George was really on my mind then.” In a 2003 interview, Starr said that following The Beatles breaking up, he had remained closest friends with George and that for him the song perfectly summed up “how I miss him in my heart and in music”.
Unlike the other relationships in The Beatles, George Harrison and Ringo Starr always kept a strong bond. From the earliest days of Starr's tenure to well beyond the final notes they ever played together in the band, Harrison and Starr shared a fondness for each other.
Eric Clapton was Harrison's closest friend, but he had actively pursued Pattie Boyd romantically while she was married to Harrison. He wrote “Layla” in 1970 with Derek and the Dominos about his painful desire for the famous model.
Harrison and Lennon were possibly the closest friends in the group at the time — and following the band's breakup with the guitarist notoriously featuring Lennon's famed Paul McCartney attack song — but their relationship was dramatically withering.
More often than not, Harrison was concerned with spirituality and internal struggles, but on this track, he chose to put his feelings on the canvas and aim directly at McCartney. Luckily, the two became close friends again before Harrison's tragic death in 2001.
According to Boyd, the root of the problem was between Harrison and McCartney. “George saw Paul as difficult. They would tolerate each other, but I think George basically didn't like Paul's personality. I just think they really didn't love each other.”
Arguably though, Harrison and McCartney fell out more than any other members, and their differences seem harder to reconcile. It would be a stumbling block for any potential reunions. In 1973, the dust had settled a little and the Beatles all seemed to have relaxed into their new roles as solo artists.
One of Starr's longest standing friendships is with his fellow Beatles bandmate, Paul McCartney. "Paul called me the other day … We're close, close friends. We're brothers and you know, for me it was great because I'm an only child and suddenly I had three brothers that I could love, I could rely on, I could help out.
The two have said over the years that they stay in touch and Starr told Jimmy Kimmel in 2021 that they FaceTime "regularly." “I was just in England and we actually saw each other physically,” Starr said at the time, adding that they'd gone to dinner with their wives and George Harrison's widow, Olivia.
Jimmy Tarbuck, the Liverpudlian comedian – who was a schoolmate of John Lennon's – was referred to jokingly as the Fifth Beatle, as he became famous at around the same time, emulated their hairstyle and clothes, and had the same type of accent.
He was very ill. He could only lay down. And while he was being ill and I had come to see him, I was going to Boston 'cos my daughter had a brain tumour.” “I said, 'I got to go to Boston' and he goes,” says Ringo pausing for breath as the memory takes over him, “It was the last words I heard him say actually.
Pete Shotton, known in Beatles lore as John Lennon's best friend during their childhood days in Liverpool and a member of Quarrymen, has passed away.
Although their intimate conversations remained private, Paul's wife Linda McCartney once revealed John Lennon's last words to his former band mate. As Ultimate Classic Rock reveal, they were: “Think about me every now and then, old friend.”
A memorial service was held at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London with friends and family in attendance, including George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Billy Joel, Elton John, David Gilmour and Peter Gabriel, among a congregation of 700.
Unlike John Lennon, who used his status to establish himself as a countercultural preacher-for-peace, George regarded fame as innately destructive. It is perhaps for this reason that he once said he stopped enjoying being in The Beatles when they became famous. Sure, it made them rich, but it also made them complacent.
Very simply, the Beatles' producer George Martin, who according to Time , just didn't like Ringo's sound. And since “Love Me Do” was the band's first single, to get the sound he wanted, Martin went with studio drummer, Andy White.
In the ranking of least favorite band members, McCartney (21%) and Starr (18%) are a distant second and third to Lennon, while George Harrison is the least favorite of only 12%.
“I never felt too bad about Paul,” Ono, the widow of McCartney's Beatles companion John Lennon, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “He was my husband's partner and they did a great job and all that. They seemed to have a lot of fun, and I respected that.”
The former Beatles bandmates have remained great friends over the years and Sir Paul even makes an appearance on Ringo's new album 'Give More Love' but the iconic duo don't get to spend a lot of time together these days. Asked about the experience of working with Sir Paul, Ringo shared: "He's an incredible musician.
One of Starr's longest standing friendships is with his fellow Beatles bandmate, Paul McCartney. “Paul called me the other day … We're close, close friends. We're brothers and you know, for me it was great because I'm an only child and suddenly I had three brothers that I could love, I could rely on, I could help out.
According to those present, his final words were: “Everything else can wait, but the search for God cannot wait, and love one another.”
“I said, 'shall we go and have dinner before we go home?' ” Ono recalled. “And John said, 'No, let's go home because I want to see Sean before he goes to sleep. '”
George left because Paul and he were having a heated discussion. They weren't getting on that day and George decided to leave, but he didn't tell John or me or Paul.
As ever Paul was calm, collected and sincere in his approach, describing the news as “very sad.” He went on to say “[I am devastated] I've known he's been ill for a long time,” before adding, “I've spoken to Olivia [Harrison] and she has been very strong, and I'd ask people to be kind to her.”
Even after all the drama and heart break, George Harrison and Eric Clapton remained friends, and continued to play music together. Collaborations: Harrison and Clapton had a close friendship, they did many collaborations together during their lives.