McCartney Times

“Ringo was a star in his own right in Liverpool before we even met. Ringo was a professional drummer who sang and performed and was in one of the top groups in Britain, but especially in Liverpool. So Ringo’s talent would have come out one way or the other … whatever that spark is in Ringo, we all know it but can’t put our finger on it. Whether it’s acting, drumming, or singing, I don’t know. There’s something in him that is projectable and he would have surfaced as an individual … Ringo is a damn good drummer.”

These were the words of Ringo’s former band mate John Lennon in an interview just before he was killed.

Born Richard Starkey, he changed his name to Ringo Starr while drumming for Rory Storm and The Hurricanes because of the numerous rings he wore in his fingers. Officially a member of The Beatles in 1962 after their drummer Pete Best was sacked, Ringo’s friendship with John, Paul and George could be traced back to early 1960 when they were part of the local music circuit in Liverpool and Hamburg. Occasionally, whenever Pete Best would call in sick or not turn up for a gig, Starr would contribute with drumming responsibilities. It was on one such session when Starr impressed the other three by nailing the drum beat to Ray Charles’ “What I’d Say.” From then on, John, Paul and George knew that Ringo was destined to become a Beatle and without a second thought was their first choice to replace Pete Best.

While most critics would dismiss Starr’s drumming to be something mediocre that lacks the technical feel to it, he still however remains a major influence on most rock drummers for his consistency in keeping time and rhythm and as someone who could resonate an appropriate drum sound to give each song its distinctive soul. This claim was further backed by Sir George Martin who produced most of The Beatles records from 1962 to 1970, “He’s got tremendous feel. He always helped us to hit the right tempo for a song, and gave it that support – that rock-solid back-beat – that made the recording of all the Beatles’ songs that much easier.”

Although Ringo simply considered all of these theories to simply being a left handed drummer playing a right handed kit, giving that delayed beat created as result of starting off with his left hand. Phil Collins of the Genesis is another left handed drummer of the  rock world and dedicated their 1981 hit ‘That’s All’ to  Ringo.

Source: Ringo Starr Is The Wild, Star Drummer Of Rock N’ Roll | TheThings