Was that really Ringo shopping at Bronner's?

Was that really Ringo shopping at Bronner's?

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

JOE SNAPPER
THE SAGINAW (Michigan) NEWS

http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ss...ws?NECN&coll=9

Employees at a Frankenmuth Christmas theme store say they are sure they saw Richard Starkey, also known as Ringo Starr, the drummer for the Beatles.

"This place rocks," Starr or someone with the same name wrote in a guest book at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland's Silent Night Chapel, said Carla Bronner-Spletzer, whose father is owner Wallace Bronner.

That was Monday, about 9 a.m. It was then that cleaning staffers, known as the "Sparkle Crew," saw a black limousine pulling away from the sprawling Christmas store.

"They were very definite about it," she said.

And just minutes earlier, Janet Sperling, a store employee, said she had directed to the rest room a man dressed in black whom she "knew looked familiar."

Sperling also had handed a store directory to Starr, who began pushing a red Bronner's shopping cart, Spletzer said.

But Spletzer, who began a frantic search for the 65-year-old left-handed percussionist from Liverpool, England, still was half-expecting a ruse -- until she spoke with a couple in the Silent Night Chapel.

The pair, whose names she does not know, claimed Ringo had come through, Spletzer said.

"I said, 'Are you sure?' The guy said, 'Oh yeah. My wife is a big fan of the Beatles, and we're sure it was him,"' Spletzer said.

She checked the chapel's registry. Sure enough. Someone very neatly signed: "Ringo Starr, London. This place rocks."

But Spletzer had her doubts.

"The penmanship was too neat, but there was a younger blonde lady with him, so we thought maybe she signed it for him," she said.

Still not completely sure, Spletzer checked concert schedules to find ex-Beatle Paul McCartney had performed in Auburn Hills twice over the weekend.

"That gave him a reason to be in town," she said of Starr, whose post-Beatles hits included "Back off Boogaloo" and "You're Sixteen."

If Starr graced the store, he would join the ranks of Faith Hill, Ted Nugent and Marie Osmond, among other celebrities who have stopped in.

That's really neat if it's true. And if Ringo went to see Paul, I hope they had a chance to talk backstage.

Why is he shopping in a Christmas shop in October?? Sounds like the staff had a great time sleuthing to work out if it really was him - what a cool way to pass the time!

I've done my Christmas shopping during the summer since middle school. By September I've finished and as an early bird, I've beaten the rush crowd. Shopping now makes sense to me.

It was a ringer, not Ringo, who paid visit to Bronner's


THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION

Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By Bryn Mickle

http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/...350.xml&coll=5

FRANKENMUTH - Bronner's Christmas Wonderland apparently isn't such a hot spot for ex-Beatles after all.

A representative for Ringo Starr on Monday shot down the idea that the famed drummer visited Bronner's last week.

A Starr lookalike apparently ducked into the Silent Night Memorial Chapel on Oct. 17 and wrote "This place rocks!" in the guest book and signed it "Ringo Starr, London." A greeter at Bronner's said she briefly spoke to someone she thought was Ringo.

Reports of the Starr sighting drew skepticism from at least one fan who questioned why he would be in Frankenmuth to check out the latest in automated rooftop reindeer.

Turns out the fan was right.

A Starr spokeswoman in New York said the drummer wasn't even in Michigan at the time of the alleged sighting.

The news was a bit of a letdown for Bronner's.

"We really felt it was him," said Bronner's spokeswoman Lori Libka.

Aww, poor Bronner's!

aww....but i would have wondered that too. What would Ringo of all people be doing there? But that certainly would have been the highlight of my week! (Instead the highlight of my week was when on of the managers knocked over a bunch of wine bottles....)

It was a ringer, not Ringo, who paid visit to Bronner's


THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION

Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By Bryn Mickle

http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/...350.xml&coll=5

FRANKENMUTH - Bronner's Christmas Wonderland apparently isn't such a hot spot for ex-Beatles after all.

A representative for Ringo Starr on Monday shot down the idea that the famed drummer visited Bronner's last week.

A Starr lookalike apparently ducked into the Silent Night Memorial Chapel on Oct. 17 and wrote "This place rocks!" in the guest book and signed it "Ringo Starr, London." A greeter at Bronner's said she briefly spoke to someone she thought was Ringo.

Reports of the Starr sighting drew skepticism from at least one fan who questioned why he would be in Frankenmuth to check out the latest in automated rooftop reindeer.

Turns out the fan was right.

A Starr spokeswoman in New York said the drummer wasn't even in Michigan at the time of the alleged sighting.

The news was a bit of a letdown for Bronner's.

"We really felt it was him," said Bronner's spokeswoman Lori Libka.

I live and work in MI. I've got a RIngo look alike I see around Ferndale but I know it's not him HE never talks to anyone though

Sounds like Ringo in the early 1980s.

Just don't mention the B (Beatles) word to/around him.

I think the person in question had to be Ringer Starr. He is from Detroit. http://www.tributeartistringo.com/