ingested to survive a 15-20 minute drum solo, but technique and speed were all the rage. Ringo did not excel in that kind of competition and was considered a lesser drummer because of it. Even while with the Beatles, he was seen as not quite fitting with the other three as Ringo was not a proficient songwriter and was not a technically gifted singer.

    But there is much to praise Ringo for......

    First of all....let's go back to the drumming. Looking back at their body of work, it is obvious that very few drummers could have molded his skills to fit what the Beatles were in need of. He did play riffs of complexity as well as that insistent, rock solid backbeat, but never gave the group more then was exactly needed. This is the key in my opinion. In an era where the group ethic would be sacrificed to the God of melodic ego, Ringo was the perfect group member. He gave the group a solid base, while doing what was needed to keep the group moving forward......

    This is where his personality played a big role. Every group needs a Ringo...one who can be a peacemaker....one who could bring humor.....one who brought an off kilter personality to the proceedings. He brought all of that, (although he could lose his temper as well....he was the first Beatle to walk off and quit....but came back when (a). The others begged him to return and (b). He got bored.). No matter how much bickering was going on near the end, all three could still go back to Ringo. This is a factor that many of the books written about the group gloss over, but I personally think it's a very important spice in the mix.

      The post-Beatles time is really where he has shined. Starr is the only one of the four who did more then dabble into movies. (41 to be exact...counting work with the Beatles), and has done work in television as well. Not only this, but for a four year period (71-74), his output musically (chartwise AND in terms of quality) can easily hold up to the work of his former bandmates. His All Star Bands continue to sell out, and just as Paul has moved into his senior years continuing to do quality work, Ringo continues to be Ringo. Loveable, quotable, and thankfully for the rest of us, musical.