Ringo Starr Today

Childhood

Born Richard Starkey on July 7, 1940, in Liverpool, England, Starr got the nickname “Ringo” because of his fondness for rings. A sickly child who missed school often, he left school in his early teens and worked as an engineer’s apprentice. He dreamed of becoming a rock star and fashioned drums out of tin cans before getting his first real set in 1959.

The Beatles

Starr was introduced to The Beatles in the early 1960s and was eventually chosen to replace Pete Best as the band’s drummer. Mainly a background vocalist, Starr sang the lead on a handful of Beatles hits, notably “Yellow Submarine” (1966) and “With a Little Help From My Friends” (1967) Thanks to his time in the band, Ringo became one of the most famous drummers in the world and a huge celebrity in the 1960s.

Post-Beatles

The Beatles disbanded in 1970 and Starr became a solo artist. During this time he worked with the other former Beatles on numerous collaborations. By the late 1970s Ringo was suffering with personal problems linked to alcohol and drugs. After getting his life back together, Starr brought together impressive number of famous musicians to tour in his All-Starr Band in the late 1980s and 1990s. Starr and his fellow Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. He was inducted for his solo work in 2015.

Fab-Facts

• Ringo is estimated to have earned $350 million as of 2021.

• He was the first Beatle to leave the group.

• Ringo was so sick as young boy, three times his doctors told his mother he wouldn’t survive the night.

• Ringo was the original voice used for Thomas in the series, ‘Thomas the Tank Engine.’

• He is one of only two member of The Beatles to still be alive in 2022.

• Starr acted in several movies aside from the ones he did with the Beatles.