Starr Mad at Use of Lennon's Death

 Starr Mad at Use of Lennon's Death

Los Angeles Times' Service

March 19, 1981

    Months after the death of John Lennon, drummer actor Ringo Starr still finds it hard to talk publicly about what the loss of the fellow ex-Beatle means to him. Sitting in the den of his rented Beverly Hills house before leaving for recording in Montserrat and then a brief vacation, Starr replied to a question about Lennon by saying, "I lost a great friend, and the world lost a great human being, and the music industry lost a great musician, and that's really all I want to say."

    Like others, touched by the Beatle, Starr, the only member of the Fab Four to visit Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, immediately after the December 8 murder, has been appalled by the commercialization of the rock star's death. When someone brought in yet another Lennon "tribute" magazine during the interview, he snapped. "That whole thing drives me mad. They've got buttons and pins and dolls, and badges. It's all bull."

     Part of his reluctance to talk about Lennon's death seemed to be an intrinsic desire not to contribute further to the circus of emotion. But the bearded musician also appears sensitive about revealing such deeply personal feelings

    . The interview was scheduled to discuss Starr's new album, You Can't Fight Lightning, and movie Caveman, both due in April. The film is a Lawrence Turner David Foster production, directed by Carl Gottlieb, and is a "prehistoric comedy" that co-stars Barbara Bach, Starr's fiancée. It's the ex-Beatle's first starring role after bits and pieces in such films as Candy, Litzomania, and That'll Be the Day. He's hopeful it will finally establish him as a genuine actor, not just novelty marquee bait.

     The album, which will be released by Portrait Records, is Starr's first in more than two years, and he believes that it is his best since Ringo in 1974. He is joined on the LP by several friends who wrote and or produced individual tracks, besides Harry Nilsson, Steven Stills, and Ron Wood, the guests include two members of his old gang--- Paul McCartney and George Harrison. 

    Lennon, too, had agreed to contribute a song or two. The two, Starr said had planned to go into the studio in January. One of the Lennon songs was to have been a toast to the fact that they had both turned 40 last year. Its title "Life begins at 40."

     After talking at length about the film and the album, then posing for accompanying photographs, Starr settled in a chair for a more informal conversation. Inevitably, Lennon's name came up again, and this time, a more relaxed Starr opened up a bit. When asked if the outpouring of emotion after his friend's death surprised him. Star said, "No, the four of us were well loved, but I think John was especially loved. He'd give his heart away. I think people sensed that about him, even though he had this reputation as a cynic and a rapier wit; a lot of people even seemed frightened of him. I could never understand that, because he was the kindest man I've ever met. He wouldn't take any crap off you, but he was so gentle."

     Starr said that he and Bach spent the day after Thanksgiving in New York with the Lenons. "We had such a great day," he recalled.