Backstage in Detroit

 

He still gives autographs

February 18, 2026
 

Molly Tuttle

First photo of Ringo in 2026 -

February 4, 2026 with Molly Tuttle 
 

Venice Preserved! (1976)

 Venice Preserved!

By Rosie Horide

Beat Instrumental

December 1976

    What's the worst job you've ever had? That's the current catchphrase culled from the Derek and Clive live album. But if you asked any of the Showco team that worked for Paul McCartney at his recent gig in Venice, I'm sure they'd cite that gig as their worst job ever. 

    There's no reflection on McCartney or Wings, but the problems were considerable and somewhat unusual. But let's start at the beginning. Paul McCartney and Wings were invited by UNESCO to perform a live concert in the beautiful St. Mark's Square as part of their Save Venice campaign. 

    As everyone should know by now, the city is slowly sinking, and a great deal of money is needed to rescue this beautiful and historic place. So they had a week of artistic functions to raise money and wanted a pop group as the piece de resistance. 

    Mr. Leon Davisco, director of publicity for UNESCO said, "We believe that Paul McCartney's group would be just right for the occasion. Not only are they one of the top groups in the world, but they appeal to people of all ages and tastes. We thought their concert would be a fitting finale for our week."

     Paul himself said, "We were very honored to be asked, and after checking out that we could do it, we said we would be delighted."

     And so it all began. For a start, it was going to be an expensive business. There would obviously be no fee, and although UNESCO paid some of the cost, like setting up the special stage and the band's hotel bills, it would cost the McCartneys a lot too. So they did a few other European gigs on the way to defray some of the costs, which would have been incurred if it had all been done just for one gig. 

    The biggest problem to be surmounted was the fact that no merchandise transport had ever been allowed on the main island of Venice, where the square is. It's never felt so much as the weight of a car, and the band had three truckloads of gear! What's more, with all that water around, how do you get the equipment to the island in the first place? The answer was huge barges which were loaded up with trucks and then sailed to the nearest point to the square. Then the trucks were slowly unloaded, and there came an ominous cracking sound. Five of the square's 1000-year-old paving stones had cracked under the weight!  Of course, the various local dignitaries were horrified. But eventually, and very gradually, the trucks got to the side of the square. 

    The crew had arrived a week before the concert to get things ready, and they needed every minute of that time. First, they had to get a stage erected. It was specially built with a high canopy in case of rain and other safeguards against the elements and risk of electrocution. Then all the equipment for the 4000 watt custom built PA had to be assembled. And as if all the usual problems weren't enough, there was a language problem too. Someone from the Italian record company was on permanent call as an interpreter. 

    At the same time, 2000 seats had to be erected on the square. They were for the people who'd paid 15,000 lire for their tickets (roughly £10), the other members of the audience, 13,000 of them had paid 3000 lire for their tickets (£2).  But eventually, that was all done. The seven laser machines worth half a million dollars had been assembled and placed strategically in buildings around the square. In fact, people arriving on the night before the gig were treated to a run-through of the laser, which had been placed on top of the column in the center of the square, and a bright green shaft of light shone out across Venice. 

    Finally, after a week of hard work and aggravation, the concert took place. Musically, it was splendid. From the audience's point of view, it was chaos. Security, supposedly done by the Italian navy, didn't exist. No one was checking tickets, and the police estimated later that there were about 30,000 people there, not the 15,000 that was supposed to be the limit. In fact, most people would have said there were even more there than that. The audience was strangely subdued, too. Even the sensational laser show with the second encore, where the seven lasers were focused together to form the Wings butterfly logo, which twisted and turned like the real thing, didn't rouse them to much enthusiasm. 

    After the show, McCartney himself was a little subdued. "We really enjoyed doing the concert. Not only was it an honor, but what more beautiful place could there be to stage a rock concert? The audience were a bit quiet, though, weren't they?" He was also a little mystified to find that the garrulous European press, who fought to get into the press conference, were suddenly struck dumb when they saw him, and a lady from a TV show refused to do an interview because she couldn't be in the shot with him, too.

     But he did discuss with us plans to play behind the Iron Curtain. "Band on the Run's just been released in Russia, and we'd love to play there, if we were asked. And if possible. You know, you hear such strange things about the people, but I suspect they're just like us under the skin. It would be great to see them-- rocking commies."

     He admitted that the Venice show had cost him a lot, but said it was worth it. And we were told that the week had raised $50,000 for the fund, most of which had come from his gig. 

    As for future plans, Paul said, "We're currently working on the live album, which we hope to have released before Christmas. We're listening to the 90 hours of tape we've done on the World Tour and selecting the right tracks for a three-album set. Then we have Christmas off and start working on our next album. I write all the time, whether I'm on the road or at home, and there are already a few things ready for the next studio album."

     And what about concerts? "We love performing. So I guess we'll be back on the road again soon, but there'll never be another gig like Venice." A sentiment echoed by the crew who were at that moment racing to get all the equipment packed away before low tide left them stranded. 

