Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today we are taking
a massive stack of sources focused on one of
the most recognizable yet persistently underestimated
figures in modern culture, Richard Starkey. Known
to the entire world, of course, as Ringo Starr.
Exactly. And it's such a classic case, isn't
it? The caricature just completely eclipses the
man. It really does. For decades, the dominant
narrative has been that he's the lucky one, the
funny one, maybe the slightly simple beetle,
the guy who was just there. Right. The amiable
fourth corner. But if that's all you see, you
miss this profoundly compelling story of resilience,
of compositional genius, and really of artistic
longevity. So our mission today is to move past
that shorthand. We want you, the listener, to
walk away with a thorough appreciation for the
sheer struggle Ringo endured. just to survive.
And then the revolution he quietly orchestrated
in rock drumming and how he built one of the
most durable post -supergroup careers in music
history. This is about understanding Rigo Starr
not as a footnote, but as an essential artistic
and cultural phenomenon. We've got an incredible
journey ahead. We're tracking his evolution from
a truly... Well, a Dickensian childhood in poverty
-stricken Liverpool. A childhood just riddled
with near -fatal illness. Right through the chaos
of Beatlemania, into the establishment of his
unique musical fingerprint, and finally, his
contemporary role as Sir Ringo Starr, Night Bachelor.
Recognized for services to music in 2018, it's
an incredible arc. It is. That's the sweep of
it. We're unpacking his unique style of drumming.
those famous linguistic contributions we call
Ringoisms, and we're going to dissect the genius
business model behind his sustained success with
the all -star band. And it's important to note,
as of 2025, he remains the longest living member
of the classic Beatles lineup. Which is a testament
to that same resilience we're about to examine.
Okay, let's unpack this crucial beginning. We
really have to begin with his birthplace, 9 Madren
Street in the Dingle area of Liverpool. And this
location is so key, isn't it? It's everything.
It was an inner city area just defined by post
-war austerity and genuine hardship. Ringo's
parents, Richard Starkey and Elsie Cleave, they
were confectioners, but the poverty surrounding
them was just... His biographer, Bob Spitz, he
didn't pull any punches when describing it. No,
not at all. He called his upbringing, and this
is a direct quote, a Dickensian chronicle of
misfortune. And that language, it feels exactly
right when you look at the details. It really
does. I mean, the houses in the Dingle were described
as being tiny postage stamp sized was the phrase.
Wow. Yeah. And, you know. Poorly ventilated,
crumbling plaster walls. Just the absolute epitome
of working class struggle in the 1940s. And the
situation at home wasn't much better. No, the
domestic situation mirrored the economic hardship.
His father, also Richard Starkey, they called
him Big Richie, he was often absent. Prone to
drinking, right. Yeah, prone to drinking and
dancing in pubs for days at a time. This left
his mother, Elsie, in this incredibly precarious
financial position. She was trying to survive
on meager support payments. I think I read it
was 30 shillings a week. That's right, 30 shillings,
just an impossible amount. So she had to take
on these relentless, menial jobs before she finally
settled into a 12 -year stint as a barmaid just
to keep their small household afloat. But poverty,
as bad as it was, was really just the backdrop
to a far greater threat. His health. his life
-threatening health issues. This is a relentless
series of medical crises that you can see fundamentally
shaped his personality and his opportunities.
The first major blow came when he was just six
years old. He suffered a severe attack of appendicitis.
Which was then followed almost immediately by
peritonitis, a really serious abdominal infection.
And this wasn't just a tough illness. I mean,
for him, it was a near -death experience. He
fell into a coma that lasted for days. For days.
And his recovery demanded a grueling 12 months
away from his family, spent in the Myrtle Street
Children's Hospital. Just try to imagine the
isolation and the fear of a six -year -old enduring
that in the 1940s. It's unimaginable. And the
impact of this extended illness was immediate
and devastating on his education. Oh, completely.
When he was finally discharged in May 1948, his
mother was so terrified of a relapse that she
kept him home for almost another year. So by
age eight, he's just severely behind. He was
functionally illiterate and had a very poor grasp
of basic mathematics, an impossible gap to make
up. And he needed intensive help, which he got
from a neighbor, right? A surrogate older sister.
