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Ringo Starr Finally Knighted 21 Years after Paul McCartney, Then Jokes About His Medal

By Erin Coates March 20, 2018 at 10:33am

Richard Starkey — known as Ringo Starr — received a knighthood at Buckingham Palace Tuesday morning, 21 years after his former bandmate Paul McCartney received the same honor in 1997.

The iconic 77-year-old drummer was accompanied by his wife Barbara Bach to the ceremony conducted by Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge.

Starr told the U.K. Daily Mail that he was delighted to finally accept the knighthood for his services to music.

“It means a lot actually. It means recognition for the things we’ve done. I was really pleased to accept this,” Starr said, and added, “I’ll be wearing it at breakfast.”

He showed off his medal with his trademark peace sign.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjFcnEHN-i/?tagged=knighthood

Starr revolutionized pop and rock music with his former The Beatles bandmates McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison.

The Beatles received their Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire medals from Queen Elizabeth II in 1965, 53-years before Starr’s knighthood.

McCartney’s oldest daughter, Mary, congratulated the drummer for his knighthood and posted a picture of their FaceTime conversation on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjNzMQDzaN/?taken-by=maryamccartney

Starr was initially recruited to play for Al Caldwell’s Texan’s (later known as Rory Storm and the Hurricanes) but was approached by Lennon in 1962 to join The Beatles as the band prepared to fire their original drummer, Pete Best.

The Beatles’ main songwriters, Lennon and McCartney, reportedly saved one song per album for Starr to sing even though his vocal range was limited.

After the band split in 1970, Starr started his solo career with his debut album “Sentimental Journey.” He has since released 19 albums with the most recent “Give More Love” released in 2017.

He also appeared in numerous films and did storytelling work on the children’s television show “Thomas the Tank Engine.”

Congratulations Sir Richard Starkey on your long awaited for knighthood!

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Erin Coates

Contributor, News

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. A University of Oregon graduate, Erin has conducted research in data journalism and contributed to various publications as a writer and editor.

Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. She grew up in San Diego, California, proceeding to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with honors holding a degree in journalism. During her time in Oregon, Erin was an associate editor for Ethos Magazine and a freelance writer for Eugene Magazine. She has conducted research in data journalism, which has been published in the book “Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future.” Erin is an avid runner with a heart for encouraging young girls and has served as a coach for the organization Girls on the Run. As a writer and editor, Erin strives to promote social dialogue and tell the story of those around her.

Birthplace

Tucson, Arizona

Nationality

American

Honors/Awards

Graduated with Honors

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Oregon

Books Written

Contributor for Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future

Location

Prescott, Arizona