Toasting After Roasting (1981)

 

Toasting After Roasting

No Writer Listed

Daily Mirror

February 20, 1981

    Superstar Paul McCartney plans to start a new life on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. He sunbathed in the West Indian sunshine with his wife Linda and two-year-old son, James yesterday and talked about his future. McCartney, still shaken by the New York killing of his former Beatle, John Lennon in December, said, "I don't want to end up with some crazy guy coming to Montserrat to make a target out of me and my family. I want to be on a low profile. I want to bring up my children normally, and I can't do that with all the photographers popping out of the bushes."

     McCartney clashed with two news cameramen on the island on Wednesday. Furiously, he rammed their car with his Mini Moke and shouted at them after they took his picture without permission.

     McCartney arrived on Montserrat with his family a week ago. He is staying on a private estate about 20 minutes away from a recording studio owned by Beatles producer George Martin. Another ex-Beatle, Ringo Starr, is on the island too. "Ringo is here as a guest star for a few tracks on my new album. That's all," said. McCartney. "This is definitely not a Beatles reunion. There can never be a Beatles reunion ever again."

Ringo: Not Through Yet (1971)

One thing that stands out to me about this article is that while it was published in February 1971 -- the events in the story are all from 1970 - heck Lee wasn't even born yet!  Fans had to rely on getting Beatles news from newspapers and were often several months behind in what was going on.  Say what you want about the evils of the Internet -- but we sure are now up to date on Beatles news. 

Ringo:  Not Through Yet 

By Marvin Kupfer

Newsweek Feature Service

February 19, 1971

    Ringo Starr has always been a self-effacing sort of a Beatle. While the other lads were experimenting with politics, the drug culture, multiple marriages, and the 10 notes scale, Ringo just sat back, smiling his slightly baffled smile and playing his drums. 

    Then came the group's great split. But to everyone's surprise, Ringo, who at any given time in the past would have been voted the Beatle least likely to succeed on his own, seems on his way to becoming the most successful of all. 

    Ringo has been making albums of his own in an awesome variety of styles. He has two movie "singles," and made the long, strange journey to Nashville to record Beaucoup Blues, an album entirely made up of country music. "I was a bit uptight and stiff at first," he says of the Nashville experience, "because suddenly I was like in the front, singing all those songs, you know, like the leader of the band. I'd never been there before."

     Ringo was the last of the Beatles to join the group, and to outsiders, at least, he always seemed slightly less equal than the other three. He did not compose. He rarely improvised, and he was always satisfied to sing only one song per album. "One's enough for me,: he used to say cheerfully.

     Placid was the word for Ringo. He's married to one wife. He has kids. He's not a threat. He's always been sort of small, and comfortable, and friendly, just a nice chap.

     But the Beatles have always had separate identities. John Lennon is the clever one with the Japanese wife. Paul McCartney, the creative, cute one. George Harrison, the quiet one. And Ringo, well, Ringo plays the drums.

     Now the horizons have widened out of all normal contours. His first solo album, the newly released Sentimental Journey, may be even more off the Beatle beat than the country item. It is a schmaltzy melody of old standards ("Stardust", "Bye Bye Blackbird") which he says "Me Mum and Dad and aunties used to sing."

     He made the album for his father, who, according to Ringo, "was once the best singer in our house," until a throat operation diminished his voice. "I thought it would be nice if I did it for him and for me as well. And if anyone else likes it, well, that's okay too."

Ringo lives 15 minutes (by his six door chauffeur driven Mercedes) from London. His large red brick Tudor-style house contains four television sets, two children, his wife, and a third baby, due for release in November. He is, incredibly enough. 30, now, his hair is cut shorter. He even wears a necktie on occasions. 

    Friends say that he prefers to be known at least privately as Richie. (Richard Starkey is his real name.) "I've always been two people," he says. "Ringo, they can have. Richie stays at home. When I get into the house, it's Daddy and Richie, and that's how I like it."

     But the Beatles ties are still not completely broken. The boys were together in a movie, Let it Be, though none of them bothered to attend its London opening, and they see one another frequently, though in threes, never all four together, due to the hard feelings between John and Paul.

     Only Ringo is presently active. Paul is holed up on his farm in Scotland. George is in London, and John is in Los Angeles, reportedly seeing Dr. Arthur Janov, the controversial psychologist and author of The Primal Scream, a book which elaborates on the ego-crushing methods allegedly so beneficial to the doctor's patients.
 

The Fabulous Beatles

 

Ringo means apple

Photograph of a Japan train station advertisement of Ringo and apple juice

Screenshot from the Apple juice commercial

Screenshot from Ringo's apple juice commercial

"Ringo was not too keen on doing the advert until the £500,000 price tag was attached.  It was easy work."  - Ah So! Hollywood gossip writer after former Beatle, Ringo Starr, finally found the yen to speak just one line in a TV plug for natural juice in front of a fake Mount Fuji -- in Japanese.

 

Taking his friends to court

 February 19, 1971

Sweet Sweet Connie

 

Ringo with famous groupie "Sweet Connie" during the 1989 All- Starr tour,  Connie had been friends with Joe Walsh, who was also on this tour for a long time, so I would guess that is why she was invited and had this photo taken.