Description
In this illuminating and comprehensive biography of Richard ''Ringo Starr'' Starkey, New York Post TV editor Starr delves into every aspect of the life of one of the 20th century's most famous drummers. Beatles fans may come away disappointed at the lack of truly new material regarding Ringo's tenure with the band, much of which is culled from the Beatles Anthology documentary. That said, Starr successfully paints a complete portrait of the legendary drummer, whose contributions to rock 'n' roll, he argues, have largely been overshadowed by his iconic bandmates. With aplomb, Starr creates an intimate picture of Liverpool and Hamburg during the 1950s and '60s that puts the rest of Ringo's life (including his later battles with alcoholism and drug addiction) into fascinating perspective. Starr's prose is straightforward, at times stilted, but frequent eyewitness accounts and quotes from original interviews with Ringo's friends and family help him succeed in revealing the nuanced and passionate man who was the backbone of the Beatles. --Publishers WeeklyIt's a solid recounting of Ringo's life and will be of interest to Beatles fans looking for more information on the least-chronicled member of the Fab Four. -Booklist Online Extensive research and an injection of personality make this a definitive biography of the most underrated Beatle. -Foreword Reviews Until Ringo pens his memoirs (if he ever does), this biography will serve as the most complete and up-to-date telling of his life story. --Library Journal Xpress Reviews, June 26, 2015''Through assiduous research, the author (no relation) paints a nuanced picture of Ringo as a charismatic, likeable character, whose flaws were opened by success.'' -MOJO Magazine ''Too few books have chronicled Ringo Starr's professional and personal life, but this new tome by Michael Seth Starr (no relation) thoroughly examines the drummer's story from his Liverpool beginnings to his current solo career'' -Something Else Reviews ''Ringo: With a Little Help'' is clearly the definitive biography of one of the most famous musicians - or, heck, people - of the last century (though author Starr could not get subject Starr to participate). And, while he did get help along the way, Richard Starkey richly deserves this solid literary treatment. --Houston Chronicle Michael Seth Starr (Northern, New Jersey) is the TV editor for the New York Post , where he has written about television for the past twenty years. He has authored biographies of Peter Sellers, Art Carney, Joey Bishop, Bobby Darin, Raymond Burr, and Redd Fox.
Features & Highlights
- Ringo: With a Little Help
- is the first in-depth biography of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, who kept the beat for an entire generation and who remains a rock icon over fifty years since the Beatles took the world by storm.
- With a Little Help
- traces the entire arc of Ringo's remarkable life and career, from his sickly childhood to his life as The World's Most Famous drummer to his triumphs, addictions, and emotional battles following the breakup of the Beatles as he comes to terms with his legacy.Born in 1940 as Richard Starkey in the Dingle, one of Liverpool's most gritty, rough-and-tumble neighborhoods, he rose from a hardscrabble childhood – marked by serious illnesses, long hospital stays, and little schooling – to emerge, against all odds, as a locally renowned drummer. Taking the stage name Ringo Starr, his big break with the Beatles rocketed him to the pinnacle of worldwide acclaim in a remarkably short time. He was the last member of the Beatles to join the group but also the most vulnerable, and his post-Beatles career was marked by chart-topping successes, a jet-setting life of excess and alcohol abuse, and, ultimately, his rebirth as one of rock's revered elder statesman.
