Beatles’ Original Drummer Pete Best Announce His Retirement

Pete Best, the original drummer of The Beatles, is officially retiring from performing and making public appearances. The announcement came from his younger brother, Roag Best, in a heartfelt post on social media.

The End of the Road

“Well what an absolutely wonderful ride we’ve had,” Roag wrote. “However, everything comes to pass. My brother Pete Best has announced today he is retiring from personal appearances and performing with the group. His daughter has informed me it’s due to personal circumstances.”

Pete himself chimed in with a short and sweet message:

“I had a blast. Thank you.”

This news follows a recent run of U.S. concerts that Pete played, showing he’s still been active on the live scene until recently.

The Beatle Who Didn’t Stay

Born and raised in Liverpool, Pete Best was invited to join The Beatles in 1960 by Paul McCartney. He played with them through their early gig-heavy days in Hamburg, Germany. But in 1962, just before their rise to global stardom, Best was replaced by Ringo Starr — a move that came via the group’s manager, Brian Epstein.

Looking back on that moment, Pete once told The Irish Times:

“We were rockers, we were little hardies, we could handle ourselves. But when I got back home and I told my mother what happened, behind the sanctuary of the front door, I cried like a baby.”

Moving On Without Bitterness

Despite the dramatic exit, Pete chose not to hold on to resentment. He said:

“You’re the Beatle who got kicked out because you were crap. So there’s always been a point where I’ve had to prove myself.
“I haven’t talked about it, people make their own impressions about what a drummer is about. So I’ll perform on stage and the audience can make their own mind up. I’m glad to say that the consensus of opinion is yeah, you’re a great drummer, Pete. I’m happy with that.”

From Stage to Airbnb Host

In 2024, Pete and his family converted the iconic Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool — one of The Beatles’ earliest venues — into an Airbnb. Each room was named after a band member, except for Ringo.

Summing up his attitude toward life, Pete shared:

“I think if I’d kept reflecting about what happened yesterday, all the time, and it was like a nightmare to me, I would have ended up bitter and twisted… But there came a period in my life when I was like, to hell with what happened yesterday — it’s about today and tomorrow.”