Paul McCartney Revealed The Beatles Once Performed Under 'Showbiz Names,' 'I Became
In an era when rockstars who had exciting and intimidating names began to emerge, The Beatles kept their real names, except Ringo Starr. Before Starr joined the band, The Beatles temporarily went under different names, with Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison creating their own “showbiz names.”Ringo Starr joined The Beatles in 1962, becoming the band’s permanent drummer. Starr, born Richard Starkey, was the only band member who used a stage name. The nickname came from the drummer wearing many rings, and it began to stick. In a 1992 interview with Club Sandwich, McCartney said Ringo had previously established himself with the name at Butlin’s Holiday Camp, where several other stars started out. “Ringo was the only one who stayed with a stage name, Ringo Starr because he’d been to Butlin’s holiday camp,” McCartney explained. “This was the big difference between Ringo and us – it actually made a difference in a man’s life, in those days, whether or not you’d been to Butlin’s. And this was actually a true claim to fame: having done a complete season at Butlin’s, he was the consummate pro.”
Source: Ross Tanenbaum/cheatsheet.com
