Why Ringo Starr Urged People to Stop Sending Him Fan Mail

Music

Ringo Starr used to send every piece of fan mail he received, but he urged his fans to stop sending him stuff after one incident

Published on November 27, 2022

Ringo Starr had a habit of always signing fan mail and sending it back to whoever wanted his autograph. However, he posted a video one day alerting his fans that any further fan mail would be ignored. Ringo didn’t tell his fans why he abruptly changed his mind but later explained why he no longer gave out his autograph. 

Ringo Starr told his fans to stop sending him fan mail

The Beatles are an iconic band, and any piece of memorabilia containing their autograph has high value. Ringo Starr often gave out his signature but abruptly stopped in 2008. He shared a video with his fans and, in the nicest way possible, told them that all future fan mail would be ignored. 

“Please, after the 20th of October, do not send fan mail to any address that you have,” Ringo stated. “Nothing will be signed after the 20th of October. If that has the date on the envelope, it’s going to be tossed. I’m warning you with peace and love. I have too much to do.”

Starr stopped signing fan mail after someone forged his autograph

In an interview with The Howard Stern Show, Starr revealed why he made that video, telling his fans to stop sending him fan mail. The former Beatle said it was because someone had forged his signature onto a guitar and sold it for a hefty price. He felt taken advantage of and now only signs things for charity. 

“I found out because I was signing, suddenly in New York actually, I was signing scratch plates that they have on guitars,” Starr explained. “And then someone said, ‘Have you seen on the internet?’ There’s a guitar with my signature on the scratch plate, someone had screwed it onto a s*** guitar, and it was selling for three grand…So, I only sign for charity now and mainly my charity and Barbara’s charity.”

Ringo Starr started The Lotus Foundation with his wife, Barbara Bach. The organization aims to improve social welfare in several areas, including cerebral palsy, brain tumors, cancer, and homelessness. 

Paul McCartney no longer takes photos or signs autographs

Paul McCartney shares a similar sentiment to Ringo Starr, as he no longer takes photos or signs autographs in encounters with fans. McCartney didn’t share a specific incident that changed his mind, but he would prefer to separate his celebrity life and personal life. In an interview with the Smartless podcast, McCartney said he tries to live as normally as possible, despite his worldwide fame. 

“It’s a safety measure. I know I’m very famous. I don’t want to walk around like I’m very famous,” McCartney said. “I liked that bit that I had when I grew up, of just going on a bus and just being, you know…This one good thing about the virus is everyone’s got masks. Anyone with a famous face. I do separate him from me.”

The Beatles are heroes to many, but McCartney and Ringo don’t want to be bombarded by fan demands. 

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