December 5, 1964 – Lorne Greene Hits #1 with “Ringo” On this day in music history, Lorne Greene — best known as the steady, dignified patriarch Ben Cartwright on NBC’s hit western Bonanza — rode straight to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with a most unlikely chart-topper. His spoken-word narrative “Ringo” became the number one song in America, making Greene only the second Canadian solo artist (after Paul Anka) to reach the top of the U.S. pop charts. The song told the moody, dramatic tale of

Lorne Greene, born on February 12, 1915, in Ottawa, Canada, is best known for his role as Ben Cartwright on the long-running television series Bonanza (1959-1973). Greene's acting career began in the late 1930s, and he found success as a radio announcer in Canada before moving to the United States. His deep, commanding voice made him a natural fit for radio and soon for television and film. By the 1950s, Greene had landed several minor roles in Hollywood films, but it was his portrayal of the pa