Elsie Starkey: What Happened To Ringo Starr’s Mother?

Elsie Starkey is the mother of Richard Starkey. Elsie’s son is widely known as Ringo Starr. He is an English musician, songwriter, and actor. He gained international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. He is known for songs including With A Little Help From My Friends, Don’t Pass Me By, Octopus’ Garden, Photograph, It Don’t Come Easy, Back Off Boogaloo, The No No Song, and Never Without You.

Elsie Starkey: Bio Summary

Who Was Ringo Starr’s Mother, Elsie Starkey?

Elsie Starkey was born on 19 October 1914, in Liverpool, Metropolitan Borough of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. She was the daughter of John Gleave and Catherine Martha Gleave and the sister of Dorothy Elizabeth Gleave Preston and William James Gleave. At the time she was born, her father was a bombardier working as a laborer in the tin works at the garrison of the 8th Battalion Royal Lancashire Artillery.

Elsie Starkey married confectioner Richard Starkey (1913–1981), on 24 October 1936, in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. The husband and wife initially lived with Richard’s parents until they found their own place to live. Richard Starkey was an avid fan of swing. Elsie and Richard enjoyed singing and dancing. They mostly spent their free time on the local ballroom circuit.

On 7 July 1940, in Liverpool, England, Elsie and Richard welcomed a son Richard Starkey, whom they called “Ritchie”. Their son was named after his father. After their son’s birth, the couple stopped their regular outings. Elsie Starkey was an overprotective mother. She was very protective of her son. Elsie’s marriage began to fall apart. Her husband Richard is said to have lost interest in his family.

Richard Starkey was drinking and dancing in pubs, sometimes for several consecutive days. In the 1940s, Elsie and her family moved to another neighborhood in the Dingle, Admiral Grove, trying to reduce their housing costs. Eventually, Elsie Starkey and her husband Richard Starkey got separated and divorced. Elsie’s ex-husband’s support payments were thirty shillings a week.

Elsie then decided to do several menial jobs such as cleaning houses. She then got to work as a barmaid, an occupation she held for twelve years. She did her very best to provide for herself and her son. Elsie’s son Richard Starkey Jr now professionally as Ringo Starr, later revealed that he has “no real memories” of his father. His father made little effort to have a relationship with him.

ALSO, READ: Richard Henry Parkin Starkey: Who Was Ringo Starr’s Father?

Ringo Starr spent part of his childhood in the hospital. When he was six, he had appendicitis and after a routine appendectomy, he got peritonitis, which led to Ringo falling into a coma. He was in a coma for days. Ringo spent twelve months recovering, away from his family at Liverpool’s Myrtle Street Children’s Hospital. He was discharged in 1948. His mother Elsie Starkey permitted him to stay at home so he missed school.

Elsie met Harold Graves. She and Harold fell in love with each other. After dating, they are said to have married on 17 April 1954, in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom. Harry Graves was an ex-Londoner who had moved to Liverpool after he got separated from his first wife. He was an impassioned fan of big band music and their vocalists. He was a good stepfather to Elsie’s son.

Harold revealed that he and “Ritchie” never had an unpleasant exchange between them. Ringo Starr (Ritchie) later said of his stepdad: “He was great … I learned gentleness from Harry.” Elsie Starkey’s son Ringo Starr became a musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is widely known as the drummer for the Beatles, one of the most influential bands of all time.

Ringo Starr co-founded his first band, the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group, in 1957. In addition to the Beatles’ films, he has acted in several other films. He is known for appearing in A Hard Day’s Night (1964), Help! (1965), Magical Mystery Tour (1967) and Let It Be (1970), Starr also acted in Candy (1968), The Magic Christian (1969), Blindman (1971), Son of Dracula (1974), and Caveman (1981).

ALSO, READ: Ringo Starr Children: Zak, Lee, Jason Starkey- Who Are His Children?

What Happened To Ringo Starr’s Mother?

Elsie Starkey died on 14 January 1987, at age 72, in Liverpool, Metropolitan Borough of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. What killed her isn’t known. Her burial details are also not known. She was survived by her husband Harry Graves, son Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr), grandchildren Zak Starkey, Jason Starkey, and Lee Starkey, and several other relatives. Her husband Harry Graves died on 24 August 1994, at age 80, in Liverpool.