mostly david ephgrave

If the rumours are true and Ringo Starr is about to be knighted, will he now be known to Americans as Sir Topham Hatt? (The answer’s no.) Ringo’s a complex character to consider, as it’s hard to settle on an opinion about him. For one, I would argue - going completely against the tired old cliché - that he’s a vastly underrated drummer and, as such, the most disrespected Beatle; wherever you stand on John, Paul or George either musically or personally, it would be very hard to deny their impact on popular culture, yet for some reason, Ringo’s often seen as the Beatles’ running joke; the lucky guy who entered the movie seconds before the band got famous, to be dragged along for the ride. Anyone who knows more than the Beatle-basics would tell you that’s nonsense; Paul regularly states in interviews that it wasn’t until Ringo sat behind the kit that their sound was complete and he knew they were onto something special. He’s one of rock’s most...