Ringo

About Ringo

"Ringo" is a popular song written by Don Robertson and Hal Blair. It was a hit single for Canadian-born actor Lorne Greene in 1964. It reached #1 on the U. S. Billboard charts on December 5, 1964, as well as garnering the same spot on the "Easy Listening" chart, where it retained the position for six weeks. The single also peaked at #21 on the Hot Country Singles chart. In Canada, it hit #1 on the RPM top singles chart on December 7, 1964. The song's sung lyrics are limited to the title word alone, performed by an unidentified male chorus. The rest of the vocal performance consists of a spoken-word, first-person account of a Western lawman and his relationship with a notorious gunfighter, Ringo. The account in the song does not fit the known historical facts of the life of Western outlaw Johnny Ringo, but Greene was under the impression that the song was indeed about "Johnny Ringo the outlaw."The "B" side of the disc contained a vocal version of the theme song of Greene's TV show Bonanza, with lyrics that were never used on the show. more »