Just for having been in the Beatles, Ringo Starr will be remembered as one of the most influential drummers in rock 'n' roll history. But his instrumental and overall musical gifts, while perhaps not as pronounced as all-time best-selling songwriters John Lennon and Paul McCartney, are still notable; his steady but distinctive drumming style provided an important foundation for countless Lennon/McCartney masterpieces, while his signature fills garner more acclaim with each passing year.

On Tuesday February 9th 2010 Ringo Starr received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

It was recently announced that Ringo will be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He issued this statement: "A star for a Starr - what an honor and a privilege it is to be walked on!"Official Ringo Starr Site: Star for a Starr

Richard Starkey was born July 7, 1940 (he would be the oldest member of the Beatles). When he was three years-old, his parents got a divorce, and he lived with his mother through the rest of his childhood.Ringo Starr Biography: Ringo Bio At a young age, he suffered severe abdominal pains that resulted in him spending much of his childhood in a hospital, missing school. He spent several months in a coma. When he got out of the coma he found that his step-father had bought him his very first drum-kit at the age of thirteen. From then on he decided that he wanted to be a drummer.Official Ringo Starr biography: Official Biography When he got out of the hospital, he returned to school; the school administration did not remember him as he had been gone so long. (Ringo has stated that after he became famous the school suddenly remembered him and charged people to sit in "his desk".) At the age of seventeen he joined his first band, the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group.

After his short-lived sit-in with the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group, Ringo joined Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.Rory Storm and the Hurricanes: Rory Storm and the Hurricanes At the time, the Hurricanes were one of the most popular groups in Liverpool, and the group helped solidify Ringo as one of the best drummers in Liverpool. (It was with the Hurricanes that he was dubbed "Ringo" because he wore many rings and "Starr" so that his drum solos could be called "Starr Time."The Internet Beatles Album: Ringo Starr Portfolio)
Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, along with Ringo, went to Hamburg, Germany, in the early 1960s. At the same time they were there, The Beatles were also there playing at many of the same clubs. Ringo would occasionally sit in as the drummer for the Beatles when their drummer at that time, Pete Best, did not show up for the shows.Internet Beatles Album: Pete Best Portfolio Ringo continued to play with the Hurricanes until the summer of 1962 when the Beatles were given a recording contract. Brian Epstein (the Beatles' manager) along with Paul McCartney and George Harrison, succeeded in firing Pete Best from the group in favor of who they thought was a much better drummer - Ringo Starr.

Ringo became the permanent drummer for the Beatles on September 4, 1962.WikiAnswers: WikiAnswers Ringo He recorded the Beatles' first single "Love Me Do" on the same day, but when he arrived for recording sessions a week later, he was surprised to find that the studio producer, George Martin, had hired a session drummer named Andy White.About Oldies Music: Love Me Do Ringo feared that his time in the Beatles might be far shorter than he expected, but he proved his ability during the recording for "P. S. I Love You" and the rest of their first album Please Please Me.
In the early years of the group, Ringo was solely the drummer and occasional singer; he was not a songwriter. For their first albums John Lennon and Paul McCartney would write a song for Ringo to sing, or he would sing a cover song. Some of the songs he sang include "Boys," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Act Naturally," "Honey Don't," and "Yellow Submarine."FunTrivia: Songs
During Beatlemania - the period between 1963 and 1965 in which the Beatles caused mass hysteria - the group was known for their quick wit during press conferences. Ringo was generally considered to be "the funny one" (George: the quiet one; Paul: the cute one; John: the smart one)Yahoo Answers: Ringo Nicknames and he was often the butt of the others' jokes, who joked that he was unattractive and a sub-par drummer - John once quipped that Ringo was "not even the best drummer in the Beatles."Songfacts: Back in the USSR Facts

