RINGO STARR ON BRIAN EPSTEIN

Asked by Parade magazine about their manager, Brian Epstein, Ringo had nothing but supportive things to say. “I had known a lot of gay men,” he told. “It didn’t matter to us. We were lads of the time. Or maybe, OK then, lads ahead of our time.”






Epstein was known for his ability to spot talent and famously declared of the seminal Liverpool band, “They’re going to be bigger than Elvis!” He discovered The Beatles playing at a small club in 1961, and it was thanks to him that they adopted their trademark clean-cut look.




As their manager, The Beatles reliably stood by Epstein.

Epstein passed away in August of 1967 at the age of 32, just one month after the U.K. decriminalized homosexuality.

Ringo has expressed support for the queer community in the past.

ETHAN RUSSELL: "THE CONCEPT OF THE BEATLES JUST DIDN´T SYNC WITH WHO THEY WERE ANY MORE"

50 years ago, the Beatles gathered for a photo shoot, what incidentally also became the last ever shots of all of them together. It was August 22, 1969. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison joined John Lennon and Yoko Ono at their newly purchased 72-acre estate, Tittenhurst Park in Berkshire.

Linda McCartney, who was heavily pregnant at that time, was also present. It is said, Linda also shot some 16mm footage of the group on Paul's camera—this also turned out to be the last footage of the team.

They were photographed by Ethan Russell and Monte Fresco, in the run-up to the release of the last two albums the group would ever release, Abbey Road (September 1969) and Let it Be (May 1970). The photos, set in the picturesque backdrop of the estate, however, reflected none of that warmth or sunshine. The band was going through a tough time.

Commenting on the band and their state of mind, Russell who has some iconic photographs of the rockstars to his credit, said: “Paul was trying to hold it together. He had his arms crossed like, ‘Come on, lads!’ But the concept of the Beatles just didn’t sync with who they were any more. I could have asked them to smile, but it would have been totally fake and I’m glad I didn’t. This marriage had come to an end – and boy does it show.”

PEOPLE CELEBRATES THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEATLES' ABBEY ROAD WITH SPECIAL EDITION ISSUE

In a new special edition, PEOPLE marks a half-century since the Beatles’ last days with an intimate photo collection as well as a look at the inspirations and legacies of Abbey Road and a song-by-song look at the album’s 17 tracks.


Finally, the issue includes a reflection on Woodstock on its 50th anniversary. The photo-filled special edition includes a portfolio of memories from the upstate New York festival — when peace, music and mud prevailed. While there were no Beatles, other artists like Jimi Hendrix, the Who, Janis Joplin, and many other artists performed. The Beatles were reportedly invited to headline the festival, but the dates conflicted with the recording of Abbey Road. Still, the historic gathering of half a million people for peace and music appealed to them.