What Ringo Starr Thought the Public Got Wrong About John Lennon: “He Was the Only One”

All four of The Beatles had fairly different dispositions: Paul McCartney was the kind one, George Harrison was the quiet one, Ringo Starr was the funny one, and John Lennon was the snarky one. Those adjectives, of course, primarily pertain to their public personas and how the masses viewed them. Evidently, these personalities attached to members didn’t capture the whole story of who these iconic musicians were and are, especially John Lennon.

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John Lennon was always the most rebellious and unwelcoming member of the group. Well, he was in the public eye at least, as his wit always bled through, and he answered every question and attended every appearance with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Consequently, fans, critics, and people outside of The Beatles viewed him in a somewhat disagreeable light. However, according to Ringo Starr, they were so, so wrong.

The John Lennon the Public Didn’t See

Every celebrity tends to receive a perceived personality that doesn’t capture who they actually are as a person outside of the public eye. That being said, the only people who truly know the person in full are the people who spend extensive time with them behind the scenes and off the cameras. And in this instance, that person is Ringo Starr. The drummer thought the public misjudged his good friend, John Lennon, because of his sharp tongue and bright mind.

Regarding what people got wrong about Lennon, Starr told Rolling Stone in 1981, “Because he had this rapier wit, they said he was nasty and things like that. But John was the kindest person I ever knew. He was the only one of the four of us who would give his soul. The three of us would hesitate, but John would give you anything without hesitation. And I loved the man dearly. We were friends all the time,” added Starr.

The Beatles’ story is often viewed through the lens of their tempestuous downfall. But what a lot of people seemed to forget, or at least remember infrequently, is the great friends these four lads were. Sure, they had their ups and downs, but what group of friends doesn’t?

Starr’s comments pull back the curtain on the public narrative crafted around the group and prove that these four men from Liverpool ruled the world of music not as co-workers or popular puppets, but as near and dear friends who, at the end of the day, would seemingly do anything for each other.

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