Before Ringo became immortal, a surprising number of drummers helped keep the beat. Most people think Pete Best was the Beatles’ original drummer. In reality, he was already the fourth drummer to sit behind the kit before the band became the global phenomenon we know today.
Everybody knows the story of Pete Best being sacked and replaced by Ringo Starr just before Beatlemania exploded. What many people do not realize is that several drummers passed through the group when they were still called The Quarrymen and later The Silver Beatles. Before Pete Best became their first full-time drummer in 1960, there was Colin Hanton, followed by a revolving door of temporary replacements, including Tommy Moore and Norman Chapman.
It was a game of musical chairs long before the Fab Four became a household name.
Colin Hanton (1956-1959): The Original Beat
Long before screaming fans and sold-out stadiums, Colin Hanton was keeping time for John Lennon’s skiffle group, The Quarrymen. From 1956 to 1959, he was the band’s primary drummer and the first person to play alongside John, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison as a complete unit.
His departure was far less glamorous than the stories that would follow. After a poorly received performance, Hanton became involved in a heated drunken argument on a bus ride home and decided he had enough. In doing so, he became the first drummer to quit a future Beatle.
Tommy Moore (May-June 1960): The Working Man
The next man up was Tommy Moore, a 36-year-old forklift driver who briefly joined the group during its Silver Beatles era.
Moore lasted only a couple of months. After surviving rough gigs, a short tour, and even a car accident that cost him some teeth, he decided that rock and roll was not worth the trouble. He returned to the security of factory work and left the Beatles behind.
Considering what happened next, that may rank as one of history’s most expensive career decisions.
Norman Chapman (June-July 1960): The Draft Pick
When Moore exited, Norman Chapman stepped in.
His Beatles career lasted just three performances before fate intervened. Chapman was called up for National Service in the British Army and was forced to leave almost immediately. His time with the future legends was so brief that many Beatles fans have never even heard his name.
Pete Best (1960-1962): The Crowd Favourite
Pete Best finally brought stability to the drum stool and quickly became one of Liverpool’s most popular musicians.
His Beatles years produced plenty of stories.
During the band’s early Hamburg residency, Pete and Paul McCartney were arrested and deported after lighting an unused condom inside a dark room to create a makeshift light source. German authorities viewed the incident far less humorously and accused them of attempting arson.
When manager Brian Epstein fired Best in 1962, the backlash was immediate. Fans protested outside Liverpool venues, chanting “Pete forever, Ringo never!” Some supporters were so upset that George Harrison reportedly received a black eye during the unrest.
One of the great Beatles ironies also belongs to Pete. His brother painted the band’s first physical Beatles logo onto a drum skin. Unfortunately, the logo was made for a 22-inch drum that never fit Pete’s 20-inch kit, meaning it was never used on stage.
Decades later, Pete finally received a measure of financial justice. When The Beatles Anthology was released in 1995, several recordings featuring his drumming were included, earning him a substantial multi-million-dollar payday.
Ringo Starr: The Definitive Beatle
Then came the drummer who would define the band’s sound forever.
Ringo Starr remains one of rock’s most influential drummers, partly because he developed a style nobody else could easily replicate. Naturally left-handed, he played a standard right-handed drum kit, creating unusual fills and timing patterns that contributed to his signature swing.
When Bob Dylan introduced the Beatles to marijuana in 1964, Ringo was selected as the group’s unofficial guinea pig. Years later, he laughed about it, saying, “The drummer always goes first.”
His childhood illnesses left him with severe food sensitivities that continue today. Remarkably, Ringo has famously never eaten pizza or tomato-based dishes.
During the Beatles’ first American invasion in 1964, Ringo actually received more fan mail than any other member and was arguably the group’s biggest heartthrob at the time.
He also became the first Beatle to temporarily quit. Frustrated during the tense White Album sessions in 1968, Ringo walked out for two weeks and relaxed aboard actor Peter Sellers’ yacht. During that break, he began developing what would become “Octopus’s Garden.”
Jimmie Nicol: The Beatle Who Vanished
For 13 surreal days in 1964, Jimmie Nicol became a Beatle.
When Ringo fell ill before an international tour, Nicol stepped in and suddenly found himself performing in front of screaming crowds across Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Then it ended.
After eight major concerts, Nicol received a gold watch and a £500 bonus before quietly being sent home as Ringo recovered. The contrast was devastating. One day he was living the Beatle dream. The next, he was anonymous again.
His career never recovered. He struggled financially, went through bankruptcy and divorce, and later reflected that replacing Ringo was “the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
He eventually moved through Sweden, Mexico, and various business ventures before largely disappearing from public view.
Andy White: The Professional
Unlike Nicol, Andy White approached the Beatles as just another job.
Producer George Martin hired the respected session drummer for a three-hour recording session in 1962. White played on versions of “Love Me Do” and “P.S. I Love You” and earned the standard session fee of £5.
That was it.
No royalties. No special treatment. No Beatle fortune.
Yet White never seemed bothered. He went on to build an impressive career, contributing to major hits including Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual” and Lulu’s version of “Shout.”
Not bad for a guy who spent only a few hours in Beatles history.
The next time someone tells you Pete Best was the Beatles’ original drummer, remember that three other men had already sat on that drum stool before him. Add in Jimmie Nicol’s whirlwind substitute appearance and Andy White’s crucial studio session, and the Beatles’ drummer history becomes far more fascinating than most fans ever realize.
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