Ringo: Peace & Love

One of the perqs of being members of the Grammy Museum is that we’re occasionally invited to members-only events, including the openings of their special exhibits. In the past, the Museum has featured exhibits on John Lennon and George Harrison. Now it’s Ringo's turn—yay! The exhibit, “Ringo: Peace & Love,” opened last week. We were among the first to see it.

Needless to say, I love Ringo. Of all the Beatles, he’s the one who has been the most matter-of-fact about his life, growing up poor in post-war Liverpool and then suddenly, in the 1960s, being thrust onto the world stage as part of history’s most influential pop-rock band. The exhibit touches on his early days as the drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes as well as the far more famous years that followed. There are photos, letters, album covers, lots of videos, two drum kits, and even a booth where you can sing-along with Ringo on “Octopus’s Garden.” But think twice about pushing the record button: you may just discover how terrible a singer you are. Thank goodness the booth is soundproof.

Below are just a few of the many items we saw, before Tim was yelled at for taking pictures. The event was crowded, so I’ll be returning this summer during a slow weekday when I can have Ringo all to myself.

Lobby mural

The drums Ringo played on The Ed Sullivan Show

The red jacket Ringo wore during the Beatles' 

famous rooftop concert

Cell from the Beatles' Saturday morning cartoon

The infamous—and now extremely valuable—

"butcher" album cover that was immediately

recalled

Ringo's Sgt. Pepper uniform