Marie McGuire Crawford. She gave him dedicated
twice -weekly tutoring just to try and get him
caught up. But just as he was starting to find
his footing, tragedy struck again. Five years
later. In 1953, at age 13, he contracted tuberculosis.
So another long period of isolation. Two full
years in a sanatorium. This, however. This is
where the narrative shifts from just pure misfortune
to, well, to destiny. This is the pivotal moment.
This is what directly links his suffering to
his future fame. Exactly. You're talking about
the genesis of Ringo Starr, the drummer. Because
the staff at the sanatorium, they were actively
trying to counteract the debilitating boredom,
right? Stimulate motor activity in the patients.
And they encouraged them to form a hospital band.
And that's where he received his first percussion
instrument. And it wasn't a sleek, professional
Ludwig kit, you know? It was a makeshift mallet
crafted from a humble cotton bobbin. And he used
it to strike the cabinets next to his bed. Just
to create a rudimentary rhythm. The experience
wasn't about professional ambition at all. It
was about alleviating the immense mental and
physical drag of two years of isolation. Music
became his necessary release. That anecdote is
so crucial because it shows that drumming was
never about stardom or money first. For him it
was about therapy. It was about self -expression.
Precisely. So when he finally returned home in
late 1955, his motivation for any kind of traditional
employment was understandably lacking. His initial
attempts at work were, well, they were disastrous.
Completely. He secured a job with British Rail,
but mostly for the warm uniform that came with
it. And then he was quickly laid off. After failing
the mandatory physical exam, his past health
history just kept coming back to haunt him. The
system was already against him. Then he took
that job as a waiter on a dayboat. Traveling
between Liverpool and North Wales, and he quit
that almost immediately. But not because he hated
the job, which is the funny part. No, it was
because he was terrified it might make him seem
suitable for seafaring work, which would lead
to conscription into the Royal Navy. He was actively
trying to avoid the draft. It just shows the
anxiety that young men were facing in that post
-war era. It wasn't until mid -1956 that any
stability emerged, and that's thanks to his stepfather,
Harry Graves. Graves was truly instrumental,
wasn't he? In every sense. Not only did he help
Ringo secure a stable apprentice machinist position
at a place called Henry Hunt and Son, but Graves
also widened Ringo's musical horizons. He was
a big band fan. A passionate fan of big band
music artists like Dinah Shore and Billy Daniels,
this exposed Ringo to these complex rhythmic
structures. that were far beyond the scope of
early rock and roll. And that machinist job,
ironically, provided the final push toward his
calling. It did. He befriended a co -worker there
named Roy Trafford, and the two of them just
bonded intensely over the emerging skiffle craze
sweeping Britain. And they began their earliest
rehearsals, drumming, picking, singing, in the
factory cellar. during their lunch breaks. So
the path to Rory Storm didn't start in a club.
It started beneath Machine Shop. So we transition
now from that machine shop seller to the nascent,
chaotic Liverpool music scene. And Ringo's early
efforts in the skiffle genre were incredibly
raw, but they established his core appeal, that
primitive, infectious, rhythmic drive. His first
band, the Eddie Miles Band, which later became
Eddie Clayton and the Clayton Squares, they played
typical skiffle hits. But you have to think about
the setup. Oh, it was nothing. Ringo was literally
raiding a thimble across a washboard. Or banging
on biscuit tins in chairs. Yeah, this wasn't
sophisticated percussion. It was just primal
noise creating what were described as primitive
driving rhythms. It's almost impossible to imagine
the Beatles' future being built on someone banging
a biscuit tin. Well, that's why Christmas Day
1957 was such a pivotal moment. His stepfather,
Harry Graves. He gifted him a real, albeit secondhand,
drum kit. It had a bass drum, a snare. and this
is the best part, a makeshift symbol fashioned
from a rubbish bin lid. A bin lid. But that crude
kit was enough to professionalize his sound.
It was. As Skiffle faded in early 1958 and American
rock and roll took over, that kit allowed him
to transition seamlessly. And this led him directly
to joining Rory Storm and the Hurricanes in November
1959. Which was a significant step up. I mean,
they were one of the city's leading bands. And
this is where Richard Starkey officially sheds
his identity and becomes the legend. The stage
name Ringo Starr was born from the numerous rings
he always wore. Right. And the surname Starr
was partly chosen because it intentionally suggested
a country and Western influence, which was hugely
popular at the time. Not only that, but it was
self -aggrandizing in the best way. Their live
shows leaned heavily on Ringo's stage persona,
prominently billing his drum solos as Starrtime.
