Ringo Starr was born Richard Starkey on July 7, 1940, in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, to Elsie Gleave and Richard Starkey. By the time he turned four, the family had moved to another neighborhood. His parents separated and got divorced in a year
Following his parents’ divorce, his mother took up a number of jobs to make ends meet. Tragedy struck when young Starkey, aged six, developed appendicitis and slipped into a coma for three days. He recovered completely only after a year.
After his discharge from the hospital in 1948, his mother did not allow him to go to school. Till the age of eight, Starkey was unschooled. As a result, he fared poorly in academics.
In 1953, disaster struck the family once again, when Starkey contracted tuberculosis. Subsequently, he was admitted to an infirmary for nearly two years. In order to stimulate motor activity and enhance quicker recovery, the hospital encouraged the patients to join the hospital band and indulge in music. This was when he began to develop an interest in drumming. When he was discharged from the hospital, he chose not to return to school and preferred to stay at home. He then started listening to music and displayed keen interest to learn it.