Ringo Starr was stunned by the reaction of fans in his hometown when he insisted he missed "nothing" about the English city of Liverpool - because the remark was meant as a joke.
The former Beatles drummer sparked fury among residents in the area where he grew up when he made the comment to British TV presenter Jonathan Ross during an interview in 2008.
Several angry viewers complained to the Bbc over the incident, and a Beatles memorial in the city was vandalised, but Starr is adamant the remark was made in jest.
The rocker, who has lived in Los Angeles and Surrey, south England for decades, tells British magazine Live, "I played the Echo Arena (in Liverpool) and everything was great. Then I did the Jonathan Ross show and he said, 'Is there anything you miss about Liverpool?'. I said, 'No'. I was being flippant. It was funny. I thought the whole of Liverpool would laugh."
---contactmusic.com
