Ringo Starr, born Richard Starkey, is an English musician, songwriter, and actor best known for his tenure as the Beatles’ drummer. In addition to his drumming duties, he occasionally sang lead vocals on tracks such as “Yellow Submarine” and “With a Little Help from My Friends.” In addition to playing the drums, Starr co-wrote compositions such as “Don’t Pass Me By” and “Octopus’s Garden.”
After the dissolution of the Beatles, he attained solo success with hits such as “Photograph” and “You’re Sixteen.” Starr’s playing technique and musical innovations had a global impact on drummers. For his contributions to music, he has been inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has been knighted. With a net worth of $350 million, he is considered the world’s richest percussionist.
Early Years and Childhood
Richard Starkey, best known as Ringo Starr, was born in Liverpool, England on July 7, 1940. He is the only child of Richard and Elsie Gleave, confectioners. Ringo’s parents divorced and separated when he was a young child. Ringo’s father was not involved with him after the divorce, and his mother cleaned houses before becoming a barmaid. At the age of six, Ringo had an appendectomy for appendicitis.
The peritonitis he contracted placed him in a coma for several days. During his year-long recuperation, he resided at the Myrtle Street Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, away from his family. In May 1948, he was released from the hospital, and his mother kept him out of school. Ringo was unable to read or write at the age of eight. Several years of twice-weekly tutoring allowed him to catch up academically.
In 1953, Ringo contracted tuberculosis and spent two years in a sanatorium. Ringo’s first exposure to a percussion instrument was a makeshift mallet that he used to strike the cabinets next to his bed, as the sanatorium encouraged their patients to join the hospital band to both stimulate motor skills and mitigate boredom. Consequently, Ringo developed an interest in percussion.
The Net Worth of Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr’s estimated net worth in 2023 is approximately $350 million. He is one of the wealthiest drummers in the world, with the majority of his wealth coming from his work as a musician, songwriter, and actor. He is best known as the drummer of one of the most successful ensembles in history, the Beatles. Additionally, he has had a successful solo career, publishing twenty albums.
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Professional Career of Ringo Starr
In 1962, he joined the Beatles, succeeding Pete Best as drummer. The fact that he played a right-handed drum kit with his left hand is frequently cited as an influence by contemporary percussionists. He sang main vocals on a number of Beatles songs, including “With a Little Help from My Friends,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Good Night,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Boys,” and their cover of “Act Naturally.” He authored the works “Don’t Pass Me By” and “Octopus’s Garden.”
Starr launched a prolific solo career following the Beatles’ dissolution in 1970, releasing fifteen studio albums by 2010 and collaborating with a variety of artists, including former bandmate Paul McCartney. He has also appeared in a number of films, both with the Beatles and after their breakup, and narrated “Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends” and “Shining Time Station” for two seasons each, winning an Emmy Award for “Shining Time Station.” S
He has toured with over a dozen iterations of Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band. As a member of the Beatles and as a solo artist, he is one of 21 performers to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame more than once.
1998 saw his induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame. The readers of Rolling Stone ranked Starr as the fifth-greatest percussionist of all time in 2011. He is the world’s wealthiest drummer.
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Personal Life of Ringo Starr
Ringo Star wed Maureen Cox in 1965. Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, was the best man. George Harrison and his stepfather Harry Graves were witnesses. Three children were born to the couple: Zak (1965), Jason (1967), and Lee (1970). The couple divorced in 1975 due to Starr’s multiple affairs. He later confessed to being “an alcoholic, an abusive husband, and an absent father.” Maureen died in 1994 at the age of 48 of leukemia.
Starr met actress Barbara Bach in 1980 on the set of the movie “Caveman.” They tied the knot on April 27, 1981.
There are eight descendants in Starr’s family: one from Zak, four from Jason, and three from Lee. In 2016, he became the first Beatle to have great-grandchildren.
Starr is a vegetarian and daily meditator. “Peace and love” is his catchphrase and personal credo.