Original Beatles Drummer Pete Best Retires from Music at 83: “I Had a Blast”

After Decades in Music and a Storied Connection to The Beatles, Pete Best Steps Away from Public Life Citing Personal Circumstances

Liverpool, April 9: Pete Best, the original drummer of The Beatles, has officially announced his retirement from music and public appearances at the age of 83. The news was shared by his brother Roag Best on X (formerly Twitter) this past Saturday.

“Well, what an absolutely wonderful ride we’ve had,” Roag wrote. “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.”

Best later reposted the message, adding a simple, heartfelt note: “I had a blast. Thank you.”

Pete Best was the Beatles’ drummer from 1960 to 1962, performing alongside John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison during the band’s formative years in Liverpool and Hamburg. He joined the group as they often played at the Casbah Club, a music venue operated by his mother, Mona Best.

Despite forming a strong bond with the band, Best was replaced in 1962 by Ringo Starr just before The Beatles skyrocketed to global fame. Manager Brian Epstein made the change after the group’s first recording session with EMI.

Though dismissed from the Fab Four, Best’s early drumming was later recognized in the 1995 release of “Anthology 1,” where several of his recordings were officially featured.

Post-Beatles, Best remained involved in music for several years with bands like the Pete Best Four and Pete Best Combo, before stepping away from the industry. He returned in the late 1980s to form the Pete Best Band, delighting Beatles fans around the world with nostalgic live performances.

He was expected to appear at the Liverpool Beatles Museum in August, though it’s now uncertain whether he will attend following his retirement announcement.

As one of the most famous “what-ifs” in rock history, Pete Best’s legacy remains forever tied to the origins of the world’s most iconic band.