So even before he was a Beatle. He was already
a stage personality. Absolutely. By early 1960,
the Hurricanes were a huge draw. They were successful
enough to secure a three -month residency at
a Butlin's holiday camp. Which was seen as a
massive achievement back then. A huge deal. That
success then led them to the famous Hamburg residency
at Bruno Koschmeiter's Kaiserkeller, starting
in October 1960. I think we sometimes forget
the hierarchy that existed in Hamburg. The Hurricanes
were the established band. They were top -billed
and paid significantly more than this fledgling,
scruffy group called the Beatles. Ringo was already
a well -known, respected drummer in that hyper
-competitive environment. They absolutely knew
him. In fact, Ringo first recorded with three
of the future Beatles, Lennon, McCartney, and
Harrison on October 15, 1960. That's right. They
were backing the Hurricane singer Lou Walters
on a cover of Summertime. So this wasn't just
some casual meeting in a club. Ringo was already
professionally integrating with them. And it
wasn't just the Beatles who recognized his talent.
Tony Sheridan, another key figure in that early
Hamburg scene, tried repeatedly to poach Ringo
away from Rory Storm. Which just proves that
Ringo wasn't just waiting around for an opportunity.
He was actively sought after because of his distinct
driving rhythm. So that existing reputation made
him the logical, if controversial, replacement
when manager Brian Epstein decided. to fire Pete
Best in August 1962. If controversial is a good
way to put it. But despite his standing among
the musicians, the public reaction was just volatile.
Volatile is an understatement. The public backlash
was immediate and intense because Pete Best had
this massive local following. We have accounts
of literal protests outside venues. Fans were
shouting, Pete forever, Ringo never. and George
Harrison, who was often the most outspoken of
the group. He was even physically assaulted.
He received a black eye from an upset fan during
that transition period. So Ringo's early days
as a Beatle were incredibly fraught. And just
when the public was questioning him, his professional
confidence was undermined by George Martin. Right.
Ringo's very first official session was September
4, 1962, but just a week later for the second
session for Love Me Do. Martin replaced him.
He brought in a session drummer named Andy White.
So imagine Ringo, who had just weathered that
public storm, being told to step aside. He was
relegated to playing tambourine on the singles
A side. And maracas on the B side. P .S. I love
you. It must have been a crushing, humiliating
blow. It was. Ringo admitted he thought, that's
the end, they're doing a Pete Best on me. He
believed he was about to be fired just weeks
after joining. And Martin's explanation later.
It was a bit defensive, I think. He said he simply
didn't know what Ringo was like technically and
wasn't prepared to take any risks on what was
their crucial debut single. It's a moment of
profound psychological insecurity for Ringo,
but that moment of doubt was very quickly drowned
out by the noise of Beatlemania. Oh, absolutely.
By late 1963, the fans had done a complete reversal.
They were calling for Ringo to sing. His popularity
in 1964 globally was just staggering. You could
actually measure it by the merchandise. I love
Ringo. Lapel pins were the single best -selling
Beatles merchandise item. He became a global
icon, and he had the surprising impact on commercial
industry, too. You're talking about the Ludwig
drum logo. Exactly. It's prominent placement
on Ringo's bass drum in every photo, every television
appearance. It provided such a massive burst
of unsolicited publicity that the Ludwig company
became the dominant drum manufacturer in North
America for the next two decades. Just from that
one placement, Ringo's presence was a cultural
tidal wave. In live shows, he even maintained
the old Rory Storm tradition of star time. And
Lennon would intentionally place a microphone
near his kit, and the resulting audience and
screams would rival the reception for the other
three. It was his unique blend of deadpan humor
and this sort of amiable shyness that made him
incredibly relatable. And his personality translated
perfectly onto film. When they released A Hard
Day's Night, Ringo garnered the most critical
praise. For his deadpan humor and, interestingly,
for his extended non -speaking sequences. And
that's a great anecdote we have to linger on.
