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Cleveland - Ringo Starr was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a little help from one of his famous friends.
The mop-topped drummer who kept the beat for the Beatles, Starr was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist on Saturday night during a ceremony jammed with scintillating performances and touching moments.
Starr was the last of the Beatles to be inducted for his individual work, getting in after bandmates Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison. He was always the fourth Beatle — John, Paul, George ... and Ringo — but now he's been immortalised as a frontman.
Starr was inducted along with Green Day, underground-icon Lou Reed, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, soul singer-songwriter Bill Withers, guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and The "5'' Royales.
The 74-year-old Starr was inducted by McCartney, who said he could always count on Starr to have his back on every song.
"You don't have to look with Ringo," McCartney said. "He's there."
Starr, amazingly fit and looking 20 years younger than his age, then stepped to the podium and said: "My name is Ringo and I play drums" — as if anyone didn't know.
