Ringo Starr’s Career Highlights

By JC Villamere. 7 Jul 2021 3:00 PM

Did you know that the Beatles recorded their first album in 1962 and released their last one in 1970? For Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, 81, that adds up to eight years of Beatles and 73 years of everything else.

ET Canada reported that Ringo says the Beatles turned down a $50-million offer to reunite because the opening act was a man fighting a great white shark. 1976 sounds bananas, you guys. And 1976 is just one of Ringo’s 81 years.

In honour of the icon’s July 7 birthday, here’s a look at all of this ‘Starr”s life in pictures.

@ringostarr

Don't Let Anyone Tell You Ringo's Not A Great Drummer

Ringo Starr/YouTube

Criterion

Fox

PBS

Calderstone Productions

Calderstone

Buy It For The Cover, Keep It For The Hits

Calderstone

Apple Films

Apple

Getty Images

Getty

Photo: Getty

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Sir Starkey
@ringostarr
Sir Richard Starkey is best known as Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and he's proven himself to be a drummer's drummer. Here's a picture of Ringo rocking on stage at the Milano Jazz Festival in 2011. Among his fans are Phil Collins, who first found success as the drummer for the band Genesis.
Don't Let Anyone Tell You Ringo's Not A Great Drummer

Steve Smith, drummer for Journey, is also a big Ringo fan and has said this of Ringo's ability: "Before Ringo, drum stars were measured by their soloing ability and virtuosity. Ringo's popularity brought forth a new paradigm ... we started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect ... 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." (And Steve Smith knows drumming: Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row.)
No Birthday Cards, Please
Ringo Starr/YouTube
Special occasions create the natural inclination to send send a greeting card, but maybe just make Ringo a cake and then eat it yourself (that's what we're doing). Ringo (who we've affectionately re-nicknamed The Grumpy One) posted a video online 12 years ago to tell fans not to ask him for autographs anymore and to stop sending him stuff in the post. He's going to start binning things, he says, because he's too busy for your well wishes. Let 'em eat cake, we say.
Long-Running Problem
Criterion
But seriously, this guy really does not want your mail. Ringo has been getting a tonne of mail all the time since 1964. That's before lots of us were born. Remember this scene from Ringo's 1964 film debut in the Beatles movie 'A Hard Day's Night'? That top screen grab is John Lennon accepting a packet of fan mail addressed variously to him and fellow Beatles Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Below that, you see the pile of fan mail address wholly to Ringo.
Stoked By 'The Simpsons'?
Fox
When Ringo voiced himself on a 1991 episode of "The Simpsons", he was shown still answering his fan mail and finally getting to a letter Marge had sent him in the '60s. This can only have stoked fans' interest in sending Ringo mail and hoping for a sitcom-worthy reply.
Can He Blame Us?
PBS
Who wouldn't want to write fan mail to the man who narrated the British children's series 'Thomas & Friends' from 1984 to 1986, and then appeared as the character of Mr. Conductor (pictured) in the 1989 American spin-off, 'Shining Time Station'?
Solo Star
Calderstone Productions
After the Beatles split in 1970, Starr released his solo debut, 'Sentimental Journey,' a cover album of pop standards arranged by pros like Quincy Jones, Beatles producer George Martin, and McCartney. 'Sentimental Journey' was a Top 10 hit in Britain and a Top 30 hit in the States.
'Ringo'
Calderstone
Ringo's 1973 album, the Top Ten hit 'Ringo,' contained the hits "You're Sixteen," "Oh My My," and "Photograph," which he co-wrote with Harrison.
Buy It For The Cover, Keep It For The Hits
Calderstone
Ringo has released 19 solo albums, including 1974's 'Goodnight Vienna,' which was a Top 10 hit.
Boogie
Apple Films
Ringo made his directorial debut with the 1972 T. Rex documentary 'Born to Boogie', featuring the late "Godfather of Glam," T.Rex's Marc Bolan, pictured here alongside Ringo and his haircut.
Born For It!
Apple
The film features a T. Rex jam session with Ringo and Elton John and is on our list of things to watch this summer.
The Last Waltz
Getty Images
A little more Canada ... Members of the Toronto-formed '60s roots rock band The Band helped out on 'Ringo' and 'Goodnight Vienna' and in turn, you see Ringo behind the drum kit during 'The Last Waltz,' the Martin Scorsese film that documented the band's final gig. And then? Band members Levon Helm and Rick Danko helped form the first incarnation of the All-Starr band.
He's Big on Collabs
Getty
Ringo played drums for John Lennon's band in 1970 and worked on Harrison's hit three-record set, 'All Things Must Pass' that year, too. He was a frequent collaborator with Harrison, working with him on his records 'Living in the Material World' in 1973, 'Dark Horse' in 1974 and 1987's 'Cloud Nine'. The pair co-wrote the hits "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo." Here's a pic of Ringo standing next to George Harrison and the Beatles in 1964. We use this pic whenever we can because we think it looks like Harrison is throwing up gang signs.
Slay
Photo: Getty
Ringo was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Beatle in 1988 and again for his solo career in 2015, making him one of only about two dozen performers who have been inducted more than once. In addition to an MBE awarded by the Queen in 1965, Ringo was appointed a Knight this year for his "services to music." Happy 80th, Ringo! We hope you get zero cards.

Ringo Starr’s Career Highlights

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