What Ringo Starr's Former Bandmates Have To Say About Him

In the annals of rock history, there is no drummer who's been more consistently underrated than Ringo Starr. As one-quarter of the Beatles, the erstwhile Richard Starkey has been famous for six decades, while the music he recorded half a century ago with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison lives on. Speaking with Music Week in 2024, Starr marveled at the streaming numbers the band continued to rack up on Spotify — including the songs featuring his vocals. "I was shocked — 100 million streams of 'Octopus's Garden,'" he said. "I'm No. 51 on the Beatle streaming chart and last year we did four-and-a-half billion streams. The beat goes on."

Over the course of all those years, Starr has played with a jaw-dropping array of musicians. In addition to his own solo work (his star-studded 21st studio album, "Look Up," was released in 2025) and playing on the albums of the other Beatles, he's sat behind the drum kit for the likes of Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Eddie Vedder, and more. Then, of course, there's been his ongoing touring entity, Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band — a revolving supergroup of various musicians who've established themselves in other projects ranging from the Eagles to Supertramp to Mott the Hoople and many more. All those musicians have certainly gotten to know him, and they've eagerly shared their opinions on the legendary drummer.

After the bitter break up of the Beatles — one of the many band splits that were worse than you thought — Ringo Starr demonstrated he had no hard feelings with the others when he played on albums from his former bandmates. Starr contributed drums to John Lennon's 1970 "Plastic Ono Band," and he took things even further when he enlisted all three to play on his own 1973 solo album, "Ringo."

Even after parting ways, Lennon continued to sing Starr's praises. "Ringo was a star in his own right in Liverpool before we even met," the singer-songwriter said in a 1980 interview with Playboy, recalling the drummer's role in popular Liverpool band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Elaborating on Starr's natural charisma, Lennon also lauded his skills as a musician. "Ringo is a damn good drummer," he remarked. "He is not technically good, but I think Ringo's drumming is underrated the same way Paul's bass playing is underrated."

Lennon also took umbrage to the notion that Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts was technically better on the skins than Starr.  "If you compare [Paul McCartney's] bass playing with the Rolling Stones' bass playing, and you compare Ringo's drumming with Charlie Watts' drumming, they are equal to them, if not better," Lennon said in an interview appearing in "The Beatles Anthology" (via Gold Radio). "I always objected to the fact that because Charlie came on a little more 'arty' than Ringo, and knew jazz and did cartoons, that he got credit."

Like his former songwriting partner John Lennon, Paul McCartney has long sung the praises of Ringo Starr's drumming. In early 2025, McCartney spoke with Mojo about Starr's just-released country album, "Look Up," pointing out that Starr's lifelong love of country music was reflective of his laid-back personality. "He's a very sincere, straightforward guy," McCartney said of his former bandmate, "and I think that's the sort of theme behind a lot of country music."

According to McCartney, Starr had always been something of a musical savant. With no formal training, his intuitive playing proved to be a perfect fit for the Beatles, first in the band's early mop-top era through to the evolving experimentation of the group's ambitious later work. "So anything he knows is self-taught, most of it, he's very clever that way," McCartney added. "He picks things up and is very witty. And, above all else, he's an amazing drummer who just knows how to do it. Simple as that."

During one of McCartney's appearances on "The Howard Stern Show," he was asked to rank the best drummers in rock. Without hesitation, he immediately handed the No. 1 spot to Starr. "I'd go Ringo top," McCartney declared. "He's something else."

Of all the other Beatles, Ringo Starr performed most frequently with guitarist George Harrison, beginning with Harrison's 1970 triple album, "All Things Must Pass." He also handled drum duties for Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh" and played on every single one of Harrison's subsequent albums from 1973's "Living in the Material World" to 1987's "Cloud Nine" (save for 2002's posthumously released "Brainwashed").

Clearly, Harrison relied on Starr to back him up, even when they were no longer bandmates in the Beatles. "I know Ringo is a great drummer, but he's bad," Harrison said in an on-camera interview for Dutch television. While that appeared to be contradictory, Harrison meant "bad" in a sense other than quality of skill. "He doesn't practice," Harrison elaborated. "But it doesn't seem to matter, he just picks up the drumsticks. And for my songs, he's very good because he listens to the song once and he knows exactly what to play." 

However, there was one point of friction between the two, which escalated to the point that lawyers nearly became involved. It all began when Starr recorded "When Every Song is Sung," an unrecorded track that Harrison had written for British singer Shirley Bassey. Harrison agreed to let Starr record the track, renamed "I'll Still Love You" when it appeared on his "Ringo's Rotogravure" album. Harrison, however, hated what Starr had done with the song and threatened to sue. They wound up settling the matter out of court.

