Ringo Starr, the beloved drummer of The Beatles, is often remembered as the cheerful, steady heartbeat of the band.

Yet, behind his ever-present smile and calm demeanor, there was a deep well of frustration and resentment — feelings that few knew about until decades later.

The story of Ringo’s hidden animosities reveals much about the complex dynamics within the world’s most famous band and the painful unraveling of their brotherhood.

 

Ringo, born Richard Starkey, was not a natural-born star.

His childhood was marked by illness, including peridonitis and tuberculosis, which kept him away from school and play for extended periods.

This early adversity left Ringo shy and insecure, carrying a lifelong feeling that others understood life better than he did.

When he joined The Beatles in 1962, replacing Pete Best, he was stepping into a band already tightly knit and successful.

Despite his talent and reliability, Ringo was seen by some as the “replacement” — the outsider who didn’t quite belong.

 

This perception was painfully reinforced during the recording of the Beatles’ first single, “Love Me Do.”

 

Producer George Martin, hesitant to trust the new drummer, brought in session drummer Andy White to play instead of Ringo on the single’s official release.

This public slight stung deeply.

Ringo later admitted that he made George Martin apologize every day for it.

The press mocked him as the least talented Beatle, and insiders whispered that he was only lucky to be there because of his friends.

Inside the band, the hierarchy was clear.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the songwriting geniuses; George Harrison was the underrated third creative force; and Ringo was the dependable drummer who sang the occasional fun song and cracked jokes.

When Brian Epstein, the band’s manager and peacemaker, died in 1967, the band lost its balancing force.

Paul McCartney stepped up as the de facto leader, but his relentless perfectionism created enormous tension.

 

Paul’s drive to control everything extended into the studio, where he pushed Ringo to redo drum parts repeatedly during the White Album sessions in 1968.

The breaking point came when Paul sat behind the drum kit himself to demonstrate how he wanted the drums played.

For Ringo, who had already felt like the least trusted member, this was a devastating blow.

It felt like a label of “optional” stamped on him.

Hurt and humiliated, Ringo walked out of the sessions for nearly two weeks, leaving the band without their heartbeat.

 

Despite the pain, Paul and Ringo eventually reconciled and even shared tours and stages years later.

Paul inducted Ringo into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2015, joking about the induction.

Their relationship, though complicated, endured as a bridge to the band’s past.

Another source of tension was John Lennon’s relationship with Yoko Ono.

Once the anchor holding the band together, John increasingly grew distant and changed under Yoko’s influence.

She inserted herself into the band’s creative process, attending studio sessions and making suggestions, which was unprecedented for the previously closed circle of four Beatles.

 

Ringo was stunned not only by Yoko’s presence but by John’s unquestioning loyalty to her.

John sided with Yoko in disputes, even telling Ringo to “just keep it even,” a phrase that cut deeply.

It implied that Ringo’s voice ended where Yoko’s began, further diminishing his role.

The band’s internal harmony deteriorated, with George Harrison and John Lennon having heated arguments over loyalty and respect.

For Ringo, who valued peace and unity, this shift was heartbreaking.

 

After Epstein’s death and the financial chaos surrounding Apple Corps, Allen Klein arrived as the band’s new manager.

Initially, Ringo welcomed Klein’s blunt and aggressive style, hoping for someone who would fight for them.

However, Klein’s true nature soon surfaced.

Klein was a master manipulator who exploited the band’s fractures for his own gain.

He played each member against the others, deepening divisions and fostering mistrust.

When Paul refused to sign Klein as manager, the band split into two camps: Paul on one side, and John, George, and Ringo on the other.

 

Ringo, exhausted by the infighting, tried to maintain peace but eventually realized Klein’s presence was toxic.

Klein’s control and scheming turned the Beatles’ brotherhood into a battlefield.

Legal battles followed, with Paul suing the other three members and the company, effectively ending the band’s unity.

 

For Ringo, the deepest resentment was not towards his bandmates but towards Allen Klein.

Klein, the man he trusted to protect the band’s legacy, became the architect of their destruction.

After Klein’s mismanagement of money and contracts was exposed, investigations led to his firing.

Ringo and the others admitted they had been wrong to trust him.

 

George Harrison once said that the only way The Beatles could reunite was if Klein was out of the picture — a sentiment Ringo shared.

Klein’s betrayal was a shadow that hung over Ringo for decades, a painful reminder of how an outsider had shattered what the band had built.

 

Despite the struggles and criticisms, time has revealed Ringo Starr’s true value.

Far from being the least talented Beatle, Ringo was the “human click track,” the steady foundation that kept the band’s music grounded.

George Martin, who once replaced him on “Love Me Do,” later praised Ringo’s impeccable timing and feel.

Younger drummers found Ringo’s style unique and impossible to replicate exactly. His groove elevated the band’s sound in subtle but essential ways.

As a solo artist, Ringo enjoyed a successful career, collaborating with legends like Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and Elton John.

 

Even Paul McCartney recognized Ringo’s importance, inducting him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.

Today, Ringo is celebrated not just for his musicianship but for his loyalty and resilience.

 

Ringo Starr’s story is one of perseverance amid adversity. Beneath his cheerful exterior lay a man deeply hurt by doubts, control, and betrayal.

His greatest resentment was not towards his bandmates but towards Allen Klein, the outsider who manipulated the band’s tensions to break them apart.

 

Yet, Ringo’s legacy endures as the heartbeat of The Beatles, a steady force that allowed the other three to soar.

His journey reminds us that true strength often lies in quiet reliability, loyalty, and the courage to keep the beat, no matter the chaos around.