Ringo Starr’s Drumming Earned High Praise From Elvis Presley’s Bandmate, and He Was 100% Right

Ringo Starr was one of the best rock drummers of his era. He literally put the beat in The Beatles. Ringo suffered some down moments — he got replaced more than once when he struggled to play the drums — but those moments were few and far between. Not everyone praised Ringo — Paul McCartney savagely ripped Buddy Rich for his disparaging critique — but don’t put D.J. Fontana in that group. Ringo earned high praise from Elvis Presley’s drummer, who was 100% right in his assessment.

Ringo Starr’s drumming earned raves from Elvis Presley’s drummer, D.J. Fontana; ‘You couldn’t have moved him with a crane’

Buddy Rich didn’t think much of Ringo’s timekeeping, but D.J. Fontana did. Elvis’ longtime kit man worked with Ringo during an early 1970s recording session in Memphis and said he’d never seen a more precise player. Fontana called the ex-Beatle one of the best he’d ever seen, writes Michael Seth Starr (no relation) in the Ringo biography With a Little Help.

“He’s one of the finest drummers. People say, ‘He don’t do a lot.’ Well, he don’t have to do a lot. He played that steady tempo. He was the glue for The Beatles; he put it together for them. That’s what they needed. That’s the whole secret of drumming. If you wanna do something fancy, go ahead and do it. If not, just play the beat,” Fontana said. “What amazed me, he never varied from that tempo. He had the greatest conception of tempo I’ve ever heard in my life. I have never heard anybody play that steady in my life, and that’s a long time.

“[H]e played that backbeat and never got off of it. Man, you couldn’t have moved him with a crane. It was amazing. He played a hell of a backbeat, man, and that’s where it’s at.”

Fontana realized right away generations of music fans discovered — Ringo was quietly one of the best rock drummers of any era.

Fontana’s high praise of Ringo’s drumming was spot on

Ringo once claimed he was no good as a drummer. His self-assessment was way off, and aside from Rich, many drummers understood his greatness. Overplaying was never his thing. Ringo’s style was all about playing in a manner that perfectly suited the song. 

The Beatles’ earliest songs were mostly simple pop songs. Still, Ringo fully displayed his skills for those willing to listen. A tune such as “Anna” from Please Please Me displays the signature Ringo flourishes that came later. He quickly closes his high-hat cymbal to mute it during the verses, then provides an appropriately delicate yet noticeable fill leading into the chorus. 

Ringo added more complex elements to his beats as the Fab Four grew into their sound. He drops several subtle fills on Rubber Soul’s “Think for Yourself.” Meanwhile, “You Won’t See Me” would be far more boring if not for Ringo’s embellishments on the kit.

His one-of-a-kind playing on the B-side “Rain” and his stellar work all over Abbey Road cemented Ringo’s status as a praise-worthy drummer, something Fontana needed only a few minutes to understand firsthand.

Rich wasn’t a fan, but Ringo earned industry accolades that prove he had plenty of admirers.

He entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. Ringo joined Rich in a hall of fame the other Beatles had no shot at joining. Some of the best modern-day drummers, such as Dave Grohl and Questlove, joined Fontana in praising Ringo when he stepped into the RNR HOF. 

The Beatles’ drummer never lost his down-to-earth attitude

Ringo’s humility also struck a chord with Fontana. Elvis’ drummer expected an egotistical superstar but encountered a down-to-earth musician who was willing to take a back seat to the Memphis musicians he was playing with. 

Humility never left Ringo, even when he achieved worldwide fame. 

Paul and George Harrison were lukewarm (at best) when John Lennon brought Yoko Ono into The Beatles’ inner circle. The drummer had a genuinely pure Ringo reaction that John never forgot.
One musician who spent time with the Fab Four said Ringo was the most approachable Beatle because he lacked the pretense of John and Paul. Ringo Starr’s drumming earned high praise from Elvis’ timekeeper, but his demeanor was just as praise-worthy.

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