Former Beatle Ringo Starr will no longer sign memorabilia for fans and will throw away all fan mail he receives in the future, he has said.



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I'm glad i was never a fan of his, cos if i was, i'd be pretty outraged if someone i idolised and admired had no time for me.

Well, there's a question waiting to be asked - why should a celebrity give anyone the time of day just because s/he admires or idolises them - or, rather, a rather a media represenation of them? Especially when they're not being whoever they are, doing whatever it is they do, but at home?

Regarding the story, though, it's a bit sad that he feels like that, but perhaps understandable: he was the voice of Thomas the Tank engine for so long that maybe he feels trapped by his past. Or maybe (at 68) he's finding it difficult to do justice to the fan mail he apparently still receives if he's busy doing other things.

I think Ringo could have quite easily managed to avoid all his fan mail by better means than going public and spouting off about it. He just looks like a miserable old git.

He was part of arguably the biggest band in the world in the last 50 years, does he honestly believe that such adulation and worship will just fade away?

Because they've helped him get to where he is today?

That doesn't imply an obligation on his part to answer letters etc. in his private time.

In the case of Ringo, the celebrity persona is only a day job, and only then off of the back of what he really does do - music.

During other times, when he's not being the former Beatle, or whatever it is he does these days, you could say it's unreasonable for people to expect that he should answer post directed to him as that persona, out of hours, as it were.

I'm not too sure that there are many celebrities who do actually reply to letters they get from fans (rather than a secretary), but simply idolising them doesn't seem to me imply any obligation on their part to do anything.

Come on, you're being pedantic. He doesnt have to, but people do out of courtesy for those who have bought his records and whatever else. To be honest, i didnt think anyone really could expect things to be signed if you send things to celebrities, but it sounds like they do. It would have been less rude to have just stopped answering his mail instead of doing what he's done

Of course - I don't think Ringo Starr has handled it the right way at all, and telling fans he'll throw away mail from them is just wrong.

And you're right the celebrities may out of courtesy sign things sent to them, or whatever. But that's precisely the point: it's only a courtesy.

After 40 years off it, i,ll let him have a rest!

40 years is a long time

Sorry ! I have got to disagree here. I have met and played on several stages with Ringo and he is the most foul mouthed lout you could meet. In my opinion he has no talent and used Liverpool 08, Capital of Culture as a launching pad for another of his tuneless songs.
His son Zak is quite the opposite and has charm. I had never heard this before but I'm sure you all have ? According to Zak, John Lennon was asked if Ringo was the best drummer in the world ?

John replied, "He's not even the best drummer in the group."

Any mate of keith moon is ok by me.