Paul McCartney Used His Family’s Inside Joke to Savagely Rip the Drummer Who Criticized Ringo Starr
Paul McCartney remains one of the most famous songwriters in history. His tunes with The Beatles, whether one of his many revealing love songs or otherwise, redefined pop music forever. Macca could be harsh with his Fab Four bandmates at times, but when another drummer criticized Ringo Starr, McCartney savagely ripped him by using his family’s inside joke.
Paul McCartney pegged Ringo Starr as the perfect drummer for The Beatles
Pete Best drummed for The Beatles before Ringo joined the band in 1962. Yet producer George Martin said the group would need a different drummer for recording sessions. Ringo was the perfect fit. His steady timekeeping and stately playing helped propel the Fab Four to international stardom.
The way Paul tells it, he knew Ringo was the perfect drummer for The Beatles when he nailed a tough Ray Charles beat. Complicated playing was not in Best’s arsenal, so the fact that Ringo perfectly played the part on the fly told Paul, John Lennon, and George Harrison all they needed to know.
Paul could be tough on his bandmates at times, especially as tensions rose within the group in the late 1960s. Macca reportedly told Ringo how to play drums on some Beatles songs. Still, when famous jazz drummer Buddy Rich called out Ringo’s playing, Paul savagely ripped him by using his family’s inside joke.
Paul used an inside joke to savagely rip Buddy Rich for criticizing Ringo’s playing
Ringo once said he was no good as a drummer. He was wrong, but he remained humble even when he was the most famous timekeeper in the world. Jazz drumming legend Buddy Rich agreed, saying Ringo couldn’t drum.
It happened years after Rich’s 1987 death, but Paul relied on his family’s inside joke to savagely rip Rich’s opinion in a 2018 interview with GQ:
“This is like Buddy Rich saying Ringo couldn’t drum. Because coming from Buddy Rich’s sensibility, Ringo can’t drum. But coming from our sensibility, Buddy Rich is a load of s—. But God bless him.”
Paul McCartney
That “God bless him” is Paul’s savage burn of Rich. As Macca explained, one family member would simply say “God bless him” when faced with harsh, over-the-top criticism. It was McCartney family shorthand for something much more severe.
“’Bless him.’ It was a great euphemism for ‘What a c—,’” Paul said to GQ. “So if you ever hear me say, ‘Bless him…’”
Rich’s harsh words for Ringo didn’t sit well with Paul, and he pulled out his family’s inside joke to savagely rip the jazz drummer’s asinine opinion.
Ringo put Macca in his place with an epic clapback, but they remain friends
Paul didn’t always make life easy on Ringo with The Beatles, but he defended his drummer from Rich’s silly opinion. That wasn’t the first time Macca showed up for his bandmate.
The day after the Fab Four’s farewell rooftop concert, Paul sent Ringo a postcard with an emotional message about his true feelings for the drummer. Paul later contributed to several solo Ringo albums over the years.
Ringo gave as good as he got, too. When Paul once jokingly pressured the sober drummer to have a drink, Ringo’s epic clapback proved he didn’t take gruff from anybody. As it turns out, neither did Paul McCartney, whose inside joke was a secretly savage burn on Buddy Rich for criticizing Ringo’s drumming skills.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
