(LOOTPRESS) – English musician Sir Richard Allen Starkey MBE – perhaps better known as Ringo Starr, legendary drummer of The Beatles – celebrated his 84th birthday on Sunday.
Starr, an accomplished singer, songwriter, and actor, has left a lasting mark on culture and popular music through his contributions to the work of The Beatles alone. Starr’s driving, swinging rhythms put an as-of-then yet unheard spin on the rhythm & blues stylings which gained popularity in the 1950s.
Stepping in to replace drummer Pete Best in August of 1962, Starr was last member of The Beatles to join on a permanent basis, remaining along with Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison until the dissolution of the group in 1970.
Prior to the establishment of his own highly successful career as a solo artist and actor, Starr changed the way many musicians approached their craft, particularly in terms of rhythm. A left-handed drummer acclimated to a right-handed drum kit setup, Starr’s distinctive cross-over for drum fills served as a stylistic inspiration for generations of drummers to come and provided the music of The Beatles with an irreplicable sense of “feel.”
The Liverpool native always espoused the notion of feeling over flash, preferring to create unique, song-based grooves as opposed to demonstrating excessive speed and technical mastery in his performances. Many highly successful modern drummers speak to Starr’s substantial impact on the instrument and its implementation, including Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Max Weinberg of the E Street Band, and countless others.
Studio material from The Beatles featuring drum tracks particularly indicative of Starr’s distinctive feel include “Come Together,” “A Day in the Life,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and “Rain,” among many others.
Despite his advanced age, Starr has shown no signs of slowing down, touring and performing consistently with his All Starr Band, which last year made its way to the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center for a night of classic rock favorites.