It is. The director, Richard Lester, actually
had to arrange those extended non -speaking sequences,
like the famous scene where Ringo goes off alone
to take photographs. Because Star had been out
drinking all night. Exactly. Lester essentially
wrote around Ringo's exhaustion and slight incapacity
to deliver lines flawlessly, and in doing so,
turned a practical necessity into a brilliant,
poignant, artistic moment. The result was that
he was the unexpected breakout star of the movie.
He later won a Melody Maker poll over his bandmates
for his performance as the central character
in their second film, Help. in 1965. But we have
to remember the chaos that was surrounding all
this fame. The pressure was just enormous. It
was life -threatening. By 1964, Ringo was receiving
telephone death threats before shows in Montreal.
And he had to position his symbols vertically
in a desperate, last -minute attempt to shield
himself from any potential attack. It's a visceral
image of the madness of Beatlemania. And as the
band moved into the more experimental, intense
studio years, Ringo's experience shifted from
that chaotic validation to... Well, to profound
isolation. Hmm. During a recording of Sweet Pepper's
Lonely Hurts Club Band, he frequently felt like
he was just a session musician. He was literally
spending hours playing cards with the road managers,
Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans, while the others
meticulously perfected tracks. Because he wasn't
a primary composer, his input was often limited
to adding minor percussion effects, which left
him feeling disconnected from the central creative
process. He describes Sheet Pepper as the peak
for everyone else. but for him. For me, it was
a bit like being a session musician. His words.
That feeling of being marginalized really reached
its critical mass in 1968, prompting a pretty
dramatic moment. He temporarily quit the band.
The frustration stemmed in part from Paul McCartney's
intense and pretty harsh criticism of Ringo's
drumming on a track. So he needed to escape.
And he did so on a holiday, on a boat, loaned
to him by the actor Peter Sellers in Sardinia.
And this is where that self -healing and creativity
just intersect beautifully. It's a great story.
While on the boat, the chef served octopus. Ringo,
who is allergic to shellfish and generally squeamish,
refused to eat it. And that conversation with
the ship's captain about sea life sparked the
idea for his most famous composition. Octopus's
Garden. He wrote the initial structure on a guitar
during that trip and later finished it with George
Harrison's assistance. It's important to remember,
though, that his very first solo -recorded Beatles
composition showing his nascent songwriting muscle
was Don't Pass Me By from the White Album. Right,
that's right. And when he returned after two
weeks away, Harrison had covered his entire drum
kit in flowers as the symbolic, heartfelt welcome
back gesture. It's a small detail, but it speaks
volumes about how essential his presence, both
musically and personally, was to the equilibrium
of the group. even amid all that friction. Yeah,
but the band's official end was just around the
corner. The final time all four Beatles gathered
in a studio for a recording session was for the
mixing of I Want You, She's So Heavy on August
20th, 1969. And just a month later, Lennon announced
his departure, though the public wouldn't hear
about the breakup until McCartney's statement
in April 1970. So now we arrive at the core paradox
of Ringo Starr. He's the man who was constantly
dismissed by critics who were obsessed with Flash.
But who, in reality, was a revolutionary compositional
genius. His drumming philosophy entirely emphasized
feel and context over sheer technical virtuosity.
He defined his own style quite humbly. He did.
He said, I'm your basic offbeat drummer with
funny fills. because I'm really left -handed
playing a right -handed kit. And that left -handed
orientation, forced onto a traditional right
-handed setup, is the absolute key to his unique
compositional sound. Let's break that down, because
the mechanics of it are fascinating. Because
he was left -handed but played a right -handed
kit, he was forced to play the hi -hat with his
dominant left hand, crossing over to strike the
snare with his right. So this cross -body playing
creates a slightly awkward but incredibly original
shift in timing. Exactly. His fills often start
and end in unexpected places because he's leading
with his dominant hand, creating that slightly
delayed or off -kilter feel that makes the song
swing so hard. And George Martin, after his initial
doubts, eventually came to appreciate this immensely.
He gave the definitive insight. He said Ringo
hit good and hard and used the tom -tom well,
offering that rock -solid backbeat. And this
solidity was invaluable. The feel he brought
wasn't just decorative, it was foundational.
It provided a groove that allowed the others
the freedom to experiment. He wasn't just supporting
the song, he was defining it. The drummer Steve
Smith noted that before Ringo, drumming was judged
primarily by soloing and flash. Ringo, however,
brought forth a new paradigm, showing the public
that the drummer could be an equal participant
in the compositional aspect. And that's so true.
