The BEATLES
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE born on
July 7, 1940 is better known by his stage name Ringo Starr. He is an
English musician, singer-songwriter, and actor who gained worldwide fame
as the drummer for The Beatles.
When the band was formed in 1960, Starr belonged to another Liverpool
band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became the Beatles’ drummer in
1962, taking over from Pete Best.
In addition to his contribution as drummer, Starr featured as lead
singer on a number of successful Beatles songs (in particular, “With a
Little Help from My Friends”, “Yellow Submarine”, and the Beatles
version of “Act Naturally”) and as songwriter with the songs “Don’t Pass
Me By”, “What Goes On” and “Octopus’s Garden”.
As drummer for the Beatles, Starr was musically creative, and his
contribution to the band’s music has received high praise from notable
drummers in more recent times. Starr described himself as “your basic
offbeat drummer with funny fills”, technically limited by being a
left-handed person playing a right-handed kit. Drummer Steve Smith said
that Starr’s popularity “brought forth a new paradigm” where “we started
to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect”
and that Starr “composed unique, stylistic drum parts for the Beatles
songs”.
Starr is the most documented and critically acclaimed actor-Beatle,
playing a central role in several Beatles films, and appearing in
numerous other movies, both during and after his career with the
Beatles.
After the Beatles’ break-up in 1970, Starr achieved solo musical
success with several singles and albums, and recorded with each of his
fellow ex-Beatles as they too developed their post-Beatle musical
careers.
He has also been featured in a number of TV documentaries, hosted TV
shows, and narrated the children’s television series Thomas the Tank
Engine and Friends. He currently tours with the All-Starr Band, making
stops in such cities as New York and Boston, MA. |