Andy White, the drummer who replaced Ringo Starr on the Beatles' single Love Me Do has died. He was 85. He passed away at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey on November 9, 2015. He had suffered a stroke several days earlier.
The Scottish-born drummer played swing, jazz and Scottish pipe and drum music before turning to rock and roll. He turned into a top session drummer in England during the 1960s even though he was much older than many of the rock musicians he worked with.
His performances were generally uncredited, and he did little to call attention to them. But it was three hours' work in 1962 that would get Andy White into the history books.
On September 11, 1962 Andy was asked to come to the Abbey Road studio in London and help with a recording session by a new band from Liverpool.
The Beatles were about to have their third recording session. At the first session, producer, George Martin complained that their original drummer, Pete Best, was too unsteady for recording work.
The Beatles replaced Pete Best with Ringo Starr, with whom they recorded a version of Love Me Do at their second session.
When George Martin still had doubts, his assistant, Ron Richards, engaged Andy for the next session, a week later.
Two versions of the song were released: one with Andy on drums and Ringo on tambourine, and one with Ringo on drums. Each have appeared numerous times over the decades.
Love Me Do was a top 20 hit in England in the fall of 1962 and made it to no. 1 in the United States two years later.
Andy also played drums on the song's original B-side, P.S. I Love You, which featured Ringo on maracas.
Andy did not earn any royalties from the sale of the records. He claimed he was paid 5 British pounds for his work. He would never play with the Beatles again.
The drummer did play on hits by Tom Jones and Herman's Hermits though, and toured with Chuck Berry, Marlene Dietrich, Burt Bacharach and Rod Stewart.