You can isolate his drum parts on tracks like
Ticket to Ride or Come Together, and you instantly
identify the song. It's not just rhythm. It's
a melodic anchor. And beyond his technique, he
influenced the actual sound of modern drumming
itself. He was instrumental in popularizing the
matched grip. Which is holding the sticks in
a mirrored fashion over the traditional grip.
Right. He also tuned his drums lower than was
common, giving them a rounder, fatter tone. And
he was early to use muffling devices on tonal
rings to control cymbal and drum sustain. So
his fat tom sounds and delicate cymbal work,
as it's been described, were imitated by thousands.
And when Ringo himself was asked to single out
his finest recorded performance, he always pointed
to the same song. The Beatles' B -side Rain.
And that choice is fascinating because Rain is
a masterclass in subtlety and dynamic complexity.
His drumming is almost moving in counterpoint
to the primary melody in the verses. It's incredibly
precise control over timing and texture. It shows
what he could do when he was fully engaged and
trusted by the writers. I think it's helpful
to contrast his philosophy with the technical
giants of the era. Ringo admitted that watching
a virtuoso like Buddy Rich... Doesn't turn me
on. Right. He just didn't connect with drumming
as acrobatics. And yet, he earned the respect
from the next generation of technical masters.
Phil Collins, a highly accomplished drummer himself,
called Ringo vastly underrated. And he cited
the complexity and placement of his fills on
A Day in the Life. as definitive proof of his
genius. Collins was so influenced that he openly
stated his drumming on the 1983 Genesis track,
That's All, was an intentional attempt at a classic
Ringo Starr drum part. Now we absolutely must
formally and finally debunk the infamous elephant
in the room. The quote about him not being Even
the best drummer in the Beatles. Yeah, we need
to put this myth to bed for good. That line was
not spoken by John Lennon, as is so often misattributed.
It originated in a 1981 episode of the BBC Radio
4 comedy show Radioactive. It then gained viral
traction, so to speak, when the comedian Jasper
Carrott popularized it in 1983. A full three
years after Lennon's death. And the historical
record just proves the contrary. John Lennon,
in a 1980 interview, called Ringo a damn good
drummer. He asserted that Ringo's talent was
so undeniable it would have emerged even if he
hadn't joined the Beatles. And furthermore, the
recording historian Mark Lewis's detailed analysis
confirms that over the entire eight -year recording
career of the Beatles, there were fewer than
a dozen instances where a session had to break
down because of a mistake by Ringo. The vast
majority of recording errors were attributable
to the other three. This myth truly reflects
public gossip and critical misunderstanding more
than actual musical reality. So beyond his percussive
genius, we have to celebrate his linguistic gifts.
Yeah. The infamous Ringoisms. Oh, absolutely.
These idiosyncratic turns of phrase provided
several indelible song titles for the band. Our
hard day's night and tomorrow never knows. are
the two most famous examples they were these
beautiful accidental malapropisms that paul mccartney
noted were always wonderful very lyrical possessing
a certain magic that fit the band's psychedelic
and often surreal aesthetic perfectly and he
contributed actual lyrics too the poignant specific
line darning his socks in the night when there's
nobody there in eleanor rigby that came directly
from ringo it gave that song a touch of specific
lived in humanity and finally His distinctive
baritone voice. It was limited in range, which
is why he rarely performed backing vocals. But
Lennon or McCartney wisely tailored one song
per album specifically to his vocal capabilities.
And that gave us timeless hits designed for his
persona, like Yellow Submarine and With a Little
Help from My Friends. That unique compositional
approach, the feel over the flash was key. But
how did that translate once the safety net of
the Beatles was gone? Right. Let's trace his
journey through this. 70s. His solo career actually
began amidst immediate tension with Paul McCartney.
McCartney refused to clear his own solo album
release date to accommodate Ringo's debut, Sentimental
Journey. And it was a bizarre choice for a debut
album, wasn't it? Totally. Sentimental Journey
in 1970 was an album composed entirely of pre
-rock standards with arrangements by legendary
figures like George Martin and Quincy Jones.
He wasn't trying to beat Lennon or McCartney
at rock. He was carving out a nostalgic niche.
