Ringo Starr, the iconic drummer of The Beatles, recently shared the story behind his stage name during an interview on SiriusXM’s The Beatles Channel. Born Richard Starkey, Starr revealed that his nickname “Rings” came about due to his love for wearing rings, a habit that eventually led to his well-known moniker.
Starr admitted that he initially thought the name “Ringo Starr” sounded a bit silly, especially when compared to the more straightforward names of his fellow bandmates—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. He joked about how strange it sounded: “John, Paul, George, Ringo,” which he humorously acknowledged was a bit out there.
He went on to share an amusing story about how he got the name. As a teenager, when he was starting to perform with a different band, he often wore a lot of rings, which earned him the nickname “Rings” from people in his hometown of Liverpool. He explained, “In Liverpool, it’s like you get known. So people would start calling, ‘Hey, Rings, what’s going on?’”
Eventually, “Rings” evolved into “Ringo,” but “Ringo Starkey” didn’t sound quite rock-and-roll enough. So, he dropped the “Starkey” and simply became “Ringo Starr.” As Starr put it, “Ringo Starr” stuck, and it’s the name that everyone knows him by today, including the interviewer. What started off as a playful nickname soon became the legendary name of one of the most famous drummers in music history.