When Ringo Starr joined The Beatles in 1962, as a replacement for Pete Best, there was much controversy. Fans of the rising stars were reportedly so angry that after his show they gave the drummer a black eye. Throughout his career, even Ringo himself has admitted his technique is less than traditional. The musician is a left-handed drummer who plays on a right-handed drum kit, which he himself believes affects his ability to play. It has been revealed that this is because of his grandmother who allegedly used to perform exorcisms on him in a bid to cure his left-handedness.
As the supergroup has been analysed over history Ringo became the ‘kicking boy’ of The Beatles, partially due to his preference not to play solos.
The most notable joke came from Birmingham comedian Jasper Carrott who delivered a harsh quip that is often misattributed to John Lennon.
In 1983, the funnyman said: “Ringo isn’t the best drummer in the world. He isn’t even the best drummer in the Beatles.”
But others within the music industry rose to the defence of Ringo, most notably Dave Grohl who played in ‘Nirvana’ and is the lead of ‘Foo Fighters’.
When the Beatles drummer was inducted as an individual into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 – the band made it in 1988 – Grohl praised Ringo.
He said: “Define ‘best drummer in the world’.
“Is it someone that’s technically proficient? Or is it someone that sits in the song with their own feel? Ringo was the king of feel.”
Ringo Starr has been criticised for his unusual drumming technique but now we may know why (Image: GETTY)
The Beatles rehearsing for their breakthrough performance on Ed Sullivan show in 1964 (Image: GETTY)
When The Beatles drummer was inducted as an individual into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 – the band made it in 1988 – Grohl praised Ringo.
He said: “Define ‘best drummer in the world’.
“Is it someone that’s technically proficient? Or is it someone that sits in the song with their own feel? Ringo was the king of feel.”
JUST IN: Cilla Black pictured dancing with Ringo Starr amid proposal reveal
The Beatles line-up in 1961, featuring former-drummer Pete Best, before Ringo replaced him (Image: GETTY)
In an interview on Conan O’Brien’s late night talk show in 2010, Ringo told the host that his drumming is attributable to attempts to correct his left-handedness.
He said: “My grandmother thought that was not a good sign and so she turned me right-handed.
“So I write right-handed, anything else I do left-handed, er golf whatever.
“So I have a right-handed kit but I lead with my left, it makes it weird because I need time to do a fill.”
DON’T MISS
McCartney back together with Ringo at star studded party[RELATED]
John Lennon: Beatles’ Ringo gives insight into Yoko relationship [INSIGHT]
The Beatles: Why Ringo Starr not allowed to play drums on Love Me Do [NEWS]
For many years the ‘Not even the best drummer in the Beatles’ joke was misattributed to John Lennon (Image: GETTY)
The person who actually made the joke was comedian Jasper Carrott (left) in 1982 (Image: GETTY)
Ringo’s grandmother Annie Bower, born in 1889, was infamously known as the “Voodoo Queen of Liverpool”, according to podcast ‘No Such Thing as a Fish’.
They referenced Mark Lewisohn’s 2015 biography ‘The Beatles – All These Years: Volume One: Tune In’ wrote that Ms Bower believed she had mystical powers.
Ms Bower would reportedly create natural remedies for medical problems and try to expel the devil from various people.
Dan Schreiber said on the podcast: “When she saw that her grandson was left-handed she thought, ‘That’s the devil’.
“Left-handedness was associated with that, ‘I’m going to get rid of him, the devil. She spent ages trying to exorcise it out of him.”
But according to Ringo, these shocking experiences actually led him to develop his unique style.
Mr Schreiber added: “Because he drums on a right-handed drum kit, but as a left-hander, it takes him just a split-second more, like a tiny micro-second more, to get to that bit of the drum and that gives him a sort of lazy drumming style that is slightly off-time which gives it a swing.”
Ringo confirmed this in his Conan O’Brien interview, when he pointed to the show’s band drummer.
The Beatles in 1962 – the year that Ringo Starr replaced Pete Best in the band (Image: GETTY)
The Beatles star said: “He can roll from the snare to the tom-tom and go all around, where I can’t do that because I have to come under all the time.”
Ringo believes his style is mainly emotional, where he would often improvise in songs.
He noted that he “could never work out” techniques like double-drumming or fills because of his natural dominant hand.
Ringo added: “It just came off whenever it came off. It’s an emotional style I have.”