Ringo Starr

I'm at the Grove tonight in LA seeing a movie and I'm standing in line to buy popcorn and I look over and right next to me is Ringo Starr looking exactly like he does in the above picture with two women who look exactly like the two women standing next to him in the above pic.

I got the pic off his website. Don't sue me Ringo, I'm a fan.

He's talking fairly loudly, not being obnoxious, but not trying to hide either, he was just being Ringo. His strong British accent came through loud and clear.

I immediately thought of the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and how they came to America and changed the world. I thought of all those teenage girls chasing him down the street. How odd now all these years later to see him standing in line buying popcorn and no one noticing.

I kept looking around to see if others were noticing and no one was. I felt, in that moment, like I was the only person at the Grove who knew who Ringo Starr was.

So I quietly say to the young girl running the cash register, "look, there's Ringo Starr." Her face stays blank. She is unimpressed. "Ringo Starr", I repeat. It's clear she has no idea who he is.

"You don't know Ringo Starr?"

"No", she says.

Again I say, "You don't know Ringo Starr???"

I can not comprehend that she does not know Ringo Starr. So I say, "you know, the Beatles???"

She continues to stare at me blankly.

"The Beatles!" My voice gets louder.

Finally she gives in, "I think, I've heard of them."

I'm speechless. I say, "You don't know The Beatles? Oh my God."

She gives me my popcorn and my cup and I go to the soda fountain to fill it up. I stand next to one of Ringos friends and I'm dying to say to her, "Can you believe that girl running the cash register doesn't know who the Beatles are???" But instead I say nothing as we both stand there filling up our sodas.

I was curious what movie Ringo was seeing but my movie was already in previews so I hurried ahead glancing over my shoulder to see if anyone would stop him for an autograph.

No one did, at least not while I watched.

I wanted to scream out,"One of the members of the single most important band in the history of music is in our midst here tonight." Am I overreacting. No I'm not. The Beatles are...THE BEATLES!

I'm not sure what impacted me more, seeing Ringo, or talking to the young girl at the counter who had no idea who he was.

I slip into my theatre to see Derailed with Jennifer Aniston knowing full well the movie will not match the thrill of my brief brush with a musical legend in the popcorn line at The Grove on November, 19, 2005.