Never read this before.
In 1964, when four mop-topped musicians landed at JFK airport in New York, setting off Beatlemania in America, The New York Post published intimate essays by John, Ringo, Paul and George detailing their new-found fame (via the Universal Press Association). Fifty years later, we open our archives to bring you those stories. Today: the world according to Ringo Starr. Tomorrow: Life with John Lennon.
I’m the small one with the big nose. They’re always pulling my leg about my nose. And because I’m only 2ft. 9 in. (actually 5 feet 8 inches) they introduce me on the stage as the Midget.
I fold up when they say that — well, I did for the first 300 times.
I’m also the oldest one — 23. Middle-aged, really. But if anybody asks I always say John’s the oldest because he looks so much older. I mean, he could be our father really — if he was a bit better looking.
It doesn’t seem that only a short while ago we did the Royal Variety performance. It was great meeting all those people, like Marlene Dietrich.
People said to me: “Didn’t you feel embarrassed among all those experienced performers when you’ve only been in the business a year?”
Well, I suppose we were a bit embarrassed. But it’s not up to us. What can we do? We were a bit nervous — well, we just went on and did what we always do and they seemed to like it.
I know we’re always making cracks about being simple, unspoiled lads. But honest, all this rush of publicity hasn’t made us any different.
We still get a great kick out of seeing our names in the papers. It’s not so long ago that we had to struggle to get a line in the papers.
It’s great while it lasts — and we all know that it could all end in a year, or even in a couple of months.
It’s fabulous to have so many fans, even though it means that we’re prisoners in every theatre we play. I see that some people have been saying that we’re a burden on the police and all that.
But the police don’t seem to mind. When we played at one town, a police sergeant told us that every copper in the station had volunteered for the job of getting us in and out of the theatre.
More here:
http://nypost.com/1964/02/09/the-beatles-ringo-starrs-own-story/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlowPaul McCartney
http://nypost.com/1964/02/11/trade-secrets-of-a-beatle-how-the-songs-get-written/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlowJohn Lennon
http://nypost.com/1964/02/10/a-beatle-buffs-and-a-baby/