RINGO STARR: A LIFE

Replacing Pete Best on drums just as The Beatles were set to record Love Me Do, Ringo Starr became not only the luckiest man in pop music, but also the epitome of the rock and roll lifestyle: fame, fortune, glamorous women, plum film roles, and one-name recognition. After the group''s 1970 breakup, only the genial, even-tempered Ringo remained on good terms with all of his feuding ex-mates. But behind the sunglasses and the quips lies another story: a hardscrabble childhood in Liverpool, frequent bouts of poor health, lack of education, and a long battle with alcoholism. Alan Clayson''s biography traces Starr''s entire life and career, from his early days with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes through the tumultuous Fab Four years and to his wildly successful stint as an actor and solo artist. This biography remains the definitive account of the man who anchored the Mersey Sound.