By 1967, the Beatles had stopped touring and were focusing on more elaborate studio techniques with their newest album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on which Ringo sings one of his most famous songs, "With a Little Help from My Friends." Ringo found that, after years of touring, and playing while the crowd was louder than the band, he was not the drummer he once was. He thought that his drumming ability had slipped behind as the musical and songwriting abilities of his bandmates progressed rapidly.
On August 23, 1968, Ringo officially quit the BeatlesBrainyHistory: Ringo Quits Beatles because he thought he was inadequate as a drummer. Ringo went on a Mediterranean cruise to help himself relax. On this trip he was inspired to write "Octopus's Garden." Eleven days later on September 3 Ringo returned to Abbey Road studios where he found that his bandmates had covered his drum kit in flowers; Ringo officially rejoined the band the same day just in time for the recording of "Hey Jude." Because of his absence Ringo does not appear on "Back in the USSR" or "Dear Prudence."The Beatles White Album: White Album Credits
Between 1969 and 1970, the Beatles continued to change; their manager, Brian Epstein, had died; John Lennon invited Yoko Ono into the studio; and Lennon and McCartney's songwriting partnership was completely over. In September 1969, John Lennon officially quit the Beatles. Ringo, along with Harrison and McCartney, continued to finish Let It Be and Abbey Road until April 1970. Ringo does not sing on Let It Be, but his song "Octopus's Garden" appears on Abbey Road and his only drum solo with the Beatles is featured on "The End."About Classic Rock: Ringo Starr Profile

In the early years of the Beatles, Ringo did not write any songs, but he would sometimes coin phrases that other members of the group would turn into a song; such is the case with "A Hard Day's Night"SongFacts: A Hard Day's Night Facts and "Tomorrow Never Knows."
In 1966, Ringo co-wrote a song with Lennon and McCartney for Rubber Soul called "What Goes On." It was his first song-writing credit. His name also appeared on the credits of songs credited to the whole group ("Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey") including "Flying," "Dig It," and "12-Bar Original."
Occasionally, Ringo would try to write songs, but when he would present them to the rest of the group they would inform him that he had unintentionally ripped-off a pre-existing song. Ringo's first solo writing credit was on The White Album's "Don't Pass Me By." In 1964, Ringo was asked if he had written any songs; before he could respond, Paul McCartney started singing the opening lines of "Don't Pass Me By." He had written this song as early as 1963, but it was not completed until 1967.The Beatles Bible: Don't Pass Me By
Ringo's second solo songwriting credit was from Abbey Road's "Octopus's Garden." Ringo was inspired to write the song after temporarily quitting the Beatles in 1968 when he went on a cruise. A scene from the Let It Be documentary shows Ringo and George Harrison working out the verse of the song on a piano. "Octopus's Garden" was met with more critical acclaim than "Don't Pass Me By." George Harrison said this about "Octopus's Garden": "This song gets very deep into your consciousness, though because it's so peaceful. I suppose Ringo is writing cosmic songs these days without even realizing it."Abbey Road Lyrics: Octopus's Garden

After the 1970 break-up of the Beatles, Ringo released several solo albums. The first two, Sentimental Journey and Beaucoups of Blues, both released in 1970Ringo Starr Biography: Official Bio achieved mild success. In 1973, Ringo released what is widely considered to be his finest album, "Ringo". It included songs written by every one of the former Beatles, and it was the first album since 1970's Let It Be that featured all of the Beatles, although they all appear on separate tracks. "Ringo" also featured several other popular musicians including Linda McCartney, Billy Preston, Klaus Voorman, and Levon Helm.Ringo Album Credits: Ringo Album Credits
Starr went on to have a mildly successful solo career with such albums as Goodnight Vienne, Stop and Smell the Roses, and most recently Liverpool 8, and such hit songs as "Photograph," "You're Sixteen You're Beautiful," and "It Don't Come Easy."

In 1989 Ringo started touring with his first version of his first band since the Beatles, known as Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. The original All-Starr Band featured Joe Walsh (The Eagles), Levon Helm, Rick Danko (both from The Band), and Billy Preston.Official Ringo Starr biography: Official Biography The All-Starr Band released their first album, and Ringo's first live album, in 1990. Since then, the All-Starr Band has continued to tour, has changed its line-up, and released seven more albums. Other notable members of the All-Starr Band include John Entwistle of The Who, Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Peter Frampton, Jack Bruce of Cream, Edgar Winter, and Ringo's son Zak Starkey.