Ringo Starr too busy for autographs; what about camera phone pictures?

If you’re a famous popstar, you got there because people bought your concert tickets, albums, DVDs, the whole shebang.

So when they approach you in the street for an autograph, well… isn’t that the fame deal? You walk about will millions of quid in your pocket ergo, when ‘the fans’ want something — an autography (or, more likely, a camera phone photo), unless you’ve got a damn good excuse, you play the game. You smile, you pose and you rush home to your mega mansion.

It’s a two way street.

You only ever got there because thousands or millions bought into you and stumped up the cash, one way or another.

You’re not there through the gift of the gods. It’s an industry. And you play the game.

Unless of course, you’re an ancient Beatle, by the name of Ringo Starr. He’s had enough. Enough of signing stuff. Enough messages from fans. One can only assume that he simply can’t be bothered now. I shit you not.

I had to look him up to check he was, actually, a Beatle. I’m not that into their music (with the odd exception – I used to sing Yellow Submarine with all my classmates during music lessons. Annoying.)

I kid ye not. Ringo Starr says peace’n’luv and no thanks to any fan mail.

He won’t sign stuff. He’s far too busy. There’s what looks like an arbitrary date — October 20th — as a deadline. Anything sent to him after that date (I’m not sure if this is ‘inclusive’) will be disposed off.

Heh.

Fascinating.

He made a brilliant quote that I saw in his video message (and replicated in the BBC story):

“I’m warning you with peace and love I have too much to do,” the 68-year-old drummer said.

Peace and love. But your stuff is going in the bin. Heh.

I wonder if the connected generation is just too much for Ringo. The fact that anyone can look up his fan mail address and click-click-click send him a message must be quite different from back in the 60s.

The instant nature of today’s society — particularly with the legions of camera phone owners roaming around — must play havoc with the elder celebrity generation.

So if you happen to see Ringo somewhere, check the date. If it’s October 21st+ then you can be more or less assured he ain’t playing. Photos from afar only, I suspect.

You can watch the hilarious video announcing this (“Peace and Love”), here.

Peace’n’luv from Mobile Industry Review.