Thursday 11 February, 2010

Arts
UK

Photograph of The Beatles as they arrive in New York City in 1964

By Dan Wooding

Ex-Beatle Ringo Starr has turned to God, it has been revealed.

The former drummer with the biggest band of all has announced that, at nearly 70, he has found a way back to the God of his youth.

It turns out that, as a child, he attended an evangelical Anglican church in Liverpool.

During an interview at a recent event at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, Ringo was reported to have said that he had “found God” after taking a long and winding road to this change in his life.

Ben Todd, writing in the Daily Mail, said that the Liverpool-born megastar admitted he lost his way when he was younger, both as a Beatle experimenting with marijuana and LSD and afterwards when he suffered alcohol and cocaine problems in the late 1970s.

“But the musician, who has since become teetotal and quit his 60-a-day cigarette habit, says that religion now plays an important role in his life,” said Todd.

As Ringo put it in his own words, “I feel the older I get, the more I’m learning to handle life. Being on this quest for a long time, it’s all about finding yourself.

“For me, God is in my life. I don’t hide from that. I think the search has been on since the 1960s.

“I stepped off the path there for many years and found my way back onto it, thank God.”

Now British writer and poet Steve Turner, author of The Gospel According to the Beatles, has said that at the time of writing his book, “Ringo had an album with a track called ‘Oh My Lord’ on it which was very gospelly sounding and didn’t refer to Krishna.”

Turner added: “He’s certainly changed from the old days when he didn’t care about religion at all – not even much for TM (Transcendental Meditation). If you remember, he was first out of the meditation camp.

“As a child he attended an Anglican church near his home which had an evangelical tradition, but only because they had nice toys at Sunday School and you got paid to sing in the choir!

“Of course I hope that he has had a true conversion but I always fear that it’s just another love-peace-togetherness and a-higher-power kind of thing. I think I sent him a copy of my book when it was published but I might now send it again.”

Ringo was due to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this week, and his many Christian fans trust that his new life with God continues and grows into a deep, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Lifebite editor Charles Gardner adds: “As a lifelong Beatles fan, this is great news. The Beatles always seemed to be searching for spiritual paths, but too often followed the wrong signposts.

“I remember singing Help! at a gospel outreach meeting in London’s West End in the early 70s at it expressed so well man’s need for help outside of himself.

“Jesus is always there for you!”

_{Former Fleet Street journalist Dan Wooding is founder of the ASSIST News Service.}

Photo: Public Domain