Ringo Starr Solo Career: Got to Pay Your Dues

by Aaron Badgley

On April 10, 1970, when The Beatles officially called it a day, it was not the end, for Ringo Starr it was just the beginning. He was no longer Beatle Ringo, but now a solo artist who would have to establish himself with his own solo music. During the 1970s, Ringo Starr did just that. He became a commercial success and firmly established himself as a force in music. Ringo Starr Solo Got to Pay Your Dues explores the work Ringo Starr did to carve out his own name and his own persona. Through films, music, writing, acting, producing, directing, and even designing furniture, Starr kept extremely busy during the 1970s. Included in the book is a detailed account of his label, Ring O’Records. With Ringo Starr Solo Got to Pay Your Dues, Aaron Badgley takes a deep look into Starr’s artistic endeavours from 1970 to 1980. Through exclusive interviews Badgley tells Ringo Starr’s professional story. His albums, singles and work with other artists are all detailed. The films he produced, directed and appeared in are documented. A discography of Ringo Starr’s solo albums and singles and his Ring O’Records label are included plus exclusive, never before seen photos, illustrate this incredible career during the 1970s. A career that continues to this day, with his incredibly successful All-Starr tours and his recent music continuing to top the charts. Ringo Starr Solo Got to Pay Your Dues is a book that Ringo Starr fans, old and new will want to read. For those who lived through this decade, it will bring back memories, for newer fans, it gives a glimpse into just how creative and successful Starr was for those ten years and how his career took off for the next four decades.

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2025

Reviews

[Ward Whipple · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the cover claim, this book merely documents Ringo's post-Beatles work up to 1979. If there is a followup volume, hopefully the author will submit to an outside editor and proofreader that can catch the repetitions and tighten up the sloppy sentence structure amidst the regurgitation of contemporary reviews and chart history. A missed opportunity, to be sure.