John Lennon Was ‘At His Most Relaxed With Ringo,’ According to Cynthia Lennon

John Lennon had a unique relationship with each of the Beatles members, as noted in the memoir John. That includes Ringo Starr who, according to Cynthia Lennon, often had the songwriter “in stitches with his jokes.”

John Lennon appeared as a songwriter and founding member of the Beatles

With Ringo Starr added as the final member of the Beatles, this band became the source of Beatlemania. John Lennon was even writing music before that, as part of the Quarrymen. Around the same time, he began a relationship with classmate Cynthia Lennon (then Cynthia Powell). 

Cynthia Lennon described John Lennon’s relationship with each of the Beatles

In her memoir John, Cynthia Lennon described her life adjacent to the Beatles. That includes her perspective on the band’s friendships.

“John’s relationship with each of the other Beatles was different,” Lennon wrote. “He was at his most relaxed with Ringo, who often had him in stitches with his jokes. He treated George with the mix of fondness and disdain as he might have shown a younger brother.”

The age difference was particularly noticeable when Harrison made music with Lennon and McCartney for the Quarrymen. He was a teenager when he first met Cynthia Lennon, with the celebrity describing him as a “kid who tagged along.”

“He was closest of all to Paul, but their relationship was more complex,” she added. 

Before officially becoming the Beatles, Lennon and McCartney wrote music as a duo. They decided always to credit one another with originals for the group. Since then, the two are known as the masterminds behind “Love Me Do,” “Hey Jude,” and other hits.

Other Beatles commended Ringo Starr for his good nature. McCartney called the drummer a “bloody pro” for always being punctual. 

Were John Lennon and Ringo Starr friends?

Each of the Beatles shared a close friendship, even after disbanding. Lennon and Ringo Starr often spoke fondly of one another — and it was Ringo Starr who told Cynthia Lennon about John’s murder in 1980.

“I was staying at the Plaza; we went over to New York for a while. I hadn’t seen him for a while because, you know, we see each other wherever we are. And he came over with Yoko for an hour. And we had such a great time, cause they stayed five hours,” he explained during an interview with Barbara Walters (via Far Out Magazine). 

“It didn’t matter that it was a year between we didn’t see each other, it was always fine when we did – but it was a particularly great time that we, that I had, anyway,” he added. 

Ringo Starr released music as a solo artist, following his appearance with the Beatles. He even formed the supergroup Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, with music available on most major streaming platforms. 

UPDATE: A previous version of the article credited John Lennon and Paul McCartney as the songwriters behind “Twist and Shout.”