And he followed that up the same year with the
commercially unsuccessful country -inspired album
Boku of Blues. Recorded with Nashville session
players like Pete Drake. But while those early
efforts showed him experimenting, his third album,
Ringo from 1973, became his definitive commercial
and critical peak. And this album established
the template for his entire future career, relying
on... powerful, high -profile collaborations.
All three former Beatles contributed, and it
resulted in massive hits. The chart -topping
U .S. number one single, Year 16. And the beloved
photograph. This album proved that the Ringo
charm was bankable, but only when he surrounded
himself with guaranteed high -quality talent
and songwriting. He also scored massive singles
outside of his albums during this period. It
Don't Come Easy, which he co -wrote with George
Harrison. A US -UK top 10 hit. And Back Off Boogaloo,
which became his most successful UK single, peaking
at number two. But the mid -1970s brought a sharp
downturn. And this coincided with Ringo's deepening
struggle with addiction. The excess of that era
led to some very dark places. He was part of
the notorious Hollywood Vampires Drinking Club.
A group that also included Keith Moon and Harry
Nilsson, which became synonymous with the hedonistic,
destructive rock and roll lifestyle. He later
gave a chilling assessment of that period, didn't
he? He did. He commented that the roles had reversed.
We weren't musicians dabbling in drugs and alcohol.
Now we were junkies dabbling in music. This was
an era defined by indulgence rather than output.
And in the midst of that excess, Ringo also branched
out into incredibly surprising non -musical ventures.
Like his furniture and interior design company,
R .R. Ringo, or Robin. He co -ran it with Robin
Crickshank from the late 60s into the 80s. And
this wasn't some vanity project. They were serious.
They designed apartments for people like Harry
Nelson and Paul. Raymond, and they even secured
contracts designing interiors for palaces in
Abu Dhabi and Oman. It shows a surprising acumen
for design and business outside of music. He
also made his directorial debut with the T -Rex
documentary Born to Boogie in 1972. But this
period of indulgence took a severe toll on his
health. In 1979, he became seriously ill with
intestinal problems directly related to his childhood
peritonitis. Requiring the surgical removal of
several feet of his intestine, he came close
to death yet again. Which brings us to the ultimate
turning point, the crucial moment of redemption.
In October... In November of 1988, following
years of what he described as living in a blackout.
He and his second wife, Barbara Bach, who he
married in 1981 after meeting on the set of the
film Caveman. They attended a detox clinic in
Tucson, Arizona and embraced sobriety. And he
reflected on the scale of the cost of that addiction,
stating, years I've lost, absolute years, I lived
in a blackout. Sobriety was a required foundation
for the launch of his most successful, enduring,
and I would say ingenious concept. Ringo Starr
and his all -star band. We have to analyze this
formula because it's a stroke of genius in music
industry logistics. It is. The model is elegantly
simple and massively reliable. The band features
Ringo and a rotating lineup of highly successful
musicians who perform his songs interspersed
with their own well -known massive hit material.
It's a business model built on guaranteed nostalgia
and shared risk. The first show was July 23,
1989 in Dallas, Texas. And it immediately clicked.
It solves several problems for Ringo. He doesn't
have to carry the entire set list of hits himself.
He guarantees the audience a massive playlist
of hits from people like Joe Walsh or Todd Rundgren.
And most importantly, he gets to be the central
drummer playing the parts he loves. Exactly.
But let me offer a critical counterpoint here.
While it's brilliant logistically and financially,
I mean, it's a guaranteed success. Isn't the
all -star band essentially an exercise in highly
curated nostalgia? Does this format allow him
to release challenging new music, or is he primarily
just leveraging the past and curating a hit parade?
That's a fair challenge. And it is absolutely
rooted in nostalgia, but its genius lies in the
adaptation. How so? Ringo recognized that his
greatest asset post -Beatles wasn't necessarily
his own individual creative output, but his position
as the central connector in the rock and roll
fraternity. So the all -star band allows him
to monetize that network. Precisely. He maintains
artistic relevance through collaboration while
guaranteeing a high -quality product for the
fans, its longevity by association. That makes
a lot of sense. It's an adaptable, self -sustaining
ecosystem that has kept him touring successfully
for over three decades. And his post -recovery
career also includes continued high -profile
collaborations with Paul McCartney, like on Ringo's
2010 album Why Not? And their joint performance
of Queenie I. at the 2014 Grammys. He was also
vital to the Beatles anthology project in the
mid -90s, recording drums on the new tracks Free
as a Bird and Real Love. And outside of his music
and design career, he has this substantial film
and television presence that often gets overlooked.