Joe Walsh joined Ringo Starr on his first tour with his All-Starr Band in 1989 and returned to the fold when he hit the road in '92. Since then, Walsh has occasionally dropped in as a guest during Starr's tours. Walsh, who'd learned to navigate some big egos when he joined the Eagles, praised Starr for both his musical abilities and his humility. "He's not just the greatest drummer in rock history — from the greatest band in rock history — he's also the greatest guy I know and the most kind and helpful friend you could ever want," Walsh said when Starr received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as reported by Rolling Stone.

Of course, Walsh's bond with Starr extends far beyond music. The guitarist is married to Marjorie Bach, sister of actor Barbara Bach, who's been married to Starr since the early 1980s (they met while co-starring in the comedy "Caveman"). Musical collaborators and brothers-in-law, Walsh and Starr have forged an exceptionally close relationship. In fact, Walsh once cracked a gentle joke at Starr's expense, referencing the drummer's strict vegetarian diet that emphasizes broccoli and blueberries. "Every time I see Ringo," Walsh quipped to Rolling Stone, "he smells of kale."

Sheila E. earned her stripes musically playing with late rock icon Prince, emerging as a sought-after percussionist who went on to play with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Gloria Estefan, Patti LaBelle, Steve Nicks, and many more. In 2001, she joined Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, becoming the first — and only — woman to become part of the lineup. She fit in so well that she returned for two more tours.

No slouch in the drumming department, the erstwhile Sheila Escovedo was blown away by the complexity of Starr's seemingly straightforward drumming style. "I couldn't believe how his simplicity of playing drums was actually very complicated," she told Rolling Stone of what she'd observed while touring with him. She'd also managed to hone in on the secret that had been underlying his drumming, hiding in plain sight to anyone tuned in enough to observe it. "I'd close my eyes and every time I got to the part of playing the drum fill he would already be there," she explained. "It was then I realized that his approach in the Beatles was as if the drums were another singer."

Interviewed for BUILD Series, Sheila E. marveled at the musical compatibility that they'd developed over the years. "We love playing together," she gushed while discussing how much she'd learned while breaking down his style in order to play like he did. She was also among the celebs who attended his Walk of Fame ceremony, and he was also present at hers over a decade later, as seen above.

Colin Hay is best known as the frontman and founder of Men at Work, the Australian band that scored big hits with the singles "Down Under" and "Who Can It Be Now?" before breaking up for the first time (but not the last) in 1986. Hay first became part of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band in 2003, and he toured with the musician several times after that. For Hay, the experience of hearing the drummer for the Beatles performing one of his Men at Work songs was beyond anything he ever could have imagined. 

"The novelty never wears off ... It's bizarre really," Hay observed in a 2024 interview with The Senior. "It's like some surreal dream you're having where you're playing your songs and Ringo is playing the drums and you turn around and he is actually playing the drums." Hay also praised the octogenarian's stamina — and his propensity to conclude a concert by doing some jumping jacks. "He's sharp as a tack," Hay said of Starr, "he's in great shape and looks after himself. It's remarkable."

Howard Jones hit the 1980s with a fury, defining the synth-pop sound embraced by new wave while churning out Top 40 hits such as "Things Can Only Get Better" and "No One is to Blame." Jones was also a member of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band for its 2001 tour alongside such fellow stars as Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Greg Lake and Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter. The way Jones viewed it, he wasn't just backing up a rock legend — he was living out a fantasy by performing alongside one of his musical idols. 

"I grew up listening to their music and wore out their records because I listened to them so much," Jones told Women's World of his fandom of the Beatles. In the pantheon of drummers, he ranked Starr at the very top of the list. "I still think Ringo Starr is the best drummer of all time, I don't care what anybody says, he is so good," Jones emphatically declared. 

Paul Carrack had sang in many bands (including Ace and Squeeze) when he was recruited as frontman for Mike and the Mechanics. The mid-1980s supergroup was led by guitarist Mike Rutherford as a side project while his main band, Genesis, was on a hiatus. While Carrack has worked with some music industry heavy hitters — including Roxy Music and Pink Floyd alum Roger Waters — touring with Ringo Starr's band during its 2003 iteration was a career highlight.

Looking back on that time, Carrack recalled the experience with extreme fondness. "It was amazing," he said in an interview with Classic Bands. Describing his own career as somewhat "insecure," he admitted that he'd probably have had more confidence early on if he'd known that someday he'd receive a call to join one of the Beatles on tour. "What I thought was if I'd had known through the years that this was going to happen, that I'd end up playing with a Beatle on stage and on tour, it would've saved me a lot of worry," he admitted.

