Artist’s Ringo tribute will take centre stage at the Echo Arena before former Beatle joins musical cast

Jan 11 2008 by David Charters, Liverpool Daily Post

Ringo Starr

THIS portrait of Ringo Starr will be on display in the Green Room, a VIP lounge in the Echo Arena, Liverpool, tomorrow before the former Beatle joins the cast in a performance of the musical, The Greatest Story Ever Told.

But when he looks closely at the 5ft by 4ft picture, Ringo will see photographs and newspaper cuttings blended into the main work, telling of his rise from a terraced house in Madryn Street, Toxteth, to being the drummer in the world’s most famous group.

After the concert, the portrait will be displayed to the public in the atrium of the Daily Post building on Old Hall Street, Liverpool.

There, the artist Tony Brown is also showing his collection 100 Heads Thinking As One, which he prepared to celebrate 2007, the 800th anniversary of Liverpool’s Royal Charter, and this European Capital of Culture year.

Missing from the exhibition will be the portraits of Paul McCartney and John Lennon, which Tony completed last year to mark the 50th anniversary of the pair meeting at the St Peter’s Church fete in, Woolton.

Tony feels that this is Ringo’s moment, as the man leading the cultural celebrations, who has just recorded an album called Liverpool 8.

Also, his portrait of George Harrison will not be finished until the summer. Tony thinks it would be wrong to show the Beatles without the guitarist who in some ways became their spiritual leader.

But when George is ready, Tony will be displaying all four Beatles at a venue yet to be chosen.

“The thing with Ringo is that he has changed so little over the years,” said Tony. “He even looked the same in that wonderful 1962 photograph which the Daily Post published yesterday, showing him in a pink suit with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.”