The Real Reason the Beatles Fired Their Original Drummer: 'We Were Sick of Him'
Ringo Starr replaced Pete Best as The Beatles' drummer in 1962. Rumors cited jealousy, but Lennon insisted Best was fired for poor drumming. Best's popularity with female fans fueled speculation about his departure.
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing drums for The Beatles except for Ringo Starr.
While Starr may not have been in the band’s original lineup when the group was first starting off, he nevertheless lived up to his position within the Fab Four, pairing remarkable well to the musical talents of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
Yet to this day, most music fans can’t help but wonder what history might have been like if Starr’s predecessor, Pete Best, had remained in The Beatles as the group achieved increasing popularity the world over.
Among the founding members of The Beatles, Best served as the band’s drummer from 1960 to 1962. Though a decent enough performer, Best’s fellow bandmates apparently viewed Best’s abilities as a drummer with indifference, believing he lacked the proper talent to be a member of The Beatles.
Over the years, many hypothesized that The Beatles’ firing of Best owed largely due to his female fanbase, with some claiming Paul McCartney was “jealous” of Best’s natural good lucks and remarkable connection to their audiences.
“Pete had been an extremely popular Beatle, despite his ex-band mates’ misgivings about his drumming ability and his personality,” Starr recalled in Ringo: With a Little Help (via Far Out Magazine). “The group’s female fans, in particular, dug Pete’s brooding good looks.”
Source: Richard Chachowski/parade.com
