Playing the drums with much more “feel” than technical prowess, Ringo Starr paved a way for a new kind of drummer, creating a sound that continues to inspire even today. Taking over percussion duties from Pete Best, once Starr joined the Beatles the group was firmly set on their path to becoming one of the most iconic groups ever.
Videos by American Songwriter
As Starr marks his 82nd birthday, we here at American Songwriter want to take you through a deep dive into the Beatles’ drummer’s most iconic moments.
1. Ringo Joins the Beatles
Starr first met the Beatles in Hamburg, Germany in 1960. While still performing as part of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, the soon-to-be iconic group asked Starr to sit in during sets when original drummer Pete Best was unavailable.
By the summer of 1962, producer George Martin had become certain that the Beatles needed to replace Best—and they knew just the guy to fill his space. Starr joined the group later that year, creating the enduring line-up of The Beatles
2. Ringo Gets a Star Turn in ‘Hard Day’s Night’
In an effort to capitalize on Beatlemania, which was taking the world by storm, A Hard Day’s Night did more than fictionalize a day in the life of the group – it made Starr, who had many a memorable line in the film, a star in his own right.
The film arrived amid a mass of achievements for the four-piece, including their lauded performance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
3. Ringo Shines on “Rain”
In the book, Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, author Barry Miles claimed Starr’s favorite performance while with the Beatles was their song “Rain.” Originally, a B-side to “Paperback Writer,” it’s easy to see why this is the drummer’s favorite.
The song is chock full of strong snare fills that are perfectly balanced with the vocal melody. For many Beatles fans, the track is one of Starr’s shining moments and perfectly showcases just what made him so special as a drummer.
4. Ringo Sets Out On His Own With Sentimental Journey
Following the emotional break-up of the group, Starr started out on his own releasing his debut effort Sentimental Journey. The album was a collection of pre-rock n’ roll standards that Starr recalled from his childhood.
Departing from the experimental wonkiness of George Harrison and John Lennon’s solo LPs, Sentimental Journey was the first album from a former Beatle that embraced a form of pop music.
5. Ringo Sparks Pseudo-Beatles Reunion
With the release of his third solo album, Ringo, Starr orchestrated the closest thing we ever got to a Beatles reunion. The LP featured collaborations from George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney bringing all four of the former Beatles together – albeit appearing separately.
6. Ringo Starts the All Starr Band
Starr’s supergroup, which saw an ever-shifting list of personnel, began with a line-up of future brother-in-law Joe Walsh, the E Street Band’s Nils Lofgren and Clarence Clemons, Billy Preston, the Band’s Rick Danko and Levon Helm, Dr. John and Jim Keltner – also known as a classic rock fan’s dream.
Typical sets for the All Starr band included a host of Starr hits and Beatles favorites mixed in with offerings from his famous special guests.
7. Ringo the Actor
Despite carving out quite the career as a musician, Starr was deadly serious about acting. Finding breakout success in the Beatles films as the plucky comic relief spurred on a lasting pursuit of the silver screen for Starr long after the group disbanded.
Throughout his career, he has made many appearances in music documentaries, and a Monty Python episode, and has been solidified into pop history in The Simpsons. His work as an actor after the Beatles was almost as busy as his music career.
8. A Concert for George
In the 2002 tribute concert for George Harrison, Starr took the stage as a drummer for the entire show playing alongside his favorite drummer Jim Keltner.
Throughout the show, Starr did what he does best—gave a relaxed, smiling, and cool performance swinging the hi-hat left to right to get that washing sound he created. He performed a song he co-wrote with Harrison himself, Photograph, as a reminder of the duo’s relationship.
9. A Belated Hall of Fame Honor
Despite scoring several solo hits during the early days of the Beatles’ breakup, Starr was the last of the four-piece to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
Lennon entered in 1994, McCartney in 1999, and George Harrison in 2004. Even producer George Martin and late manager Brian Epstein were honored before Starr, who was finally inducted as part of the class of 2015. Though rather belated, Starr finally got his flowers as a formidable force in Rock n’ Roll history.
10. Ringo Wants to Change the World
Starr’s most recent EP, Change the World, sees the rock icon dreaming of a brighter future. The title track from the EP was released alongside an accompanying video, made in collaboration with Kids in the Spotlight. The nonprofit helps foster care youth create their own films. The kids in the program helped conceptualize the video with Starr and then shadowed and assisted during the actual production.
It’s a heartwarming video and a continued testament to Starr’s ubiquitous mantra “peace and love.”
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
