Ringo Starr is the richest drummer in the world, best-known as a member of legendary rock group The Beatles. Most recently, Starr has found himself back in the spotlight, oddly enough as a knight. That’s right! He joins the likes of fellow Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney as someone knighted by the Queen of England. He’ll now go by Sir Ringo Starr as he was selected for knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in her 2018 New Year’s Honors list. Starr is now considered to be a Knight Bachelor in the eyes of the queen.
As part of The Beatles, he’s written classics such as “Don’t Pass Me By” and “Octopus’s Garden”, as well as provided lead vocals for “With a Little Help from My Friends”, “Yellow Submarine”, “Good Night”, and a cover of “Act Naturally”.
Sir Starr is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, as he was inducted as both a solo artist (2015) and as a part of The Beatles (1988). He’s been a fixture in music and popular culture for over half a century. But how much money does he have after a lifetime in the limelight?
Ringo Starr Net Worth as of 2018: $350 Million
Ringo Starr’s net worth rolls in at a cool $350 million. That’s a lot of money, even for a former Beatle. Sir Starr hasn’t only relied on his past success to propel him to riches. He’s also led a promising solo career, releasing number one singles such as “Photograph” and “You’re Sixteen”. But truly nothing could match the success of The Beatles, who may just be the most iconic band in the history of rock music.
Let’s take a trip down memory (and Penny) lane and take a look at Ringo Starr, the star drummer of The Beatles…
1962 – 1970 (The Beatles)
Starr officially began his journey with The Beatles in 1962. He was previously a member of the Liverpool group Rory Storm and the Hurricanes before linking up with his future Hall of Fame bandmates. The Liverpool native quickly adapted to The Beatles’ lifestyle, partying it up in nightclubs as an up-and-coming rock-star on the rise. At the time, he earned much of his income from a one-quarter share of Beatles Ltd and a small percentage of the publishing company Northern Lights, which was owned by Beatles bandmates Paul Cartney and John Lennon.
By 1963, the band was really taking off in the United Kingdom. Songs such as “Please Please Me”, “Love Me Do” and “Thank Your Lucky Stars” helped pave the way for Beatlemania in Britain. It wouldn’t be long ’til this wave of rock-star hysteria reached the United States homeland. By February 1964, The Beatles went mainstream on an international level, as their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show reached a record 73 million viewers.
Starr provided lead vocals to the song “Yellow Submarine,” which was featured in the band’s seventh UK LP titled Revolver. This song is the only British number one single to have Starr sing lead vocals for The Beatles. Starr also provided lead vocals for the song “With a Little Help from My Friends”, which appeared on the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Ringo met with The Beatles for the last time at Abbey Road Studios on August 20, 1969, for a mixing session of the song “I Want You.” John Lennon later quit the group on September 20. Paul McCartney would officially the leave The Beatles on April 10, 1970. The group released their twelfth and final studio album Let It Be on May 8, 1970.
1970 – Present
Just before the release of The Beatles’ final album Let It Be, Ringo released his first solo album titled Sentimental Journey on March 27, 1970. Both his first and second album received harsh and mediocre reviews from critics. This struggling solo artist wouldn’t receive a number one hit in the U.S. until his third album Ringo was released, featuring top charting songs such as “Photograph” and “You’re Sixteen”. His third album was both a commercial and critical success.
Starr’s fourth album, Goodnight Vienna, also received a good measure of success, hitting the number eight spot on the US Billboard 200 and the number 30 spot on the UK Albums Chart.
In 1975, Starr founded his own company record label called “Ring O’ Records”. However, the company went out of business three years later.
Ringo has also appeared in a number of films throughout his career, including Candy (1968), The Magic Christian (1969), Blindman (1971), Son of Dracula (1974) and Caveman (1981). He’s also appeared on the big screen alongside his Beatles bandmates in films such as A Hard Day’s Night (1964), Help! (1965), Magical Mystery Tour (1967) and Let It Be (1970).
The legendary drummer and solo artist continued his musical journey well into the 21st century. He’s released almost twenty solo studio albums altogether. Most recently, Starr released his nineteenth album Give More Love on September 15, 2017.
Starr is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, first in 1988 as part of The Beatles, and then again in 2015 for his solo career. He was named the fifth greatest drummer of all-time by readers of Rolling Stone in 2011. In 1998, he was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.
