Former Beatle, 84, Reveals the Surprising Origins of His Catchphrase
He's known for this three-word mantra.
When the average person hears the name Ringo Starr, a few things might come to mind: The Beatles. Drums. "Yellow Submarine." Thomas and Friends. And, of course, there's always the musician's iconic catchphrase: "Peace and love."
It's long been assumed by many that Starr, 84, came up with his motto after visiting India with the other Beatles — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison — in 1968. But as he recently told the Associated Press, Starr was actually inspired to coin the phrase after spending time in a particular American city.
“It actually came, for me, from San Francisco, where the hippies were,” Starr said. “They were, of course, great peace and lovers, and then it changed. But I found a picture the other day of the four of us [giving the peace sign]...I didn’t invent it, I just picked it up. Johnwas a big proponent of peace and love, and it just came to me.”
In the years since, however, Starr has come to appreciate the true value of his message, which the world might need to hear now more than ever.
“I think it’s important every day — and right now the world is going through a madness. Maybe it’ll help,” Starr said.
Later in the same interview, the drummer admitted that he's naturally “an optimist, not a pessimist," referencing the challenges of his early life (which included contracting tuberculosis and spending two years in a sanatorium, where he learned to play the drums).
Source: parade.com/Jacqueline Burt Cote
