Photo with Paul and Ringo

So I think the guy in the background is totally trying to sneak into the photo with Paul and Ringo.   Ringo seems to think he is the one getting his photo taken.   

Congratulations to Ringo Starr!

Words cannot express how happy I am for Ringo to be in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and that the honor came while he was still alive.   I have been reading a lot of nasty things online where people do not think that Ringo deserves to be in the Rock and Roll hall of fame.    And yes....a certain someone that emails me from time to time and isn't always kind to Ringo might be thinking the same thing.  I am half way expecting to get another email about this. 

Obviously I think that Ringo deserves this honor.   But then  I am a HUGE Ringo fan.   He is my favorite living Beatle and has been since late 1980.   But why do I think he deserves a place in the hall of fame?


1.   As a solo artist, Ringo had 2 #1 hit songs on America (Your Sixteen and Photograph).  He also had 5 other songs that were in the top 10 (No No Song, It Don't come easy, Oh  my my, Only you, and Back off Boogaloo).  Two of his albums were in the top 10 as well. 

2.  He played drums on the George Harrison album, All things must pass and also was on the concert for Bangadesh, which won a Grammy award.

3.  As a drummer he has influenced many, many other drummers that are in the Rock and Roll hall of fame.   Ringo in the Beatles was the first time the drummer of a band got any attention and after seeing Ringo play the drums, it inspired countless others to drum.

4.  Ringo was the first person (that I know of) to have the idea of an "oldies show" where members of various bands come out and perform their big hits.  Ringo had the idea in the 1970's but he didn't put it all together until 1989 and now it seems like an oldies tour is always coming around.

5.  Ringo is just freaking awesome!   (alright that is just an opinion...but come on----he is Ringo!  Everyone knows him!)

And to those people that claim that Ringo was just in the right place at the right time or just got lucky---did you know that the Beatles tracked Ringo down to join the Beatles?   They wanted him---not the other way around.    Ringo wasn't trying to be in the Beatles, but they wanted him in the band because Ringo was the best drummer they knew.

I will be standing by for your email.

Mister Brian Epstein

Last week it finally happened.    Something I did not think I would see happen in my lifetime.  Brian Epstein was finally inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame!   Now you'd would have thought that Brian would have been inducted in the hall of fame way back in 1988, when the Beatles were inducted.  There is a non-performer category, and it has been filled with various producers, radio disc jockeys and others who were important to the field of rock and roll music without being musicians.  Heck Phil Spector was inducted in 1989!   And many assumed that Brian was in, because why wouldn't he have been?   Not only did he "discover" the Beatles and manage them to superstardom, he also managed a variety of British acts that made up the backbone of the 1960's British music invasion that basically paved the way for a change in popular music.  

I recall signing a petition for Brian to get inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame back in the late 1990's.   Even though fans from around the world rallied together for it to happen, there was never any sign that Brian was even considered as a candidate.   As a matter of fact, Brian not in the rock hall was sort of the "Susan Lucci" joke of the Beatles community.   Then what seemed like out of the blue, I heard last year that he was going to be in the class of 2014 inductees!   Alright!  What took you so long Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?? 

Beatle fans didn't need over 50 years to know that Brian Epstein was someone special.  Did you know that in 1965, through the Beatles Fan club you could join the Brian Epstein chapter?   Each individual Beatle had his own chapter of the fan club and so did Brian.   Now I am not sure how many fans signed up for Brian's chapter of the club, but there must have been a lot of interest for it to be offered in the first place.   When you joined the Brian Epstein chapter of the Beatles fan club, you received an 8 x 10 glossy photograph of Brian and a fact sheet. 

So in memory and honor of the wonderful manager and friend of the Beatles, and in celebration of his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, I post these photos. Enjoy!

Rome 1965

Interview during 1966 tour

Relaxing with the boys in Germany in 1966

Cruising in Miami with George Martin in 1964

Yes, even Brian had a great humor

Uncle Brian with his niece in 1967