Ringo Starr
Biography
Richard Starkey MBE (born 7 July 1940), better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in August 1962, taking the place of Pete Best. In addition to his contribution as drummer, Starr featured as lead vocals on a number of successful Beatles songs (in particular, "With a Little Help from My Friends", "Yellow Submarine", and The Beatles version of "Act Naturally"), as co-writer with the song "What Goes On" and primary writer with "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden". As drummer for The Beatles, Starr was musically creative, and his contribution to the band's music has received high praise from notable drummers in more recent times. Starr described himself as "your basic offbeat drummer with funny fills", technically limited by being a left-handed person playing a right-handed kit. Drummer Steve Smith said that Starr's popularity "brought forth a new paradigm" where "we started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect" and that Starr "composed unique, stylistic drum parts for The Beatles songs". In 2011, Starr was picked as the fifth-best drummer of all-time by Rolling Stone readers, behind drummers such as John Bonham, Keith Moon and Neil Peart. Starr is the most documented and critically acclaimed actor-Beatle, playing a central role in several Beatles films, and appearing in numerous other movies, both during and after his career with The Beatles. After The Beatles' break-up in 1970, Starr achieved solo musical success with several singles and albums, and recorded with each of his fellow ex-Beatles as they too developed their post-Beatle musical careers. He has also been featured in a number of TV documentaries, hosted TV shows, and narrated the first two series of the children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. He currently tours with the All-Starr Band.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (47)
High in the Clouds
as Roy (voice)
2027
A Love Letter to the Beatles
as Himself (Archival)
2025
The Beatles
as Self (archive footage)
2025
Ringo & Friends at the Ryman
as Self
2025
TWST / Things We Said Today
as Self (archive footage)
2025
Beatles '64
as Self
2024
Larger than Life: Reign of the Boybands
as Self (archive footage)
2024
Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley
as Self (archive footage)
2024
The Beatles LOVE
Producer (Production)
2024
The Bannfoot Ferry
as Self (archive footage)
2024
The Beach Boys
as Self (archive footage)
2024
Now and Then - The Last Beatles Song
as Self
2023
The Beatles and the BBC
as Self (archive footage)
2023
AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex
as Self
2023
Reinventing Elvis: The 68' Comeback
as Self (archive footage)
2023
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
as Self (archive footage)
2023
Sounds of Liverpool at the BBC
as Self (archive footage)
2023
Louder Than Rock
as Self (archive footage)
2023
Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock 'n' Roll
as Self
2023
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story
as Self (archive footage)
2023
Let There Be Drums!
as Self
2022
Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band: Live at the Greek Theater 2019
as Himself
2022
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
as Self (archive footage)
2022
The Beatles: 1964 US Tour Reconstruction
2022
If These Walls Could Sing
as Self
2022
Ringo Starr: One of Them
as Self (archive footage)
2022
The Beatles: Get Back - The Rooftop Concert
as Self (archive footage)
2022
How much LSD did The Beatles do in the 1960s?
2022
Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
2022
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
as Self
2021
The Beatles and India
as Self (archive footage)
2021
What Drives Us
as Self
2021
Jealous Guy: The Assassination of John Lennon
as Self (archive footage)
2020
Zappa
as Self (archive footage)
2020
Meeting the Beatles in India
as Self
2020
Ringo Starr’s Big Birthday Show
as Self - Host
2020
Understanding McCartney
as Self
2020
Mae West: Dirty Blonde
as Self
2020
Paul McCartney: Wings of a Beatle
as Self (archive footage)
2019
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
as Self (archive footage)
2019
Manson: Music from an Unsound Mind
as Self (archive footage)
2019
Deconstructing the Beatles' Abbey Road: Side 2
as Self (archive footage)
2019
Yesterday
Songs (Sound)
2019
Echo in the Canyon
as Self
2019
Deconstructing the Beatles' Abbey Road: Side 1
as Self (archive footage)
2019
Understanding Lennon/McCartney
as Self (archival footage)
2018
The Beatles – Ready Steady Go!
as Self
2018
