Ringo Starr’s Childhood Idol Inspired Him To Be A Rockstar

Ringo Starr’s Childhood Idol Inspired Him To Be A Rockstar | I Love Classic Rock Videos

via Team Coco / YouTube

Even with his legendary status in music, Ringo Starr still loves to share his humble beginnings that pave the way to where he is now. Like the rest of us, he’s had idols to look up to, the ones that inspired him to rise to the challenge.

Starr, a child of postwar Liverpool, had to make do with whatever scraps of musical opportunity he could find in order to be near his favorite thing: music. Before Starr had enough money to buy albums, he would often travel to the movies on Merseyside to enjoy musical performances.

When asked by NME what his first favorite song was, Starr recalled that it was “South Of The Border,” the official music to the picture of the same name from 1939, which he remembers seeing on tape at a cinema. And his favorite artist? Gene Autry, who sang the tune.

“They used to play it on Saturday morning at the pictures in Liverpool,” Starr said. “Which was a big deal for kids in those days. I remember it like yesterday, him singing that, and it just feeling good. It moved me.”

He unashamedly admitted that if you’d visit inside Starr’s old bedroom, you would see Autry’s posters everywhere. “He was my first musical influence,” the drummer added. Unlike his former bandmates whose idols were far more traditional and predictable, Starr remains fascinated with his first idol, the one who encouraged him to pursue a musical path.