George Harrison Praised Ringo Starr Before He Even Knew His Name, and George’s Words Were 100% Right
Ringo Starr established himself as one of the best drummers in Liverpool, England, before he joined The Beatles. Ringo’s first band nearly shared a bill with early American rock ‘n’ roller Eddie Cochran, but they missed their chance, which might have saved the Fab Four. Ringo sat in with The Beatles, impressed Paul McCartney with one song, and soon joined the band as they charted a history-making course. Yet Ringo earned George Harrison’s praise before George even knew his name.
George Harrison praised Ringo Starr before he knew his name
Before The Beatles extended Ringo an invitation, before he witnessed George and Paul have a two-hour argument during a tour pit stop, Ringo earned praise from George.
George caught a Rory Storm & the Hurricanes show during their time in Hamburg. The band didn’t leave much of a mark on George, but Ringo’s drumming did. John Lennon tended to speak candidly, but George didn’t mince words talking about Rory Storm and Ringo, as Michael Seth Starr (no relation) writes in the Ringo biography With a Little Help:
“It was during that time that Harrison, writing a long letter to his pal Arthur Kelly back in Liverpool, first mentioned Ringo (but not by name). Harrison described Rory Storm and the Hurricanes as ‘crummy,’ but had some nice things to say about the guy behind the drum kit. ‘The only person who is any good in the group is the drummer.’”
It seems unlikely that George would purposely omit Ringo’s name in his letter home.
Everybody knew almost everybody else in the tight-knit Liverpool music scene. It seems likely George would have remembered Ringo’s name and used it in his letter if they crossed paths earlier. Also, Ringo already had a reputation around town for his drumming talent. There wouldn’t be a reason for George to be unclear about Rory Storm & the Hurricanes’ drummer in his letter if he knew who it was. It seems like that the performance George watched and mentioned on his letter might have been his introduction to Ringo’s drumming. It was good enough that George praised Ringo even though he didn’t know his name.
Ringo impressed George from the get-go, and it wouldn’t be the last time.
George had a front-row seat to watch Ringo create some of the best beats of all time
Beatles producer George Martin kept Ringo on the sidelines when the band recorded its first single. Martin must have had a bad moment or clogged ears during that session. Ringo was already an accomplished drummer, and he crafted some of the most memorable beats of the 1960s.
“Come Together” wouldn’t be the same without Ringo’s rolling, tom-heavy beat. His solo on “The End” was a brief yet mighty display of his talents. Really, Ringo shines on all of Abbey Road in a way he hadn’t before.
Ringo didn’t save all his best work for The Beatles’ swan song. He called it a weird Beatles’ track, but Ringo loved his performance on the B-side “Rain.” It really is a showcase for the drummer. He liberally uses fills, has a short, nearly unnoticeable segment with rapidly open and closed high-hat ride, and at one point uses nothing but a cymbal tap to keep the time as the guitars strum in between beats.
Ringo impressed George right away before George knew who he was, and he was right to praise him. Ringo put the beat in The Beatles, and they wouldn’t have been the same without him.
The pair worked together after The Beatles broke up
The Beatles broke up in 1970, but that didn’t mean the Fab Four stopped working together. George and Ringo teamed up more than once in the early 1970s..
George’s solo debut outside the Fab Four, 1970’s All Things Must Pass, was an instant success and a better chart performer than Paul or John’s first solo records. Ringo played on two-thirds of that record (even though George forgot he did).
After Ringo worked on All Things Must Pass, George repaid the favor and helped write three songs for Ringo’s third solo album in 1973. One of those tunes was “Photograph,” which was Ringo’s first No. 1 song.
Ringo Starr impressed George Harrison immediately, and the pair maintained a working relationship after their days in The Beatles ended.
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