Photo credit: www.rollingstone.com
Musician Pete Best is stepping back from public life due to “personal circumstances,” as confirmed by his brother Roag Best.
Pete Best, who gained fame as the original drummer for The Beatles before Ringo Starr joined, made the announcement via social media. “Well, what an absolutely wonderful ride we’ve had,” Roag wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “However, everything comes to pass. My brother Pete Best has announced today he is retiring from personal appearances and performing with the group. His daughter has informed me it’s due to personal circumstances.”
Now aged 83, Pete Best shared this update through his social media as well, expressing gratitude for his musical journey: “I had a blast. Thank you.” A concert scheduled to take place at the Liverpool Beatles Museum has been canceled following this news.
Affectionately dubbed the “fifth Beatle” by many, Best holds a special place in Beatles history. He was part of the band during its early years and contributed to the group when they were known as the Quarrymen. Best played alongside them in Hamburg, Germany, from 1960 to 1962, during a pivotal time when the group was still searching for its identity without a formal drummer.
Trending Stories
Reflecting on his early days with the band, Best once remarked in an interview on I’ve Got a Secret that at the time, he contemplated forming his own group and did not foresee the monumental success that The Beatles would achieve. “I thought I wanted to start a group of my own,” he said. “And at that time, I didn’t think they’d go as big as they are now.”
In the 1990s, Beatles fans were treated to a compilation album titled Anthology 1, which featured some of Best’s drumming work. More recently, he has established his own band, the Pete Best Band, and released the album Haymans Green in 2008.
Best’s journey from being a member of The Beatles to carving out a unique path for himself in the music world remains a testament to his enduring legacy within rock history.
Source
www.rollingstone.com