An Open Letter To RINGO STARR...

It Don't Come Easy, You Know It Don't Come Easy...

Ringo Starr, drummer for the Beatles All Those Years Ago, has told the public he doesn't want to sign things anymore, so Don't Send Him Stuff. A video of him is circulating around the web, in which he's Royally Pissed Off, bawling out his fans, telling them to basically "*&#$ off". And this is what I would want Ringo to know...

Ringo, I've loved the Beatles' music forever. And, your solo albums are pretty good, too. You're the inspiration for countless musicians; when I play drums, I hear 'drum fills' you've done in my head as I play. I thought you did an impeccable job of backing the Beatles, and you've carried that flair over to records you've done, whether they be Solo Albums of Yours, or on which you backed up the other Solo Beatles, or other artists in general.

I'm a fan. I'm a good fan. A Damned Good One. I never clamored for autographs, I never sent you things in the mail, I never wanted a Piece Of You. I didn't passionately want the Beatles to Reunite; I figured the Beatles collectively went as far as they could go. All I ever did was play Beatles records, as well as other records you drummed on. I was content to let the Beatles' music become the soundtrack to my own life. After all, had the Beatles not come along, perhaps the music of the '60s, which I grew up in, would have been radically different.

I see the Beatles' legacy as the Sowing of Musical Seeds, which other groups either specialized in or developed further. As a result, because of the Beatles, I grew to love all the other bands, too, whether it be the Byrds, Paul Revere and The Raiders, the Dave Clark Five, the Lovin' Spoonful and countless other myriad bands that came on down the line. I loved 'em all. I have to give the Beatles the Ultimate Credit for Starting It All, for creating a climate where dozens of bands who actually played their own instruments and wrote their own songs, charmed and fascinated thousands upon millions of music lovers such as I.

I am offended at the tone you took with your Fandom, sounding royally pissed off that Fans Actually Remember You. For every single fan you've signed something for, there are hundreds of us who Loved The Music, and that's All We Wanted. So in a way, I feel you are scolding ME for something I didn't do. Is THIS the thanks I get for being a devoted fan for so long? Is it WRONG to be a fan? Would the Beatles have existed WITHOUT fans?

I've read the Beatles' story in various pictorials and histories; I know you guys had a hard time dealing with the imprisoning fame that the Beatles (and later, others) generated; it had to be very difficult for you all, and I suppose that, in a way, you have a right to Hate The Fans. Were I in your position, after touring for years and getting mauled by Audiences who loved You Guys, I might be cynical towards fans, as well.

But I am disappointed, a little bit hurt, and taken aback that you expressed yourself as you did in this video. I guess, even though someone such as yourself is endlessly appreciated for the music you helped create, in the end, All Us Human Beings, whether famous or not, are nothing more than Imperfect Creatures Stumbling In The Dark, making mistakes and (hopefully) learning from them. I'll play your music when inspiration strikes, but I'll never see The Beatles in the Same Light Again.

If indeed the Camera caught you in a weak moment, when you forcefully told us fans to Take A Hike, this must be how you REALLY feel, because what you said wasn't gilded with all kinds of politically-correct-sounding phraseology; oh no, you came right out and said it...'Fans, get lost, I don't want you anymore, I don't need you, and oh, by the way, Peace And Love'. So, Ringo, I'm disappointed. Really disappointed.

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The Beatles' Legacy is fast becoming a Remote Thing Of The Past. Sometimes I wonder, I honestly do, why I collect the records, why I've spent so much money in the acquisition of Beatles' collectables. And then I remember how important they were to me; how fulfilled I was by their music, and I'm so thankful they came along when they did, not only for their own music, but by the countless other musicians they inspired. But in the end, we're all human. Painfully human. Oh well...