How Ringo Starr Briefly Quit Beatles During “White Album” Recording
The Beatles at the press launch for their new album 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', held at Brian Epstein's house at 24 Chapel Street, London, 19th May 1967. Left to right: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and George Harrison (1943 2001). (Photo by John Downing/Getty Images)
When people talk about The Beatles, the names always roll out in the same order: John, Paul, George… and then Ringo. From the start, Ringo Starr has often been seen as the fourth Beatle, tagging along with the other three. While fans may have unintentionally helped shape that image, it turns out his own bandmates played a part too.
Unlike John, Paul, and George—who were childhood friends—Ringo joined The Beatles later on. And that difference showed during the making of the White Album in 1968. While tensions were high among all the members during that period, Ringo felt especially out of place—so much so that he actually quit the band for two weeks.
“I Just Didn’t Feel Part of It”
On The Howard Stern Show, Ringo opened up about the experience. “I only went out because I did feel like we’d done ‘[Sgt.] Pepper,’ and that was fine, and we were trying to be a band again, which I loved,” he said. “And then I’m there in the studio, and it’s like I don’t feel good. I don’t feel part of it.”
Trying to clear the air, he approached John Lennon to talk about it. “So I go knock on John’s door and say, ‘Hey, you know I just don’t feel right… you three seem so close.’ And he goes, ‘I thought it was you three.’” He later asked Paul McCartney the same thing and got the same exact answer. That was Ringo’s breaking point: “I said, ‘F*ck it, I’m off.’”
The Break That Led to a Beatles Classic
Ringo took off to Sardinia with his friend, comedian Peter Sellers, needing time to recharge. Thankfully, the rest of the band reached out and convinced him to return and finish the White Album together. As a welcome back gesture, they agreed to record a song he had written during his break—“Octopus’s Garden.” The track became one of Ringo’s most beloved contributions to The Beatles’ legacy.
Turns out, even in a band as legendary as The Beatles, feeling seen and heard really matters—even if your name is Ringo Starr.
