Who really said Ringo wasn’t the best drummer in the Beatles (and it wasn’t John Lennon)
The line about Ringo Starr not even being the best drummer in the Beatles is often attributed to John Lennon but there’s no audio or video of him saying it.
And there’s a good reason for that, because he never said it.
Jasper Carrott is often credited with saying it in 1983 but now there’s this from 1981, as shared online by Mark Lewisohn.
“Ringo wasn’t even the best drummer in the Beatles.” Never said by John Lennon. Jasper Carrott’s office claimed it as 1983 gag; proof now it was said earlier, in BBC comedy Radio Active in Oct 1981. File here. Voice by Philip Pope. Written by Geoffrey Perkins. Not by John Lennon. pic.twitter.com/qSayztoKkw
— Mark Lewisohn (@marklewisohn) September 11, 2018
It’s even double sourced.
Jasper Carrott is credited with coining the 'Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in The Beatles' gag in 1983. It's actually in Radio Active in 1981!
— Tim Worthington (@outonbluesix) September 3, 2018
In the interests of @marklewisohn levels of accuracy, Radio Active was written by Geoffrey Perkins and Angus Deayton – without seeing the handwriting, I couldn't tell you who wrote this particular one. Lennon/McCartney irony klaxon.
— David Tyler (@DavidTylerPozz) September 11, 2018
The late, great Geoffrey Perkins was a producer of countless TV and radio shows you’ll have heard of and you can read an obituary of him here.