Maureen Starkey The first wife of the legendary drummer of The Beatles Ringo Starr Date of Birth: 04.08.1946 Country: USA

Biography of Maureen Starkey

Maureen Starkey, previously known as Mary Cox, was born in Liverpool. She was the only child of Joseph Cox, a ship steward, and his wife Florence Barrett. Maureen changed her name to Maureen after becoming a hairstylist's assistant. She first met Ringo Starr through the 'Cavern' club, where The Beatles frequently performed. It took Maureen three weeks to catch Ringo's attention, but from then on, they started going on regular outings together. Being Ringo's girlfriend at that time was dangerous as The Beatles had many fans who were openly jealous of their favorite band members, often resulting in Maureen receiving threats. On February 14, 1963, she even had her face scratched while waiting for Ringo in his car, but this did not deter her from being with him.

In September 1963, with her parents' permission, Cox went on a weekend trip to Greece with Paul and Jane Asher. A year and a half later, in January 1965, Ringo proposed to Cox at the 'Ad Lib' club in London. They got married a month later, on February 11, 1965. Their first child, Zak Starkey, was born on September 13, 1965. The couple went on to have two more children, Jason on August 19, 1967, and Lee on November 11, 1970. Maureen was an integral part of Ringo's life during this time, and they did almost everything together. She even sang backing vocals in "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" and performed with Yoko Ono at the legendary "Concert on the Rooftop."

Unfortunately, their marriage was far from perfect. It is known that Maureen cheated on Ringo multiple times, but she did not want a divorce. Ringo, on the other hand, had a different opinion. The divorce was officially finalized on July 17, 1975, due to Ringo's affair with American model Nancy Lee Andrews. After the divorce, Maureen started a completely new life, but she didn't have to completely sever her relationship with Ringo. Friends reported that Ringo never stopped loving Maureen. Three years after their divorce, Ringo and Maureen were spotted together with their children at a party, sparking rumors that they were rekindling their relationship.

On May 27, 1989, Maureen married Isaac Tigrett, and they had another child together, Augusta King Tigrett, born on January 4, 1987. Maureen Tigrett passed away on December 30, 1994, at the age of 48. She died from complications after leukemia treatment at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. Prior to her death, Maureen had undergone a bone marrow transplant, with her son Zak being the donor. She was surrounded by her four children, mother, and both her ex-husband and current husband at her bedside. Ringo was devastated by the death of his first wife, and according to his acquaintances, Maureen took a part of his soul with her. In memory of Cox-Tigrett, Paul McCartney wrote the song "Little Willow," included in the album "Flaming Pie," dedicated to Maureen's children.