Does Anybody Else Find Ringo Comforting?

I mean, just seeing him do a promo clip on YouTube or something, knowing he's around, knowing he's Ringo...

It's like seeing a family member... a favorite uncle or something. Always makes me smile. I'm awfully glad he's still with us, and doing well.

Anybody else feel the same?

 

I felt that way about Lou Reed

 

Favorite uncle hanging out around the rest room of a bar in the West Village... uhm...

Nice to see how Ringo turned out ... he's got a look.. he's always cool... he's keeping himself up and busy. Though he doesn't seem to have much to TELL us to comfort us.. but it's nice that he's ok and still with us.

 

lol no

 

Charlie Watts is comforting, though

 

I do feel the same about Keith Richards on those terms. It would be a far lesser world without him.......

 

Yes, I do. I told this story in another part of the forum recently. When I visited Liverpool earlier this year, we got on one of those touristy Beatles bus tours. First leg of the journey took us to Ringo's old neighborhood, where among boyhood homes and schools we saw the Empress Pub, the building on the cover of Sentimental Journey. Unexpectedly, this was one of the most moving parts of the trip for me. The tour guide told us Ringo and his family, friends and neighbors were often at the Empress, singing songs together, while Ringo was growing up. And I very much like Ringo's interview segments on the Anthology DVDs. They are genuine, heartfelt and funny. I always find Ringo's humanity comforting and his playing very reassuring. God bless Ringo.

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Wasn't it Ringo himself analysing in some documentary, that the biggest trick of the Beatles was to make the people feel like they knew them personally?

 

I feel exactly the same, and I've often thought the same thing. Ringo's always been there, lightening things and always with a joke or something. He's always made the TV talk show rounds throughout my life, always a good time. In some certain ways I'm gonna miss him more than the other three when he's gone.

 

Some of it in the beginning was calculated, but by the end of the 60s, John couldn't wait to tell us allll about himself, George was only too happy to tell us about his spirituality, and Paul was very VERY visible as a family man. I don't think we thought we knew him per se, but we could definitely have identified his wife or kids if we passed them in the park.

Ironically, Ringo was the one who stayed quietest about his personal life.

There's another recent thread here talking about how prickly Ringo can be, and I think this comforting nature is part of the reason why. I DO feel comforted by him, and I think that a lot of people want to hug him, like a favorite uncle, or even as a teddy bear, that thing that has comforted us since we were children. It's why he doesn't hug or shake hands with the public anymore, but will bump elbows. He has to keep people at a little bit of distance. Just to keep from having a cold or the flu all year round if nothing else.

Paul is both more inclined to be cuddly in real life, more comfortable with adulation (which I don't mean as a criticism; just the nature of the difference between Paul's and Ringo's relationships to fame) and more protected from fans and fame because he doesn't travel "among us" the way that Ringo does.

So yeah, I love the guy, but I understand why his relationship to us is different than our relationship to him.

 

He does not feel sorry for Pete Best. THAT makes me uncomfortable.
Maybe there is a valid reason. If anyone knows why he said that, please let me know.

Pete was the sexiest one of the group but boy was he dumped on. Karma says he will probably be the last one to go.

 

I don't think it's a trick, I think it's a natural byproduct of the great music they made permeating our souls. You listen to the albums enough times, you can't help but feel you know the guys. And in a way, you do. They tell us things through their music that could never be communicated in an interview.

 

Wel in fairness, Ringo probably had the least to do with that decision.

 

I know exactly what you mean. I've never seen Ringo live and I plan to do just that when he comes to New England in October. If I don't go this time, I may never get another chance.

 

Got my tickets for the Boston show!

I have never seen an "All-Starr" show I didn't like and I don't expect this one to be different.

 

Ringo was the only one of the band I never met, or spoke to at the time, yet he came from the same part as I did. Always felt I would have some sort of affinity with him. Still do.

 

"With peace and love, WITH PEACE AND LOVE!"

 

Of course. Same for Macca.

Though I haven't bought anything by either of them since Ringo's Xmas album, I'll admit to feeling a little warm & fuzzy whenever I catch them on TV.

Given their ages (75 & 73), we're lucky that they're still active & apparently healthy — and so are they!

 

Bill Ward kind of does it for me too.

 

No.

 

I like the fact that Ringo, being the oldest of the Beatles, is alive and kicking, in shape, sober, still happily touring and playing the drums.

 

I can't believe that thread title - in a good way. I'll try to explain why I do feel precisely that way. As we all know, you can't copyright a style of playing - if you could, Ringo might be even richer. He worked with difficult people under great pressure, yet still seems to have a sense of humour. I suppose some will say he was working at a different (lower) creative level, but I would disagree. I'm a long time drummer who knows how hard it is to play the right style - and in the studio? Where you have to get it right? With the drums, you have to play something that fits each song, which is hard. The Beatles styles changed - who knew that Ringo was going to be able to keep up and change with them? No one. Imagine being the guy - sitting there in Abbey Road Studio Two, waiting to hear the new tunes, figuring out what you're going to play (if not told what to play sometimes, sadly as it seems). I get the same feeling from Ringo the person as I do from his playing - there seems to be contentment and evidence of a person who's seen a lot and who knows what he created, but who is OK with it, with the added advantage to mental health of not trying to prove himself and stay relevant. He was the BEAT in the BEATLES. Wow. In some ways I'm jealous as I would love to have experienced some of what he did, but when I think of showbiz BS, egos, other's opinions of you etc. I'm glad all I have to do is listen, appreciate and learn.

 

Thats what I think/feel when I get up every day and look in the mirror. Bugger Ringo...God love him.

 

Of course.

 

I find Ringo comforting in a Mr. Rogers kind of way.