Ringo Starr Ignored His Family’s Advice Before His ‘Sliding Doors Moment’
It’s not a coincidence that adding Ringo Starr on the drums helped propel The Beatles to international fame. Even though he got replaced on the drums more than once in his career, he possessed hall-of-fame talent that the rest of the Fab Four didn’t. Before he became a star, Ringo ignored his family’s advice as he made a decision that changed his life forever.
The Beatles made a smart choice adding Ringo Starr to the band
Ringo lost a chance at a relationship because he was perceived as dumb, but there was nothing stupid about The Beatles adding him to the lineup.
Original drummer Pete Best was a satisfactory live time keeper but not cut out for recording sessions. Producer George Martin suggested the band replace him in the studio. They did, and they wanted protection against Best after they fired him outright. It might have been uncomfortable at first, but it was the right move to make.
The skilled Ringo was the best drummer for the job when The Beatles changed their sound in the mid-1960s. Before the Fab Four got to that point, Ringo ignored his family’s advice as he made a choice that changed his life dramatically.
Ringo ignored his family’s advice when he quit his lucrative job to pursue drumming: ‘I’m off’
Ringo developed his interest in drumming while recovering from one of his childhood illnesses. When he reached working age, he got a job on a tourist boat before getting fired for a drunken tirade directed at his boss. He then worked as an apprentice at a Liverpool factory, but Ringo didn’t stay there long.
When Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, the band he played in before The Beatles, landed a lucrative months-long gig at a resort in 1960, Ringo ignored his family’s advice to keep his factory job. The promise of steady drumming work was no match for job security, Michael Seth Starr (no relation to Ringo) in With a Little Help:
“I was an apprentice engineer, which was very big news in our family. But I was also playing with Rory and the Hurricanes, and we got the offer of a three-month gig at Butlin’s [Holiday Camp] at Skegness and Pwllheli, so we had to give up our jobs. All my uncles and aunties came over to try and tell me that drumming was OK as a hobby. I had to stand there and defend myself. I said ‘No, I’m a drummer, I’m off.’ That’s a sliding doors moment. Some decisions are good.”
Ringo Starr explains how he ignored his family’s advice to pursue drumming
Ringo ignored his family’s advice to stick with his apprenticeship and committed himself to music when he had the chance. He earned ￡16 per week playing Butlin’s with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, per Starr. That’s the equivalent of more than ￡292 in 2022, according to the Bank of England inflation calculator.
Ringo once said he was no good as a drummer, which was far from the truth. He eventually earned a lot more than ￡16 per week playing with The Beatles, but his skills behind the kit weren’t the only qualities he brought to the Fab Four.
The drummer kept The Beatles grounded and never lacked for humility
Ringo helped keep his bandmates grounded when the Fab Four’s notoriety reached its peak. The drummer once revealed the good-natured intra-band ribbing was the key difference in how The Beatles handled their fame compared to Elvis Presley. Ringo’s quick wit and down-to-earth attitude were a large part of that.
When John Lennon brought Yoko Ono into the band’s inner circle, the drummer had a pure Ringo reaction that John never forgot. Paul McCartney and George Harrison judged Yoko based on first impressions, but Ringo was more welcoming. He didn’t jump to conclusions about Yoko’s presence. It was a big change, but Ringo went with the flow.
Before any of that happened, though, Ringo ignored his family’s advice and dove headfirst into a music career that became legendary.
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