Arise, Sir Ringo

Still from the film Lisztomania.

Several UK newspapers are reporting that a certain Richard Starkey MBE, is one of the the names on Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year’s Honours list over who are going to be knighted in 2018. This is something Ringo can’t have dreamt about when he recorded the song Elizabeth Reigns for the album Ringo Rama i 2003. After the song finishes, we can hear him say: “Well…there goes me knighthood”!

The news was first published by scandal paper The Sun, but has since been confirmed by The Daily Mail, The Mirror, as well as other, reliable sources.

We have to admit that there has been a bit too many of these knighthoods of late, after Paul McCartney was knighted in 1997 at the age of 55. After that, Elton John, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart and Ray Davies have all been honoured this way.

Neither John nor George received this honour, but George’s friend and teacher Ravi Shankar was knighted in 2001.

Ringo is said to be “chuffed to bits” about the news, but the official announcement will be made on January 1. In the summer of 2018, Ringo and his All Starr Band is undertaking a European Tour, but no British dates have been announced.