Richard Starkey Jr, MBE (born 7 July 1940), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer of The Beatles. He was the oldest member of the band, and the last to join the now familiar 'Fab Four' line up. While he was sometimes the least visible member of the band, Starr's drumming style played a pivotal role in the music played and recorded by The Beatles. He filled the role he was hired for in 1962, then went on to establish a new approach to rhythm in popular music that some claim continues to grow in its significance and influence with every decade since The Beatles recorded their music. Starr is left-handed yet plays a right-handed kit; his tendency to lead with his left hand contributes to his distinctive drumming style. Lennon said of Starr: ??? Ringo was a star in his own right in Liverpool before we even met. He was a professional drummer who sang and performed and had Ringo Starr-time and he was in one of the top groups in Britain but especially in Liverpool before we even had a drummer ... Ringo's a damn good drummer.??? Drummer Steve Smith said: ??? Before Ringo, drum stars were measured by their soloing ability and virtuosity. Ringo's popularity brought forth a new paradigm in how the public saw drummers. We started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect. One of Ringo's great qualities was that he composed unique, stylistic drum parts for the Beatles songs. His parts are so signature to the songs that you can listen to a Ringo drum part without the rest of the music, and still identify the song.??? Many drummers list Starr as an influence, including Max Weinberg of the E Street Band, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters/Nirvana, Danny Carey of Tool, Liberty DeVitto of Billy Joel's band, Phil Collins, Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater and others. According to Collins, "Starr is vastly underrated. The drum fills on the song "A Day in the Life" are
1 | You Better Move On | Lost And Found (Unreleased Memphis Album) |
2 | In My Car | Old Wave |
3 | Lay Down Your Arms | Ringo Starr: Rare Tracks |
4 | Blindman | Goodnight Vienna |
5 | Be My Baby | Old Wave |
6 | Tango All Night | Ringo The 4th |
7 | Lipstick Traces | Bad Boy |
8 | Yellow Submarine | Great Woods Mansfield |
9 | Dead Giveaway | Stop & Smell The Roses |
10 | Vertical Man | Vertical Man |
11 | I Keep Forgettin' | Old Wave |
12 | Drumming Is My Madness | Stop & Smell The Roses |
13 | Imagine Me There | Ringo Rama |
14 | I'll Still Love You | Ringo's Rotogravure |
15 | Fiddle About | Ringo Starr: Rare Tracks |
16 | All In The Name Of Love | Time Takes Time |
17 | Eye To Eye | Ringo Rama |
18 | Stop And Take The Time To Smell | Stop & Smell The Roses |
19 | Quarter To Three | Great Woods Mansfield |
20 | Coochy Coochy | Beacoups Of Blues |