After the Beatles films and roles and bizarre
features like The Magic Christian Blind Man and
The Ridiculous Caveman. He even portrayed the
Pope. in ken russell's over -the -top film listomania
but for an entire generation of children he is
most recognizable as a children's television
figure often through his voice Exactly. He was
the gentle, soothing narrator for the first two
series of the original UK children's show, Thomas
the Tank Engine and Friends, from 1984 to 1986.
And he then successfully transitioned to the
American spinoff Shining Time Station, where
he starred as the beloved, magical Mr. Conductor
in the first season. It's an interesting pivot,
maintaining that benevolent, friendly public
persona. And finally, his recent output shows
he's not slowing down at all. In the 2020s, Ringo
demonstrated an incredible adaptability. In 2021,
he announced that he preferred to release EPs
like Zoom In, Change the World, and Rewind Forward
rather than labor over full albums. And this
approach fits the modern music economy perfectly,
releasing consistent, smaller bursts of material.
But despite that focus on EPs, he delighted fans
by announcing the release of a full country and
roots album, Look Up, produced by T -Bone Burnett,
slated for January 2025. This is a man who started
with Biscuit Tins and TB, and he is still producing
relevant music in his 80s. Just incredible. Before
we close, let's bring it back to the personal
life and the monumental, well -deserved honors
he has accumulated. He was first married to Maureen
Cox from 1965 to 1975, and they had three children,
Zach, Jason, and Lee. And notably, his son, Zach
Starkey, followed in his footsteps. He became
a highly respected professional drummer who has
played with bands like The Who and Oasis. His
current marriage to the actress Barbara Bach,
whom he married in 1981, has endured for over
four decades now. They split their time between
London and Los Angeles. He also holds the distinction
of being the first Beatle to become a grandfather
in 1985. And later, the first Beatle to become
a great -grandfather in 2016. His professional
accolades are genuinely staggering, reflecting
his lifelong contributions. He is a double inductee
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. First as
a Beatle in 1988 and later as a solo artist in
2015. And that second induction is so critical
as it was specifically in the musical excellence
category. Which differentiates his entry from
the others who were inducted as performers. This
recognition finally formalized the long overdue
appreciation for his technical and compositional
contributions to the form. And then there are
the Royal Honors. He and the other Beatles were
all appointed members of the Order of the British
Empire, MBE, in 1965. But in 2018, Ringo Starr
was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the New Year
Honors for services to music. Officially becoming
Sir Ringo Starr. He holds numerous other unique
honors, including an Academy Award for Best Original
Song Score for the film Let It Be in 1970, and
an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee
College of Music in 2022. There is even a minor
planet, 4150 star, named in his honor. The cosmos
recognizes his influence. On a personal note,
he maintains a distinctive lifestyle focused
on health and peace. He's a strict vegetarian.
Avoids garlic and onions due to allergies, and
he practices daily meditation. And if you ever
see him or hear him speak, his personal philosophy
and catchphrase is consistently simple and sincere.
Peace and love. That phrase, which he champions
relentlessly, speaks to his role not just as
an artist, but as a key personal and artistic
connector. He was the one member who managed
to stay friendly and collaborative with John,
Paul, and George, even during their most bitter,
fractured solo periods. He's often seen as the
emotional anchor, the most resilient, approachable
member of that quartet. Which brings us to our
final provocative thought for you to chew on.
Ringo Starr was dismissed for decades by critics
who prioritized technical brilliance. But his
entire career, from surviving Dickensian poverty
and illness, to inventing rhythms on a rubbish
bin lid, to designing the immensely durable all
-star touring model, proves that he possesses
an intangible compositional feel that cannot
be taught. So why is it that this fundamental
emotional quality in music, the ability to give
a song an irreplaceable heartbeat, is so much
harder for critics and the public to recognize
and reward than mere virtuosity? Yet it is so
often the key ingredient for genuine, multi -decade
artistic resilience. It's the ultimate paradox
of the foundational artist. He made genius sound
effortless. We leave you to consider that foundational
rhythm in your own deep dive. Until next time,
keep digging.