The Beatles burst onto the music scene in the 60s No one in music sounded like them at the time, and the group was doing something unique: writing their own music. They later went on to sell over a billion records and continually focused on the evolution of their craft. Just this week, it was announced that one of their own would be knighted by the Queen of England. Ringo Starr’s contributions to music and charity have qualified him for the honor of knighthood.
In order to have an honor of knighthood or damehood bestowed upon an individual, they must go through a process. The first step is to be nominated. Anyone can be nominated for knighthood or damehood; however, they must fit into certain criteria for the award: mainly, significant contributions to their field of expertise on a national or international level. After nomination, it is first reviewed by a special committee and then sent to the main committee. Finally, it is sent to the Prime Minister before being bestowed by the Queen (usatoday.com). Knighthood or damehood is considered the highest honor to receive and, usually, it is a progression from an earlier award in the British Empire. In the case of Ringo Starr, he was already a Member of the British Empire (MBE) when the Beatles were awarded the title in 1965.
The official announcement from the Queen came last Friday before New Year’s Eve. Starr sent out a thank you for the award, which can also be found on his Facebook page, “It’s great! It’s an honor and a pleasure to be considered and acknowledged for my music and my charity work, both of which I love. Peace and love. Ringo. (bbc.com).” . Ringo’s knighthood was preceded by Paul McCartney’s award in 1997, and McCartney sent out his congratulations to Starr in an Instagram post which read: “Huge congrats Sir Ringo! Sir Richard Starkey has a nice ring to it. Best drummer best pal! X Paul…” Both artists are deserving of the award; however, it’s Ringo’s time to enjoy the spotlight on such a prestigious award.
The Beatles came onto the music scene in the 60s doing something unique: writing their own music. The band later went on to sell over a billion records and continually focused on evolving their craft. Just this week, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr was awarded the honor of knighthood for his extensive contributions in music and charity. Congratulations are in order.
~Jenna Jakes, WOGB
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