If you’re in LA today, you’re invited to the Capitol Records Tower at noon for Ringo’s annual Peace & Love birthday celebration, 2016 edition. The public is always invited to these gatherings, as befits the most human, humorous, humble and down-to-earth member of the biggest pop group in history. And, if you’re not in LA, you can still wish Ringo Happy 76th Birthday by taking to social media at noon local time (#PeaceandLove).

Richard Starkey was born on July 7, 1940, in Liverpool, England. The oldest Beatle nearly wasn’t – old, let alone a Beatle. Little Ritchie (son of Big Ritchie) suffered two life-threatening childhood illnesses. He almost died at age 6 from appendicitis complicated by peritonitis that put him in a coma, and he contracted TB at 13 and spent 2 years in a sanitarium. As a patient there, Ritchie was encouraged to beat makeshift drums to relieve boredom and maintain his motor skills. He decided then and there to become a drummer. Naturally left handed, Ritchie had grandma to thank for training him to be ambidextrous by making him write with his right hand. Nicknamed Lazarus at school for his miraculous returns from hospitals, Ritchie missed so many classes and became so isolated from other kids that he quit school at 15.

Stepfather, Harry, mom, Elsie, and Ritchie Starkey

Ritchie knocked around trying to make a buck as a railroad worker, a barman, and a woodworker, but none of those jobs really interested him, and the possibility of injury from machinery scared him to death. A friend got him interested in skiffle music, that could be played without real musical instruments. Ritchie co-founded the Eddie Clayton skiffle band when he was 17, banging on boxes, tins, chairs, and playing a washboard. Harry gave Ritchie his first set of drums for Christmas, 1957.

Two years later, Ritchie joined The Raging Texans, a rock band that became Rory Storm & the Hurricanes. And, Ritchie became Ringo Starr – Ringo for his habit of wearing rings, and Starr for his regular solo slot, called Starr Time. In 1960, he first met the Beatles in Hamburg, Germany, where his band was higher on the bill and paid more than were his future mates. Two years later, he agreed to replace Pete Best as the fourth Beatle. Paul McCartney and John Lennon agreed to pay him 5 pounds more per week (25 pounds) than Rory Storm. Ringo joined Beatles on August 18, 1962; off came the beard, and on came the mop top. Ringo thought he might lose the job when producer George Martin wanted to hire a session drummer for the group’s first recordings.

"I did quickly realize that Ringo was an excellent drummer for what was required. He's not a technical drummer. Men like Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa would run rings around him, but he is a good solid rock drummer with a steady beat, and he knows how to get the right sound out of his drums. Above all, he does have an individual sound. You can tell Ringo's drums from anyone else's and that character was a definite asset to the Beatles' early recordings." (George Martin, All You Need Is Ears, 1979)

The next 8 years were a whirlwind. During that time, Ringo was “the funny one” and especially the one who managed to keep the peace between the other group members. At the same time, the Beatles discography wouldn’t be the same without Ringo’s contributions.

Beatles songs written or co-written by Ringo Starr:

• "What Goes On" (Rubber Soul) (Lennon-McCartney-Starr)
• "12-Bar Original" (Anthology 2) (Lennon-McCartney-Harrison-Starr)
• "Flying" (Magical Mystery Tour) (Lennon-McCartney-Harrison-Starr)
• "Don't Pass Me By" (The Beatles, aka the White Album) (Starr)
• "Octopus's Garden" (Abbey Road) (Starr)
• "Dig It" (Let It Be) (Lennon-McCartney-Harrison-Starr)
• "Maggie May" (Let It Be) (traditional adaptation by Lennon-McCartney-Harrison-Starr)
• "Free As a Bird" (Anthology 1) (Beatles' version by Lennon-McCartney-Harrison-Starr)
• "Christmastime (Is Here Again)" ("Free As a Bird" single) (Lennon-McCartney-Harrison-Starr)

Beatles songs sung by Ringo Starr:

• “Act Naturally”
• “Don’t Pass Me By”
• “Honey Don’t”
• “Good Night”
• “I Wanna Be Your Man”
• “Matchbox”
• “Octopus’s Garden”
• “What Goes On”
• “With a Little Help From My Friends”
• “Yellow Submarine”

In 1970, the Beatles broke up, and Ringo was the first to begin his solo career. In 1971, he began a run of 7 consecutive Top 10 singles, unmatched by any other former Beatle. And, since 1989, Ringo has led a series of 12 different versions of his All-Starr Band, on tours and on record. To date, Ringo has released 18 solo albums, including these hit singles:

• “Photograph”
• “You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine)”
• “Back Off Boogaloo”
• “It Don’t Come Easy”
• “The No No Song”
• “Don’t Go Where the Road Don’t Go”
• “Never Without You”

Ringo has also appeared in at least 15 movies. He met and instantly fell in love with co-star and second wife Barbara Bach on Caveman (1981). His first marriage, to Maureen, ended in divorce in 1975. They had 3 children, including Zak Starkey, the drummer for The Who. How appropriate that Zak should sit in Keith Moon’s former spot, as Keith and his dad were mates who always encouraged Zak to become a drummer. Ringo has also published 3 books, the most recent being Photograph (2015), containing 300 of his private photographs, many taken by Ringo during the Beatles years. Among Ringo’s other accolades, he has 9 Grammys, an Oscar, an M.B.E., and is a 2-time inductee in the HOF. 

Ringo and Barbara have remained together since 1981. They maintain homes in LA, England, and Monte Carlo. Ringo has always felt at home in the US. "It's like England, but with more buttons."

Happy Birthday Ringo! #PeaceandLove