In a game of word association, when someone says “Ringo Starr,” who celebrates his 78th birthday today (July 7), the first thing out of most people’s mouths would be “Beatles.” The second most popular answer? Of course, it should be “Ludwig.”
Starr is synonymous with the drum brand Ludwig. In fact, a Ludwig kit he used on a number of early Beatles’ records sold at auction for a staggering $2.2 million! And Starr’s love for the brand is evident in his recounting of his first Ludwig kit.
Starr told the story to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the video below, and he talks about how as a young kid from Liverpool, he loved anything American. Big credit to then manager Brian Epstein for being willing to buy the kit for Starr, too.
And the rest, as they say, is history!
Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock reporter. The first man she ever loved was Jack Daniel. (True story.)