Ringo Starr, The Miracle of Liverpool

It may be easy to assume that all the Beatles were born into lovely homes in England, filled with cheer, wealth and stability. Not only is that NOT the case, but with Richard Starkey born in Dingle Liverpool, it was more likely that Ringo would die of illness as a child than ever be a member of the greatest rock band of all time.

Ringo has no memory of his father as he was born into complete and utter poverty in 1940 during WWII. At the age of six, Ringo fought for his life with an appendicitis, and then was admitted to a sanatorium where he remained for two years battling tuberculosis. Ringo fell into a coma once for three days – all before the age of 15.

While recuperating, doctors persuaded Ringo to while his time away by finding a hobby. Ringo began to play the bongos, then the drums prior to leaving the hospital. Ringo replaced Pete Best as the drummer for the Beatles, and the rest they say is history. Ringo is now worth over $150 million dollars, and he and his wife Barbara support many children charities.

—
Photo credit: Featureflash / Shutterstock.com