Ringo Starr is the professional name of Richard Starkey, an English drummer, singer, songwriter, actor, and recording artist best known as the drummer of the Beatles. Born on July 7, 1940, in Liverpool, he became one of the most recognizable musicians of the rock era and later built a substantial solo career marked by collaboration, humor, and an enduring connection with classic rock and pop audiences.
Starr grew up in Liverpool and experienced serious health problems during childhood, including a prolonged period of recovery from tuberculosis. While convalescing, he developed an interest in percussion and began playing drums during the skiffle boom of the 1950s. He gained professional experience with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, one of Liverpool's leading groups, and performed in Hamburg, Germany, where he crossed paths with the Beatles.
In August 1962, Starr replaced Pete Best as the Beatles' drummer. His arrival completed the lineup that would become central to the development of modern popular music. Starr was not known for flashy technique, but for his strong sense of time, economical playing, distinctive fills, and ability to support a song without overwhelming it. His drumming became an essential part of the Beatles' sound, from the direct energy of their early recordings to the more varied studio arrangements of their later work.
Although John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison were the band's principal writers and singers, Starr regularly received a featured vocal number. His performances of "Boys," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Honey Don't," "Act Naturally," "With a Little Help from My Friends," and "Yellow Submarine" helped establish his individual identity within the group. He also wrote "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden," the latter becoming one of the Beatles' most enduring songs. Starr's natural comic timing made him an effective screen presence in the Beatles' films *A Hard Day's Night*, *Help!*, *Magical Mystery Tour*, and *Yellow Submarine*.
After the Beatles broke up in 1970, Starr was the first member of the group to achieve a United States number one single as a solo artist, with "Photograph" in 1973. His early solo albums included *Sentimental Journey*, *Beaucoups of Blues*, *Ringo*, and *Goodnight Vienna*. He often worked with his former bandmates and drew material from a wide circle of friends, including George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and numerous leading session musicians. Songs such as "It Don't Come Easy," "Back Off Boogaloo," "You're Sixteen," and "The No-No Song" became key parts of his solo repertoire.
In 1989, Starr established Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, a touring ensemble whose changing lineups brought together musicians from different generations and traditions. The group became a durable feature of his career, allowing Starr to perform his own songs alongside hits associated with his collaborators.
Starr continued releasing albums throughout the 2000s and 2010s, including *Ringo Rama*, *Choose Love*, *Liverpool 8*, *Y Not*, and *Give More Love*. In the 2020s, he returned to country and Americana influences with *Look Up* in 2025 and *Long Long Road* in 2026, both made with producer and songwriter T Bone Burnett. Starr was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 2015. He was knighted by the British monarchy in 2018 for his services to music.