5 of Ringo Starr’s Closest Friends Who Weren’t The Beatles
Ringo Starr has never shied away from getting a little help from his friends. The drummer’s close buddies for many years included his Beatles bandmates, who assisted him in his solo career. George Harrison helped Ringo with solo project days after injuring himself on a mountain hike, for instance. Yet Ringo’s musician friends extended beyond The Beatles.
1. Ringo Starr had an ‘intimate relationship’ with Keith Moon of The Who
Ringo and Keith Moon had different drumming styles — understated elegance compared to bombastic bashing — yet their personalities meshed well. One of Ringo’s former girlfriends said he had an intimate relationship with Moon, meaning they could hold entire conversations without speaking.
The Who drummer once angled for his friend’s job in The Beatles, but that didn’t hurt their relationship. Moon babysat Ringo’s son Zak. In a full circle moment, Zak became The Who’s touring drummer later in his life.
2. Ringo and Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham were friends
Led Zeppelin dethroned The Beatles as England’s most popular band in a 1970 NME reader poll, but the drummers forged a strong friendship. John Bonham realized what many others at the time didn’t — that Ringo’s drumming was perfect for what the Fab Four did with their music.
Zep’s busy schedule never interfered with the drummers spending time together. Bonzo was a frequent guest at Ringo’s house in Los Angeles, where he had a habit of pranking his friend by tossing him in the pool when he visited.
3. The Beatles’ drummer was close to T. Rex leader Marc Bolan
Bolan and T. Rex found success in the early 1970s in the wake of The Beatles’ break up. Ringo and Bolan’s friendship was mainly about the music. Ringo contributed to the T. Rex album The Slider by taking the cover photo. The pair collaborated on the 1972 concert film Born to Boogie (Elton John also appeared) the same year.
Bolan inspired one of Ringo’s biggest solo hits with the way he talked. The drummer wrote “Back Off Boogaloo” after Bolan repeated the phrase while having dinner at Ringo’s house, and the single went to No. 2 in England and No. 9 in the United States.
4. Harry Nilsson was 1 of Ringo’s closest friends outside The Beatles
Ringo and Harry Nilsson spent plenty of time with each other in the 1970s, and they brought John Lennon into the mix. The trio joined the LA drinking club The Hollywood Vampires. So it’s not surprising that Ringo and Nilsson’s relationship included a lot of overindulging, late nights, and hungover mornings.
Still, they found time for the music. Ringo’s hit song “You’re Sixteen” featured vocals from his friend. Nilsson wrote the song “Easy for Me” on Ringo’s Goodnight Vienna album. The drummer guested on his friend’s Son of Schmilsson, Pussy Cats, Son of Dracula, Duit on Don Mei, and Flash Harry albums.
5. The drummer befriended Joe Walsh before they became brothers-in-law
Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh played on Ringo’s forgotten Old Wave album in 1983 and 1998’s Vertical Man. The first two iterations of the All-Starr Band included Walsh as a featured player. Then the drummer and guitarist became brothers-in-law.
Ringo married Barbara Bach in 1981. Walsh married her sister, Marjorie Bach, in 2008. Ringo played on Walsh’s 2012 Analog Man album, and the guitarist has contributed to several of his brother-in-law’s projects since their friendship morphed into a familial relationship.
Ringo Starr formed close friendships with several musicians over the years. Sometimes the drummer collaborated with his pals, and sometimes he didn’t. Whether he did or didn’t never impacted their bonds. Ringo had tight relationships with each of his Beatles bandmates, and his pleasant personality helped him form new friendships with other musicians after the band broke up.
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