Ringo's "Photograph" Hits #1

What was I thinking?

Back in the late 90’s, I had a chance to meet Ringo Starr at some radio convention in Los Angeles---and I passed.

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet a Beatle in the flesh—and something else (I can’t even remember what) took its place. Had the meet & greet been with Paul McCartney or even George Harrison, I’m sure that I would have been right there.

And that about sums up Ringo—a measured drop in comparative stature---with no logical reason to back it up. The Beatle who never got respect was nonetheless an integral part of the Fab Four.

It was on this date in 1973 that his solo hit “Photograph” hit #1 on the Pop charts, becoming the third former Beatle to reach the top.

The most humble of the four, he characterized his inclusion as being “just happy to be here”. When he replaced Pete Best as drummer in 1962, it was not a popular move—as the handsome Best had a bevy of fans, mostly young women (shocker!). Rumors that McCartney and Lennon were jealous of Best may have been true, but one thing is for sure.

Ringo was a better drummer.

Further, his quiet personality and deflection of attention endeared him to a legion of fans-and added depth to the collective personality of a band whose every nuance was to become public knowledge.

Here’s a short video of “Photograph” featuring photos of Ringo through the years:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MubU8qHutY

While Ringo would never claim to be the most popular of the Beatles (he wasn’t), it seems to be quite factual to say that within the group itself, he WAS the most popular. Despite the acrimonious breakup of the band, Ringo managed to maintain a very friendly relationship with all three of his band mates. This was evidenced by the fact that his solo effort “Ringo” in 1973 is the only solo album in which all three former Beatles made a contribution.

That album gave Ringo two #1 hits, “Photograph” (co-written by George, who also performed background vocals) and “You’re Sixteen” (featuring background vocals by Paul).

The former Richard Starkey, beginning life as a lower-middle class lad from Liverpool---did OK for himself in the end—and undoubtedly deserves more respect and credit for the success of the Beatles than he has been given thus far.

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