Ringo Starr is a legendary drummer and a talented songster — but how do his parenting skills measure up? And how has his fame impacted his family life?
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00:00Ringo Starr is a legendary drummer and a talented songster, but how do his parenting skills
00:06measure up? And how has his fame impacted his family life?
00:10The most famous Beatles children are arguably those of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who
00:15have gone on to make big waves in the worlds of music and fashion. But all of the Fab Four
00:21became fathers during their heyday. In total, 11 people can say their parents were Beatles.
00:28Some of these people have sought fame, while others have tried to keep a low profile, despite
00:33having been born to some of the most celebrated musicians of all time.
00:37Ringo Starr has three biological children, two sons and a daughter named Zack, Jason,
00:43and Lee, who are children from his first marriage to ex-Liverpool hairdresser Maureen. That marriage
00:49ended in 1975, reportedly as a result of Ringo's extramarital affairs and alcoholism. Though
00:56he has stayed in contact with the three children in the years since.
01:00The most famous of Ringo Starr's children is his oldest son, Zack, who was born in London
01:05on September 13, 1965, at the height of the Beatles' fame. At the time, the Fab Four were
01:12still a live act, touring major venues for the enjoyment of thousands of delirious fans.
01:18Nevertheless, the band's drummer made an effort to spend as much time as possible with his
01:22infant son. He and Maureen reportedly chose the name Zack because Ringo had a dislike
01:28of names that can be shortened.
01:30While Ringo has long been considered one of rock music's nice guys, Zack spent much of
01:35his youth with one of the industry's most notable bad boys, The Who drummer Keith Moon.
01:41For his part, Ringo himself only ever gave Zack one drumming lesson, as he apparently
01:46would have preferred he be taught piano instead. Nevertheless, Zack grew up to become a famous
01:51drummer in his own right, beginning in a garage band called The Next, which later became Monopacific.
01:58He hit the big time later in life as drummer for both The Who and Oasis.
02:03Keith Moon was Uncle Keith to him, and so, you know, he felt he should have been in the
02:09band ten years earlier, actually.
02:12Ringo Starr's second son arrived on August 19, 1967. Like Ringo and Zack, Jason has forged
02:18a career in music, becoming the third drummer in the family's history.
02:24Jason and Zack have even collaborated musically, forming a group called Musty Jack Sponge and
02:29the Exploding Nudists. He has also held several other jobs within the music industry, but
02:34claims to have found having a famous father more of a chore than a benefit.
02:39Jason has endured a few run-ins with the law over the years, including a fine for theft
02:44as well as some charges related to drug crime. He eventually settled down, fathering his
02:50first child in 1999. In 2010, he tied the knot with longtime companion Flora and they
02:56had their last child in 2011, bringing the grand total to four sons.
03:02Despite having one of the world's most famous musicians for a father, he now tends to keep
03:06a relatively low profile.
03:09Ringo Starr's only biological daughter, Leigh Starkey, was born on November 11, 1970, the
03:15year the Beatles officially disbanded. Her biggest brush with outright fame occurred
03:21in the early 1990s, when she starred in a commercial for Oldsmobile alongside her father.
03:26She also provided the voiceover for the ad.
03:29But Leigh has embarked upon numerous projects of her own. That same decade, Leigh was featured
03:36on an MSNBC segment focusing on the resurgence of interest in 60s fashion. Leigh was central
03:42to the revival, having opened a boutique that began in London's fashionable Portobello
03:46Road before relocating to Los Angeles.
03:50In addition to his three biological children, Ringo also has two non-biological children
03:55in his life, Francesca and Gianni Gregorini, stepchildren from his second marriage to Barbara
04:02Ringo met Bach on the set of the movie Caveman in 1980. They married in 1981 and have stayed
04:08together ever since.
04:10Francesca went on to make a name for herself as an accomplished film director. She helmed
04:15Emmanuel and the Truth About Fishes, The Dropout, and several episodes of Killing Eve. Meanwhile,
04:22Gianni decided to follow in the footsteps of his biological father, Augusto, becoming
04:27a successful businessman.