Ringo Starr

Born into a modest family in Liverpool, England, on July 7, 1940, Richard Starkey, aka Ringo Starr, was introduced to rock'n'roll as a teenager with Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, a rival band to The Beatles formed in 1959. When he agreed to join the rival band at George Martin's suggestion, replacing Pete Best after an unsuccessful session in 1962, Ringo Starr - nicknamed for the rings on his fingers - was part of the greatest musical adventure of the 1960s, which brought John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and himself to the pinnacle of popularity. When the Fab Four split up in 1970, he and his partners embarked on a solo career, which they did with the albums Sentimental Journey and Beaucoups of Blues (1970), followed by Ringo (1973), which reached number two in the US, which brought him the hits "I'm the Greatest", "Photograph", "You're Sixteen " and "It Don't Come Easy", after signing such iconic songs as "Yellow Submarine" (1966) and "With a Little Help from My Friends" (1967) for The Beatles. After Goodnight Vienna (1974) and albums such as Stop and Smell the Roses (1981), the Monte-Carlo-based drummer formed Ringo & the All-Star Band in 1989, joined by a host of renowned musicians, and recorded dozens of albums based on regular touring. At the same time, Ringo Starr continued his studio activities, producing albums such as Time Takes Time (1992), Vertical Man (1998), Ringorama (2004), Choose Love (2005), Liverpool 8 (2008), Y Not (2010), Ringo 2012 and Postcards from Paradise (2015). Inducted shortly afterwards into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he signed the album Give More Love (2017), before being knighted in the Order of the British Empire in 2018. Sir Richard Starkey, who has also had a star in his artist's name on Hollywood Boulevard since 2010, records the album What's My Name (2019) and the EP Zoom In (2021) with a host of guests. From the former, the song "Grow Old with Me" virtually reunites The Beatles: composed by John Lennon, it features Paul McCartney on backing vocals and bass, as well as an orchestral line from "Here Comes the Sun", conceived by George Harrison. In 2024, Look Up, produced by T-Bone Burnett, marks a return to country music, with contributions from the new generation including Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Alison Krauss, Lucius and Larkine Poe.