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Ringo Starr earned his share of praise with The Beatles. George Harrison spoke highly of Ringo before he knew who he was and was proven right. After displaying his drumming prowess with the Fab Four, Ringo entered a hall of fame the other Beatles will never join. The ace timekeeper earned accolades during his heyday, and he also dispenses them, like when Ringo planted a kiss on a musician who covered The Beatles in 2014.

Ringo Starr, who once kissed a musician after they covered The Beatles, attends an event at The Grammy Museum in 2013.
Ringo Starr | Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

The Recording Academy saluted The Beatles with ‘The Night That Changed America’

Ringo once said The Beatles caught a lucky break to book their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Still, there was nothing lucky about the impact their American debut had on pop culture. They were already popular in England and had some notoriety in the United States. Playing the Sullivan Show took their fame to another level.

Fifty years later, the Recording Academy (the group behind the Grammy Awards) honored the band with The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles in 2014. The show included artists from several genres (including Stevie Wonder, Brad Paisley, Pharrell Williams, and John Legend) covering Beatles tunes.

One of the covers touched Ringo so deeply that he kissed the musician who performed it.

Ringo Starr kissed Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds after the band performed a Beatles cover

Ringo performed at the Salute to The Beatles, and so did Paul McCartney. Then they teamed up for a pair of songs. But the performance that touched Ringo the most might was Imagine Dragons’ cover of “Revolution 1.” 

NME reports that Ringo kissed Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds on the cheek when the drummer met the band at the show. Reynolds also revealed Paul loved the rendition the band turned in:

“Ringo gave me a big kiss on the cheek, and my child brain was blown away. At our studio in Las Vegas, one of the first things you see as you walk in is the kind note that Paul wrote [to] us saying he really enjoyed our cover of ‘Revolution.’ That’s the first thing you see – before a Grammy or anything – which is how impactful it was to us,” Reynolds said. “The most nervous I’ve ever been was covering the Beatles in front of the Beatles! That was terrifying.”

The Dragons’ stripped-down version of “Revolution 1” put the focus on the melody and harmony of the song. It was nearly an a capella rendition with the four Imagine Dragons members playing three guitars, a bass, and a tambourine tapped by a drum kick pedal. It was impactful and memorable enough that Ringo felt he had to kiss Reynolds after the performance.

Ringo praised Imagine Dragons years after their cover at the ‘Salute to The Beatles’

Related

Ringo Starr Once Explained Why George Harrison Never Joined the All-Starr Band

Ringo kissing Dan Reynolds after Imagine Dragons covered “Revolution 1” wasn’t the only time the band found favor with the famous drummer.

Reynolds created the Loveloud foundation and music festival in 2017 to support LGBTQ youth. It’s a cause he continues to support. When Reynolds spoke out against LGBTQ conversion therapy at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, Ringo sent a tweet (in the most Ringo way possible) that voiced support for Reynolds’ message.

Ringo Starr kissed Dan Reynolds after Imagine Dragons impeccably covered The Beatles. Yet it wasn’t the only time the drummer liked what Reynolds did.

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