More than a decade later, Carrack still looked back on his tour with the All-Starr Band as pure wish fulfillment. "I still can't believe it now, to be honest," he admitted in a 2014 interview with Malcolm Wyatt. "If you're having a conversation and it comes up 'when I was on the Ringo tour ...' It's quite amazing really."

After launching his career as lead singer of pop band the Raspberries, Eric Carmen struck radio gold with his 1975 hit "All By Myself," which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1976, and returned to the chart two decades later courtesy of Céline Dion's version. In 2000, Ringo Starr invited him to join his All-Starr Band, with Carmen accompanying Starr for just that one tour. "It was a great experience touring with Ringo," Carmen told Rock Cellar Magazine, sharing the response he gave upon receiving the call asking him to hit the road with Starr. "I said, 'How can you say no to playing with a Beatle?'" he recalled.

Carmen, like pretty much everyone who's performed with Starr, raved about his proficiency at his instrument. "I think he's a great drummer," Carmen declared. "He was probably the single most important influential drummer in my thinking about rock 'n' roll." While Carmen found it "thrilling" to accompany Starr on his Beatles songs and solo hits, the experience of Starr backing him up while he sang one of his own songs was on a whole other level. "The thought of playing 'All By Myself' and looking over my shoulder seeing Ringo do the drum fill [imitates drum fill)] [laughs] was mind boggling," he added.

Throughout a music career spanning seven decades, Todd Rundgren launched himself in the mid-1960s with his band Nazz before pursuing a solo career while also branching out as an in-demand producer. Among the numerous projects he's been involved in was singing and playing guitar for the second version of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, performing on the 1992 tour. At the time, Starr was just a few years sober, having kicked a drug and alcohol habit that had seen him ingesting up to 16 bottles of wine and a gram of cocaine per day. According to Rundgren, some members of the All-Starr Band had followed his lead, while others had not. "Ironically he was heading up a group of musicians of whom half were in Alcoholics Anonymous and the other half were completely smashed," Rundgren told Classic Rock, recalling that while Starr was sober, his son, drummer Zak Starkey (who also played on that tour) was decidedly not. "So there was a whole dynamic going on there," Rundgren observed.

Looking back at that tour, Rundgren recalled Starr as a down-to-earth guy who played music for the sheer joy of it. "He did the music for fun," said Rundgren. "He didn't feel that there was some burden to it, he just liked to play. Any opportunity to sing was fine but I never saw him having any pretence that he was building some giant musical legacy."

Supertramp scored hit after hit in the 1970s, including "The Logical Song," "Dreamer," "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home," and so many more. The voice in all of those singles belonged to singer Roger Hodgson, who performed with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band in 2001. 

"That was quite a kick," Hodgson said in a 2013 interview with radio station WZLX. While undertaking his own musical journey, Hodgson had been hugely inspired by the Beatles. In fact, he held the Fab Four responsible for the path that his own life took by demonstrating how to express himself through music. As a massive Beatles fan, Hodgson admitted he loved listening to Starr tell stories from his Beatles days, marveling at how Starr's perspective from within the eye of the hurricane differed from how the media had those events. "And actually, I had a lot of compassion for him because it's very hard being a Beatle, even to this day," Hodgson mused, observing how attaining extreme Beatle-level fame could be constricting. "I mean, he can't venture out of the hotel room easily ... you do become a prisoner so much," he added. 

Like others who'd played in the band, Hodgson was floored by hearing Starr drumming along behind him while he sang his Supertramp hits. "He has a pocket like no other drummer," Hodgson said. "It was a great experience. He's a wonderful guy and it was a lot of fun and it was a great experience for me."

Ringo Starr and singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson were longtime friends, first encountering each other in the late 1960s and remaining close until his death in 1994 at the far-too-young age of 52. "He was my best friend," Starr candidly told Rolling Stone. "Yeah. I loved Harry."

Over the course of their decades-long friendship, Starr and Nilsson collaborated musically and also cinematically, co-starring in the 1973 film "Son of Dracula." While Starr recalled that they'd had a lot of fun making the movie , that certainly wasn't the case for anyone unfortunate enough to have watched the downright awful film. 

Nilsson wasn't just Starr's pal and drinking buddy — he was also a huge admirer of his musicianship. In a video interview that resurfaced via TikTok, Nilsson offered him high praise. "Ringo is the ultimate rock 'n' roll drummer," Nilsson said. "He's the guy." Ultimately, it was fitting that Nilsson's final public appearance was alongside Starr, performing as a guest of the All-Starr Band, accompanying Todd Rundgren on piano for his hit "Without You" during a 1992 show in Las Vegas.