RINGO AND ARTIST NALL IN ALABAMA

One of Ringo´s drumsticks sits in full view of all comers, nestled in a pot of brushes on a desk owned by Fred Nall Hollis, the artist known as Nall. Other items linked to Ringo-including autographed CDs, photos and sketches of Starr and Barbara Bach-are in Nall's possession, as well. 

Fred Nall Hollis, left, an Alabama artist,has a friendship with Ringo that goes back to the 1980s.(Photo courtesy of Nall)

The artist, a Troy native, forged a friendship with Ringo in the 1980s that has lasted nearly three decades. They're pals. Confidantes. Buddies. In many ways, brothers under the skin. 

"We have a good relationship, a wonderful friendship," says Nall, 66. "I feel truly enriched by his friendship."

Ringo's connection to Nall very likely is the Beatles' strongest link to Alabama -- interesting fodder for anyone who might be considering the "six degrees of separation" concept on the heels of Ringo's Feb. 15 concert in Birmingham. 3

Also, their mutual admiration society is far more pleasant to contemplate than the infamous "Ban the Beatles" campaign that was launched by two Birmingham DJs, Tommy Charles and Doug Layton, in 1966. (They objected to a John Lennon quip about the band being "more popular than Jesus," but that's another story.)

Nall, a multimedia artist of international stature, had his initial encounter with Starr in Vence, a city in the Southeastern part of France. The year was 1986, as Nall recalls during a phone interview, and the drummer was drawn to his studio there.

When Ringo entered the picture, it was partly due to geographic proximity and partly due to the Rolling Stones. One of the Stones, Nall says, had rented his villa in Vence to Starr and Bach.

"He came and looked at the paintings in my studio, and after that he wanted to take art lessons," Nall says. "I was showing in Monaco then, too, and they had a flat in Monaco. I'd see him there, and we'd go out to lunch. ... He started taking art lessons in 1986, and it was fun teaching him and Barbara watercolors. They were working on the basics of drawing and painting."

At the time, Nall was overseeing the NALL Art Association, a training program in Vence that offered instruction and cultural immersion for college students and other art hopefuls. Some of his apprentices had struggled with substance abuse, Nall says, and he was helping them to stay clean. Hence the NALL acronym, playing on the artist's name and standing for "Nature, Art and Life League."

Ringo and Barbara, show off Nall's imagery on luxe dinnerware

Ringo appreciated the goals of the art association, Nall says, plugging into the idea that creativity could go hand-in-hand with sobriety and personal responsibility.

"This is post-'60s, and everyone in the Beatles had a chance to clean up," Nall says with a chuckle. "He enjoyed that I was working with the addicts, and the young kids would go wild, knowing that Ringo was coming over. We shared all of this together. ... We talked about how one becomes a young musician, and how this is similar to the struggles of becoming an artist." 

On at least one occasion, Nall found Ringo seated at the piano with one of the apprentices, sharing the keyboard and exchanging ideas about music. ("I thought it was rather wonderful that my apprentice would have an occasion to do this," Nall says.)

"Ringo Starr and Buster," a mixed-media portrait created by Nall, from the book "Alabama Art 2000: Portraits."

Later, Nall completed two official portraits of Starr: one that the drummer disliked -- he was leaning on Bach, who was depicted as a buddha -- and one that Starr heartily approved. This solo portrait showed him wearing dark glasses and flashing a peace sign. 

For the latter project, Nall incorporated imagery that reflected Starr's music career, his affinity for nature, his fondness for pets, his spiritual beliefs and his philosphical outlook of peace and love. 

Starr and Bach also commissioned two mosaic crosses from Nall, who used gold and silver in the designs to convey the sun and the moon. 

"I admire both of them so much," he says. "I've never seen them quarrel. They're conscious of what's going on around them. They're sober. They're aware. They're totally centered and I appreciate that in my friends."

Starr, 74, evidently took his lessons with Nall quite seriously. He continues to create his own artworks, although Starr's medium of choice is the computer. (See some examples in the video below, from a 2014 exhibit at Soho Contemporary Art in New York City.)

Likewise, the former Beatle has kept in touch with his friend from Alabama, collecting Nall's art and reconnnecting as often as his schedule allows. 

"They'll surprise me by showing up every now and then," says Nall, who typically spends a few months of each year in France.

Their most recent encounter? "Within the last year," Nall says. "I tend to lead a very quiet life in Alabama, and they have four or five places they move around to." When asked to sum up Starr's offstage personality, here's what Nall says:"He has a wonderful sense of humor. He's been very spoiled in his life, so he's a little demanding. He loves nature. He loves dogs. And he's very polite. I've never seen him be rude to anybody."