# The Beatles--Ringo Starr--Pete Best--Rory Storm.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beatles-ringo-starr-pete-best-rory-storm/43839>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 3, 2000, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beatles-ringo-starr-pete-best-rory-storm/43839 "2000-12-03T18:04:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2000, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beatles-ringo-starr-pete-best-rory-storm/43839/1 "2000-12-03T18:04:29Z")

</div>

[This page](http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Bungalow/7387/ptop3.html) (scroll all the way down) asserts that after Pete Best was fired from the Beatles, Rory Storme  
offered him Ringo’s old job in _his_ band The Hurricanes.

Anybody know whether this is true? I’ve never heard or read that anywhere else.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2000, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beatles-ringo-starr-pete-best-rory-storm/43839/2 "2000-12-03T18:28:40Z")

</div>

I’d **very** much doubt it, from all that I’ve read over the years and the Google search I just did. Here’s a 1966 quote from Brian Epstein, taken from the Beatles People website:

> [@](#):
>
> Reguarding the sacking of Pete Best, he was frankly too conventional and didn’t fit well as either a drummer or a man. His beat was too slow, or George thought so. I liked him even though he could be moody. He was friendly with John and Paul, but George didn’t like him. Finally the Beatles said we want Pete out and Ringo in. Pete never played with the Beatles again. Rory Storme was annoyed that we had taken his drummer. But I waan’t too happy about Ringo. I didn’t want him, but then, as now, I trusted the boys’ instincts.

Should it have been the case, Epstein would probably have mentioned it. But then again, maybe not.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beatles-ringo-starr-pete-best-rory-storm/43839/3 "2000-12-03T19:32:33Z")

</div>

I’ve also read that Pete Best got all the hot chicks, which grated on the other Beatles. Ringo, in addition to being the ‘ugly’ Beatle, was a lot more fun to hang with.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2000, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beatles-ringo-starr-pete-best-rory-storm/43839/4 "2000-12-03T21:31:10Z")

</div>

647, I’ve heard that too. However, there is no real evidence for it. Especially when they were playing in Hamburg. Besides, Ringo isn’t the “ugly” Beatle. He had just as many fans, if not more, than Paul, John, and George. Besides, Paul has _always_ been considered the “cute” Beatle.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2000, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beatles-ringo-starr-pete-best-rory-storm/43839/5 "2000-12-03T21:46:17Z")

</div>

I’ve heard the jealousy angle before, and think there might be something to it, since Best was the most conventionally  
handsome of the group.

But my question isn’t really why the Beatles dumped him, but whether there’s any truth to the Rory Storme angle I mentioned in the OP.

It is true that Rory’s band never got anywhere and their  
career pretty much fizzled after Ringo left to become a Beatle. Actually it’s sort of parallel to the situation that Best faced after August 1962: he and his band continued making the rounds of clubs, played the Star Club  
in Hamburg once or twice, but they never did achieve a successful recording career. The website I cited suggests that John, Paul, and George coldly planned the whole episode not only to provide them with the drummer they preferred, but also to deprive Rory of his drummer, thereby dealing their rivals a fatal blow. I tend to doubt that myself, but hey, you never know.
