Ringo Starr

Sir Richard Starkey, known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and actor born on 7 July 1940. He achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Beyond his drumming duties, Starr occasionally sang lead vocals on Beatles tracks, including "Yellow Submarine" and "With a Little Help from My Friends." He wrote and sang "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden," and received co-writing credits on three additional songs for the group.

Born in the Dingle area of Liverpool to confectioners Richard Starkey and Elsie Gleave, Starr experienced severe childhood illnesses and prolonged hospital stays. At age six, he developed appendicitis and peritonitis, resulting in a coma and a year-long hospital recovery. In 1953, he contracted tuberculosis, leading to a two-year stay in a sanatorium. It was in the hospital band that he first played percussion, sparking his permanent interest in drumming. His stepfather, Harry Graves, bought him his first drum kit on Christmas Day in 1957.

After working brief jobs as a railway worker and boat waiter, Starr became an apprentice machinist in 1956, where he was introduced to skiffle. He co-founded the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group in 1957 before joining Rory Storm and the Hurricanes in 1959. Around this time, he adopted the stage name Ringo Starr. The Hurricanes enjoyed success in Liverpool, Wales, and Hamburg, where Starr met the Beatles. In August 1962, Starr accepted an invitation to join the Beatles, replacing their original drummer, Pete Best.

Following the dissolution of the Beatles, Starr launched a solo career. He scored successful singles such as "It Don't Come Easy," "Photograph," "You're Sixteen," and the UK hit "Back Off Boogaloo." His 1973 album, Ringo, was a top-ten release in both the UK and US. Starr also pursued acting and television work, appearing in various films and documentaries, hosting shows, narrating the first two series of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, and playing "Mr. Conductor" on Shining Time Station. In 1989, he began touring with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.

Starr's drumming style, emphasizing feel over technical virtuosity, influenced modern drumming techniques such as the matched grip, lower drum tuning, and muffling devices. He considered his performance on "Rain" to be his finest recorded work. Starr was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1999 and voted the fifth-greatest drummer of all time by Rolling Stone readers in 2011. He entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a Beatle in 1988 and as a solo artist in 2015, and was knighted in 2018 for services to music.