Yet inexplicably, Starr's legacy is clouded by misconception and ignorance. Some say he was the luckiest guy on earth, a competent player who stepped into a million-dollar quartet. Why the bum rap? Was it because he didn't overplay and shunned solos? Or was it his unassuming, Everyman countenance?

Think about it: Could The Beatles have conquered the world with a mediocre sticksman?

John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison found in Ringo an ironclad timekeeper who rocked and swung like mad, with style, imagination and versatility. He was the secret weapon of the best band of all time.

He hit the ground running in 1963 on I Saw Her Standing There with a steady, exciting pulse. This is "How to Groove With Your Bandmates 101," as he established a brotherhood with McCartney's fluid bass and Lennon's underrated rhythm guitar.

Within months, Ringomania shifted into high gear with She Loves You, where he introduced the electrifying sizzle of high-hat cymbals that gave the early Fabs' discs a unique imprint. Later that year, Starr helped reinvent Chuck Berry's Roll Over Beethoven, with a fierce backbeat and a joy-of-life fervor. No other records sounded like this at the time, because no other drummers played like this before.

His influence spread like wildfire when The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964. Perched on his riser, Ringo was clearly in the driver's seat, and it was apparent that his membership in this exclusive fraternity owed as much to his exuberant persona as his musical prowess.

An army of kids was mobilized that Sunday night, awaiting their call to the battle of the bands. Among the legion of teenage conscripts were drummers Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick, who calls Ringo "my generation's Gene Krupa," and Max Weinberg of the E Street Band, who thanks Starr for "showing us that a day or night spent drumming is just about better than anything else."

The Beatles' music evolved at a dizzying pace, and Starr adapted with gusto. He concocted fresh concepts, like his trademark framework for Ticket to Ride and the controlled chaos of Rain. The lazy lilt behind his vocal on With a Little Help From My Friends is a study in subtle, soulful dynamics and when not to play.

To this day, producers direct studio drummers to "play like Ringo." Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith sums it up thusly: "The greatest thing a drummer can contribute to a recorded song is the feel of it, and every Beatles song feels great."

Ringo "doesn't dazzle with flashy technique and pyrotechnics," says The Cars' lead guitarist, Elliot Easton. "What he does is so much more elusive and difficult: He plays songs on the drums. Anybody who has sat down behind a drum kit in the last 45 years owes him."

And in The End, Ringo relented and sent himself out with a 17-second solo on Abbey Road, The Beatles' final studio album. Never considered much of a vocalist, Ringo nonetheless enjoyed a fruitful solo career.

He continues to make quality records and tour with his All-Starr Band, appearing amazingly fit and spirited. And he still plays great. Like always, he makes it look easy. That's because to Ringo, it did come easy.