Ringo Starr rarely gets credit for being a gifted drummer, yet his effortless-sounding skills helped Beatles songs change culture. The Liverpool-born songwriter is also an oddly engaging singer with a baritone that's part lounge rat, part plainspoken rocker. Since The Fab Four split, Ringo has issued nearly 20 solo albums—starting with his George Martin-helmed '70 debut Sentimental Journey—embracing everything from rumbling country and classic standards to swooshing dance and pop-flecked rock. Ringo leveraged his stardom into film roles during the '70s and has since mastered the art of celebrity. Though he has suffered life-threatening illnesses, he continues to record and tour with his All-Starr Band.