One name many music fans know around the world is Ringo Starr, but not everyone knows what it means.
The musician, now 84, claimed worldwide fame as the drummer in the Beatles, and their music is still adored by millions today. Even though the band have been in people’s lives since the ’60s, not all fans know the significance of his name.
In fact, the topic recently came up on Reddit when fans were discussing what he prefers to be called. One social media user wrote: “Does Ringo prefer to be called Ringo Starr or Richard Starkey?
“I just started reading ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’, and the author calls him Starkey throughout, because of the 2009 ad where he said ‘don’t call me by my stage name’. Is that accurate? Does he prefer to be called by his birth name?”
It’s fair to say fans had all sorts of thoughts, with several offering various suggestions. One simply replied: “Richy/Richard is reserved for his friends and family, and Ringo is for the rest of us.”
Another wrote: “I’ve always called him Ringo Starr, or just Ringo, since I’m not always going to use his last name. I’ve called him by his stage name since I first knew The Beatles, before I even considered myself a fan of them, and I rarely call him Richard or Richard Starkey.”
One more added: “Richy or Richard is used by his bandmates and friends and stuff, but Ringo is for the general public.” Whatever he prefers, it’s fair to say that his stage name is pretty bold, and there’s actually a quirky reason as to how it came about.
Back in the late 1950s, Ringo was playing music with many skiffle groups, and it was then that he gained the stage name Ringo Starr. It’s said to have come from the rings he wore back then, and also because it helped to give him a country and western twang.
The Beatles formed in 1960 but, at the time, Starr was actually a part of another group in Liverpool known as Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. At the time, the band did gain a bit of UK success, but he decided to quit the Hurricanes when he was invited to join the Beatles in August 1962. He took the place of Pete Best, and teamed up with John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.
If you’re wondering where “Starr” came into the mix, there’s said to be a story behind that too. Back in the day, his singing solos were dubbed as “Starr Time”, which added another layer to his stage name.
Fans may not realise, but it carries a lot more meaning than people may initially think. It’s a good piece of music trivia to know as major new films about the band are confirmed to be in the works.
Actors Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan have been confirmed to form a part of the all-star cast who will play members of the Beatles in four major new films about the band. Star of Normal People and Gladiator II, Mescal, will take on the role of Sir Paul McCartney, while Saltburn actor Keoghan will play Ringo Starr.
Harris Dickinson, who recently starred alongside Nicole Kidman in Babygirl, will also play John Lennon, while Joseph Quinn will step into the shoes of George Harrison in the major quadrilogy. The project will be directed by Sir Sam Mendes.