Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Happy Birthday, Ringo
The Beatles having proverbially set about dying in the wrong order, Ringo Starr - arguably the luckiest drummer in history - today celebrates his 70th birthday. It seems improbable and jarring (rather like the obligatory Ringo track on a Beatles LP), but it's a fact - and soon a swarm of pop and rock stars will be hitting the big 7-0, Ringo's somewhat more accomplished fellow drummer Charlie Watts for one (next June, shortly after Bob Dylan in May). Oddly, today is also the 69th birthday of two notables - Michael 'something of the night' Howard and Bill 'something of the nut' Oddie, who was to comedy roughly what Ringo was to music, but who, since moving into wildlife TV, has never looked back. In 1970 Oddie released a single of On Ilkla Moor Baht 'At, sung in the style of Joe Cocker's With A Little Help From My Friends - a song originally performed, in a style all his own, by Ringo Starr. Why did Joe Cocker ever think he could better that?
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Bill's birthday must surely be his eleventy first, Kate won't have sent a card.
ReplyDeleteRingo's contribution to rock is akin to limescales contribution to the inside of a kettle, the kettle being the more musical.
Upon reflection, limescale is more musical.
Ringo strikes me as a classic good bloke. Not trying to be patronizing. This is an estimable thing to be and most of us can't manage it. Also, hats, er, off to both Ringo and Charlie Watts for resolutely remaining rug-free zones. Many of the stars now approaching their eighth decade sport hairpieces almost worthy of Liberace. But not these two.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to add Buddy Miles to Gaw's list of tub-thumpers-better-yet-not-quite-so-healthy-or-as-alive-as-Ringo list. Funny how as kids one was drawn to Oddie, only to see as adults how irritating he was and that Garden was the only real comic genius of the group.
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