Ringo Starr no longer wants his mailbox filled with fan mail.
According to cnn.com, the former Beatle announced: “I want to tell you please…do not send fan mail to any address that you have. Nothing will be signed after the 20th of October. If that is the date on the envelope, it’s gonna be tossed.”
Starr went on to explain that he will stop signing autographs because he “has too much to do.” Starr added that this “warning” was sent with peace and love.
Too much to do? As much as I admire and respect Starr’s contributions to the music industry, I haven’t seen or heard from him lately. Well, that’s if you count the release of his latest album, Liverpool 8, which met mixed reviews and dismal sales. This recent statement also makes him look like the biggest ingrate, which is saddening considering his esteemed reputation all over the world.
And so much for the Liverpool quartet’s messages of love and acceptance, because Starr has basically dismissed and alienated not only his fans, but The Beatles’ as well.
The so-called fan mail Starr will dispose of by next Monday is much more than a piece of paper inside an envelope. Each piece of paper, stamped envelope and picture waiting to be drenched in Sharpie ink, is a symbol of a fan’s dedication and loyalty to Starr and The Beatles. It’s the closest some of these fans can get to expressing their love for the band and music.
It was these fans that helped The Beatles rise to fame, sell millions of albums and records, fill stadiums and venues and the group reach rock and roll acclamation and infamy. Starr, and musicians all alike, should forever cherish fans’ sentiments and devotion.
Starr needs to reconsider his decision because after all these fans need is a little love.