We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Ringo Starr, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more facts about the drummer for The Beatles below! You might be surprised by what you learn.
Number Eight: He Once Played a Wizard in a Movie. In the musical-cum-comedy Son of Dracula, Ringo has quite the role. He plays Merlin the wizard. Of his role, he has said, “It’s not the greatest movie in the world, but I’ve seen worse.”
Number Seven: He Is the Only Beatle Not to Be Inducted for His Solo Career. Though every other Beatle has been inducted into the Rock Roll Hall of Fame for their subsequent solo careers, Ringo has not. It’s unclear how he feels about this.
Number Six: He Wasn’t Always Ringo Starr. Ringo Starr was actually born Richard Starkey. He began calling himself Ringo because of all of the rings he liked to wear. The second part of his new name, “Starr,” originated from his time playing with the band Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, where he had a featured slot titled “Starr time.”
Number Five: He Had a “Step Ladder.” When Ringo’s mother remarried, she married a decorator and painter named Harry Graves. Rather than call him his step-father, Ringo called him his step ladder.
Number Four: He Almost Died as a Child. When Ringo was just six years old, he fell into a coma for two months after having an inflamed appendix. He woke up, but he had to stay in the hospital for several months after that.
Number Three: He Starred Alongside Mae West. The 1978 film Sextette starring Mae West also features Ringo. He played a director named Laslo Karolny in the film.
Number Two: He Earned 500,000 Pounds for One Sentence. In 1996, Ringo made quick 500,000 pounds as part of a Japanese commercial. He had to say one sentence, and the commercial was for natural juice.
Number One: His Family Is Talented, Too. Ringo’s son is named Zak, and he plays the drums. In fact, Zak is so talented that he even played drums with The Who during the halftime show for Super Bowl XLIV.