DRUM SOLO

That’s DOCTOR Ringo to You: Beatle Lauded With Honorary Degree From Elite Music School

The Beatle and drumming icon gave an emotional thank you after being awarded at the prestigious music school in Boston.

As the Beatles’ drummer, Ringo Starr won a number of accolades and awards over the decades, and now he can add honorary doctorate degree to his collection. “Over the course of a career that has literally changed the direction of rock music multiple times, Ringo has been hailed as one of the most innovative, distinctly musical and influential drummers in the world,” Berklee College of Music President Erica Muhl said Thursday. “Ringo hasn’t just contributed to our modern concept of a rock and roll drummer; he is the original architect of the genre-busting foundations upon which so many legends now stand.” The octogenarian rocker sat behind the drum kit at the Berklee College of Music’s tribute concert and ceremony Thursday, after thanking the music school for the honor. “It’s a huge honor to have and accept this award,” Starr said. “In a way, [my life] is like a dream fairytale. I wanted to be a drummer…it was my big dream, and my dream is still unfolding.”