Ringo Starr shares story about Charlie Watts and John Bonham that makes him wish TikTok was a thing in the 70s

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By ( Classic Rock ) published

Beatle Ringo Starr reminiscences about a silly encounter he once had at a party with the late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts and Led Zeppelin's John Bonham

Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts and John Bonham
(Image credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, David Wolff - Patrick/Redferns, Michael Putland/Getty Images)

Ringo Starr has recalled one of his favourite memories from a time he met up with the late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts and Led Zeppelin's John Bonham at a party. The soiree, which was held at his house, saw an amusing moment play out between Starr and Watts as they gave Bonham a helping hand playing the drums.

During a recent press conference to promote his new EP Change The World, Starr explains: "I had a drum kit up in the attic – it was like a cinema attic, music, whatever you want to do up there. Charlie came, and so did John Bonham. We’ve got three drummers, just hanging out.

"Bonham got on the kit. But because it was just like … you know, it’s not like onstage, where you nail them down, so they’re steady. It was just, like, there. So as he was playing, the bass drum was hopping away from him."

To detain the unruly bass drum, Starr and Watts teamed up to hold down the kit, while Bonham delivered on the beats.

"You think, 'Ah, man! That would have been a great little video, a TikTok or a photo [that] would have gone worldwide!" Starr continued.

"But in the ‘70s, I had parties, and you’ll never find any photos because I wouldn’t let you take photos, you know, in my house. But I always think, That would have been a great shot to have."

Charlie Watts passed peacefully at the age of 80 on August 24, 2021. Speaking of his admiration for the drummer, Starr said "Yeah, we will miss Charlie. He was a beautiful human being. He was like The Quiet Man…

"Me and Charlie, we hung out. It’s not liked we lived together, we lived close in London, or we’d find ourselves at dinner or a gig.”

Liz Scarlett
Liz Scarlett
Content Editor

Liz manages Louder's social media channels and works on keeping the sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.