Years after the first three members of the Beatles bonded over their love of rock ‘n’ roll, the addition of the final Fab Four member would introduce the Liverpudlians to a new type of music they had previously overlooked: country. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison spent their earliest years together trying to emulate the sounds of Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.
Videos by American Songwriter
But when Sir Richard Starkey, known professionally as Ringo Starr, entered the picture in 1962, the band began diving into a different style of popular American music with a little less electric guitar and a lot more twang.
This Fab Four Member Introduced The Beatles To Country Music
Paul McCartney famously played American rock ‘n’ roller Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock” during his impromptu “audition” for John Lennon. George Harrison played “Raunchy,” an instrumental by another rock icon from the States, Bill Justis. Together, all three Liverpudlian musicians pored over records by Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry. They might have gotten their start playing skiffle, but their hearts belonged to rock ‘n’ roll.
When Ringo Starr first joined the Beatles in 1962, he brought along a different musical background. Like the rest of his new bandmates, Starr learned most of his musical technique through trial and error. He wasn’t formally trained, which likely helped the experimental nature of the band’s early collaborations. And while he was undoubtedly aware of the same rock music the three guitarists were listening to, he was a bigger fan of country music.
“Ringo was the first guy in the Beatles to really turn us on to country music,” McCartney recalled in the 2025 concert film, Ringo & Friends at the Ryman. “We were kind of very much into rock ‘n’ roll, and he was heavy into country. He had a lot of records we didn’t have, and he was a big admirer of some of the country stars at the time. Some of them, we hadn’t ever heard of, I must admit. He’s got a long love, going way back, of country music.”
The Drummer’s Musical Preference Matched His Personality
The media and masses categorized the Beatles into four distinct personalities, all of which seemed to reflect each musician’s personal taste in music. John Lennon was the witty bad boy who enjoyed the grittier sides of rock ‘n’ roll. Paul McCartney was the romantic ladies’ man who enjoyed art songs as much as he did rousing rockabilly tunes. George Harrison was the soulful one who often turned to R&B and blues for inspiration. And Ringo Starr was the affable, rock-steady Beatle, and his love of country reflects that.
“He always loved country from the first minute I met him,” McCartney said in a 2025 interview with Mojo. “He liked the old country singers, like George Jones and people like that, and he was a big fan of that. So, I think, you know, maybe it suits his personality. He’s a very sincere, straightforward guy, and I think that’s the sort of theme behind a lot of country music.”
Starr maintained his love of country music well into his solo career following the Beatles’ late 1960s split. His second solo studio album, Beaucoups of Blues, draws upon his lifelong love of music from the American West. Starr reaffirmed his association with country music as recently as 2025 with his 21st studio album, Look Up, which peaked at No. 1 on the U.K. Americana Albums and Country Albums chart.
Photo by Bettmann/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.