On September 27 Rory Storme, the leader of one of Liverpool's earliest beat groups, mixed alcohol and sleeping pills and never woke up. His grief stricken mother killed herself shortly after finding the body.
His sisters said Rory was happy to be "the king of Liverpool" and didn't like to tour much. He didn't write many songs either which is one of the reasons his most famous drummer, Ringo Starr, decided to part ways with Rory Storm and The Hurricanes to beat the skins for The Beatles. The other reason was that John and Paul were offering more money.
In his autobiography, Brian Epstein wrote that Storm was "one of the liveliest and most likeable young men on the scene 9 and0 was very annoyed when Ringo left and he complained to me. I apologised and Rory, with immense good humour said, "Ok, Forget it. The best of luck to the lot of you."
But there are other reports that Rory Storm was depressed at the time of his death. He had recently lost his father and he was haunted by his lack of success when all around him were bands that had made it big.
At his funeral, mourners sang his favorite song "You'll Never Walk Alone". Ringo did not attend which he dismissed by pointing out "I wasn't there when he was born either."
If Ringo did say that, then what a despicable thing to say. The guy who gave you your break in music with access to the Beatles who made him the superstar his talent never warranted except in The Beatles. He would have never been a household name in any other popular chart topping band cos he wasn’t good enough or a good fit, as with The Beatles.
ReplyDeleteVery disappointed, but he always played the ‘peace and love’ crap cos he never had anything to say, despite living an amazing life. He really is quite stupid. John Lennon said in an interview after the Beatles that he wasn’t but it’s obvious he thought he was, but was sticking up for him as he knew he never had the wit and/or intelligent to do it for himself...that’s why he just puts up his figers like a Japanese schoolgirl and says ‘Peace and Love’. He had nothing to say worthy of listening to.
Not a good drummer, but working day in day out for years with 3 of the best singer/songwriter musicians ever, anyone would learn a thing or too. People criticise Paul for teaching him drum rhythms, but Paul would have made a better drummer, cos he had more musical talent and imagination.
He was chosen for his ‘personality’ as he got on with all the Beatles, but when they needed him to be a cohesive force after Epstein’s death, Let it be etc etc, he never once stood up to the plate. He never knew that was his biggest role...his drumming was good enough for the stuff they toured with and the more complicated stuff later could be changed, with many thinking other drummers stood in for him.
Maybe that’s why he never got John, Paul and George together to work things out but just looked on like a child...he knew he was never a true Beatle in terms of talent. But he was a Beatle, and he should be the most grateful person in the world for that fact.
In summery, I think he was a shallow guy, who learnt the drums early (not many people had access to a drum kit in the 50’s as teens to practice. He did and his timing was excellent. But he wasn’t a a list drummer. I mean, listen to Pete Best isolated drumming. He couldn’t keep time...at all. Yet The Beatles had to take him to Hamburg cos there simply was nobody else.