Ringo, not best, but most famous drummer
PUSSSYKATT
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WHETHER he's the best drummer in the world may be a matter for debate, but no
one can challenge that Ringo Starr is certainly the best-known. He's also one
of the luckiest - not only in matters of the wallet (he still earns $20 million
annually), but in matters of the heart as well.
The "it won't last" chorus that surrounded his 1981 marriage to actress Barbara
Bach - after they met on the set of the stone-age comedy "Caveman" (six years
after his divorce from his first wife, Maureen Cox) - has been proved wrong by
a 22-year union that's bucked the rock love-'em-and-leave-'em tradition.
"I'm in love with that woman, and I'm blessed that she loves me," Starr told
The Post, stretching out his arms to illustrate his point.
"It's not like we're on cloud nine every day, we have our ups and downs, but
overall it's great. All you have to do is remember why you're together in the
first place, and you get through the rough times."
Those rough times have included the 62-year-old beat-master's successful battle
to stay sober - and his ongoing efforts to build a solo recording career
outside the shadow of his former group.
"I love America, and Americans love me," says Starr, on the eve of the release
of his latest album, "Ringorama." "I was blessed. America's always given me my
due as one of the best drummers in the world."
Though that's still not true in his native England, "That doesn't matter
anymore," he says. "I know how I play . . . I am one of the finest drummers in
rock."
He's as quick with his wit as he is with a pair of sticks.
Back when The Beatles were first making their mark in America, a reporter
accused the band of being second-rate Elvis impersonators. Ringo defused a
tense situation by immediately offering a second-rate pelvis swivel.
"I've always been very quick with funny lines, it's my character," he says.
"But I have to watch that I don't live on that. Humor is a way to deflect
things. I've used it to not deal with true emotions."
On "Ringorama," Starr proves his funny bone is still well-oiled on songs such
as "Missouri Loves Company" and"I Think Therefore I Rock & Roll."
There are also a few love songs on the disc.
But if there is one standout number, it's "Never Without You," a bright tribute
to the good ol' days - and his late friend George Harrison.
That wasn't his original intention, Starr says. "It was about a band starting
up. It didn't really relate to George at all."
But with the lyrics "We were young, it was fun and we couldn't lose," "I
immediately thought of the four of us - that's how it felt."
So the song became a dedication to George.
"If George was alive, I would have asked him to do the guitar solo on it."
In his stead, that honor went to Starr's neighbor Eric Clapton. "He lives 10
minutes away," says Starr. "So I called him, and he came over without even
hearing the track first."
Spontaneity is the hallmark of the entire record, says Starr, who considers
himself part of a garage band - albeit "a garage with some very sophisticated
equipment."
Though he continues to strike out on his own, Starr says his Beatle roots are
never far from his mind.
"God's love lets us remember the good times, but if I thought they were all
good times, I'd just be fooling myself. There were angry moments and
disappointing moments - that's just what life is about. But look at what we
did. I was a Beatle, and the music is still here today. It has held up. I'm
proud to be a part of that.
"Back then I remember a woman holding up a baby and shouting to me, 'His first
words were 'Yeah, yeah, yeah,' " said Starr.
"Is Britney singing anything the kids are learning today?"
Like fellow Beatle Paul - who was married to Linda for 29 years until her death
in 1998 - Ringo Starr's union has stood the test of time. Here, some other
long-lasting marriages among the rock 'n' roll set:
David Bowie and Iman: 10 years
Sting and Trudi Styler: 10 years
Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley: 13 years
Ric Ocasek and Paulina Porizkova: 13 years
Keith Richards and Patti Hansen: 19 years
Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Arden: 20 years
Bono and Ali Hewson: 20 years
Johnny Rotten and Nora Forster: 24 yearsCharlie Watts and Shirley Ann Shepherd:
38 years
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