Editing Ringo Starr (section)

==== Worldwide success ====
[[File:Ringo Starr NY 1964.png|thumb|upright|Starr at New York City's [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]] on 7 February 1964]]
During 1963, the Beatles enjoyed increasing popularity in Britain. In January, their second single, "[[Please Please Me (song)|Please Please Me]]", followed "Love Me Do" into the UK charts and a successful television appearance on ''[[Thank Your Lucky Stars (TV series)|Thank Your Lucky Stars]]'' earned favourable reviews, leading to a boost in sales and radio play.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|p=88}} By the end of the year, the phenomenon known as [[Beatlemania]] had spread throughout the country, and by February 1964 the Beatles had become an international success when they performed in [[New York City]] on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' to a record 73&nbsp;million viewers.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=93, 136–137}} Starr commented: "In the States I know I went over well. It knocked me out to see and hear the kids waving for me. I'd made it as a personality ... Our appeal ... is that we're ordinary lads."<ref>{{harvnb|Clayson|2005|p=119}}: "we're ordinary lads"; {{harvnb|Clayson|2005|p=123}}: "I'd made it as a personality."</ref> He was a source of inspiration for several songs written at the time, including [[Penny Valentine]]'s "[[I Want to Kiss Ringo Goodbye]]" and [[Rolf Harris]]'s "[[Ringo for President]]".{{sfn|Clayson|2005|p=122}} [[Cher]] released her first single, "[[Ringo, I Love You]]" in 1964 under the pseudonym Bonnie Joe Mason.
[[File:Ringo Starr circa 1965.jpg|left|thumb|242x242px|Starr (far left) in 1965]]
In 1964, "I love Ringo" lapel pins were the bestselling Beatles merchandise.{{sfn|Clayson|2005|p=122}} The prominent placing of the [[Ludwig Drums|Ludwig]] logo on the bass drum of his American import drum kit gave the company such a burst of publicity that it became the dominant drum manufacturer in North America for the next twenty years.<ref>{{cite news
 | last= O'Reilly
 | first= Terry
 | title= Bookmarks 2016
 | url= http://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/summer-series-bookmarks-2016-1.3612090
 | access-date= 27 August 2016
| work= Under the Influence
 | publisher= CBC News
 | archive-date= 11 January 2017
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170111221312/http://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/summer-series-bookmarks-2016-1.3612090
 | url-status= live
 }}</ref> During live performances, the Beatles continued the "Starr Time" routine that had been popular among his fans: Lennon would place a microphone in front of Starr's kit in preparation for his spotlight moment and audiences would erupt in screams.{{sfn|Clayson|2005|p=123}} When the Beatles made their film debut in ''[[A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night]]'', Starr garnered praise from critics, who considered his delivery of deadpan one-liners and his non-speaking scenes highlights.{{sfn|Clayson|2005|p=124–125}} The extended non-speaking sequences had to be arranged by director [[Richard Lester]] because of Starr's lack of sleep the previous night; Starr commented: "Because I'd been drinking all night I was incapable of saying a line."{{sfn|Clayson|2005|p=125}} Epstein attributed Starr's acclaim to "the little man's quaintness".{{sfn|Clayson|2005|p=124}} After the release of the Beatles' second feature film, ''[[Help! (film)|Help!]]'' (1965), Starr won a ''[[Melody Maker]]'' poll against his fellow Beatles for his performance as the central character in the film.{{sfn|Clayson|2005|p=148}}

During an interview with ''[[Playboy]]'' in 1964, Lennon explained that Starr had filled in with the Beatles when Best was ill; Starr replied: "[Best] took little pills to make him ill".{{sfn|Clayson|2005|p=128}} Soon after, Best filed a [[libel]] suit against him that lasted four years before the court reached an undisclosed settlement in Best's favour.{{sfn|Clayson|2005|pp=127–128}} In June, the Beatles were scheduled to begin their [[The Beatles' 1964 world tour|world tour]] of Denmark, the Netherlands, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Before the start of the tour,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=160–161}} Starr was stricken with a high-grade fever, [[pharyngitis]] and [[tonsillitis]], and briefly stayed in a local hospital, followed by several days of recuperation at home.{{sfn|Clayson|2005|pp=128–130}} He was temporarily replaced for five concerts by 24-year-old session drummer [[Jimmie Nicol]].{{sfn|Babiuk|2002|p=132}} Starr was discharged from the hospital and rejoined the band in Melbourne on 15 June.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1992|pp=160–163}}{{refn|group=nb|Epstein then accompanied Nicol to the Melbourne airport where he gave him a cheque and a gold Eterna-Matic wrist watch inscribed: "From the Beatles and Brian Epstein to Jimmy – with appreciation and gratitude."{{sfn|Harry|2004|p=255}} Starr had his tonsils removed later that year during a Christmas holiday.{{sfn|Harry|2004|p=111}}}} He later said that he feared he would be permanently replaced during his illness.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rhythm|first=Johnny|title=The Beatles' Many Drummers|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/The-Beatles-Many-Drummers-3776938.php|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|date=9 August 2012|access-date=2 January 2013|archive-date=17 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817041745/http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/The-Beatles-Many-Drummers-3776938.php|url-status=live}}</ref> In August, the Beatles were introduced to American songwriter [[Bob Dylan]], who offered the group [[cannabis]] cigarettes. Starr was the first to try one but the others were hesitant.<ref>{{harvnb|Gould|2007|p=252}}: Meeting Dylan in August; {{harvnb|Clayson|2005|p=137}} Starr was the first Beatle to smoke cannabis.</ref>

On 11 February 1965, Starr married [[Maureen Starkey Tigrett|Maureen Cox]], whom he had met in 1962.{{sfn|Harry|2004|pp=333–334}} By this time the stress and pressure of Beatlemania had reached a peak for him. He received a telephoned death threat before a show in Montreal, and resorted to positioning his cymbals vertically in an attempt to defend against would-be assassins. The constant pressure affected the Beatles' performances; Starr commented: "We were turning into such bad musicians ... there was no groove to it."{{sfn|Clayson|2005|pp=139–140}} He was also feeling increasingly isolated from the musical activities of his bandmates, who were moving past the traditional boundaries of rock music into territory that often did not require his accompaniment; during recording sessions he spent hours playing cards with their road manager [[Neil Aspinall]] and road manager [[Mal Evans]] while the other Beatles perfected tracks without him.{{sfn|Clayson|2005|p=147}} In a letter published in ''Melody Maker'', a fan asked the Beatles to let Starr sing more; he replied: "[I am] quite happy with my one little track on each album".{{sfn|Clayson|2005|p=147}}