George Harrison Made 1 Decision to Help Ringo Starr That Proved They Had a Close Relationship
Ringo Starr has always possessed the kind of personality that allows him to make friends easily. Need proof? He had an intimate relationship with a drummer who wanted to replace him in The Beatles. Even though he was the final member to join the band, he formed tight bonds with his bandmates. That includes George Harrison, who made one decision that proved he and Ringo had a close relationship.
Ringo Starr and George Harrison forged a solid friendship early on
When The Beatles replaced Pete Best on drums — whether because he wasn’t a personality fit or a good enough drummer — they couldn’t have done much better than Ringo. He had a reputation as the best drummer in Liverpool. George praised his skills in a letter to a friend before he even knew Ringo’s name.
When the Fab Four left Liverpool for London, Ringo and George roomed together for a time. That living situation mirrored their standing in the band. Ringo and George were often separate from John Lennon and Paul McCartney, wrote many of The Beatles’ songs together without their bandmates’ input.
George wrote or helped write some of Ringo’s biggest solo hits, including “Photograph,” his first Billboard No. 1 single. Ringo needed George’s help to make him sound like a genius on another hit song he wrote.
Sharing songwriting duties wasn’t the only time the quiet Beatle came through for his friend. George made one move that proved his relationship with Ringo remained solid years after they first met.
The George decision that proved he and Ringo had a close relationship
Ringo’s solo songs got a little help from his friend George. The guitarist assisted the drummer with another passion project in 1978.
The Ringo TV special saw Starr play a fictionalized version of himself and the character’s doppelganger, Ognir Rrats. The show included several guest stars (Carrie Fisher and John Ritter among them), but George played a key part by narrating the whole thing.
Ringo revealed George showed up despite injuring himself on a Hawaiian mountain a few days before the special aired, writes Michael Set Starr (no relation) in With a Little Help:
“He’d fallen on his face, but he still came because that was what he was like.”
Ringo Starr
George took a tumble on the mountain, but it seems he never considered leaving his friend in the lurch. George’s mock press conference opens the special. Though it’s evident he was more comfortable behind a recording console than in front of the camera, he dutifully showed up to support Ringo, proving their close relationship could withstand mountain climbing injuries, an all-but-forgotten TV special, and an uncomfortable revelation a few years earlier.
The Beatles’ drummer and guitarist remained close over the years
Ringo formed friendships with all of his Beatle bandmates. (It’s almost impossible not to when you spend nearly every waking moment together for eight years). Ringo’s relationship with George survived at least one tough moment.
George had an affair with Ringo’s wife, which was one of the reasons the drummer and his spouse divorced. Despite that uncomfortable revelation, the drummer and guitarist continued collaborating on songs throughout the 1970s.
Ringo made sure to visit George as he battled the cancer that killed him. The drummer said the last words his friend spoke to him were incredible. A bedridden George offered to come with Ringo as he departed for the United States to be with his sick daughter.
George Harrison proved he had a close relationship with Ringo Starr by narrating the drummer’s TV special. It wasn’t the first or last time their actions helped define their friendship.
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