In 1964, The Beatles were on top of the world. It was an incredibly successful year for them, as they had finally conquered the American charts after two years of great success in Britain. Unfortunately, when they were about to embark on a tour of Europe, Asia, and Australia, they hit a roadblock: Ringo Starr had to be rushed to the hospital due to tonsillitis, and while there was no fear for his health, it meant he would miss out on part of the tour. So, the Fab Four did the unthinkable. They replaced Starr with a local drummer who had the fortune of experiencing life as a Beatle for a few days. His name was Jimmie Nicol.
The Beatles Almost Didn’t Tour When Ringo Starr Got Sick
When you’re the greatest band in the world, topping the charts everywhere and selling out stadiums wherever you go, canceling a tour is not an option. Regardless of how certain members feel about it. In 1964, right before an important tour, Ringo Starr fell ill, and it seemed as though The Beatles would have to either cancel or postpone the concert dates. However, manager Brian Epstein knew that canceling would cause chaos with fans and promoters, and set out to find a temporary replacement for the legendary drummer. He found one in London drummer Jimmie Nicol, who, of course, jumped at the chance to join the Fab Four, even if just for a few shows. But not everyone was pleased with the decision.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney understood Epstein’s decision and accepted it, but George Harrison was furious. In The Beatles: Anthology, he explains that he felt it wasn’t really The Beatles if Ringo Starr wasn’t in the band, and threatened to pull out of the tour as well. Eventually, Epstein was able to convince him and explain to him how much worse it would be to let fans down, and the younger guitarist agreed begrudgingly.
For Starr, it was a bit harder to accept. Even though he knew they weren’t replacing him permanently, it did hurt his feelings and made him insecure about his place in the band. “It was very strange, them going off without me,” Starr said in Anthology. “They’d taken Jimmie Nicol and I thought they didn’t love me anymore, all that stuff went through my head.”
He didn’t know at the time that Harrison had fervently opposed getting a replacement, and he was genuinely touched when he found out. Eventually, after just 13 days and eight concerts, Ringo Starr met with his bandmates in Australia and rejoined the band like nothing had happened. But those 13 days changed Jimmie Nicol’s life forever, for better or worse.
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Jimmie Nicol After the Beatles
The Anthology shows some footage of the tour with Jimmie Nicol, including a short interview with him where they ask him about replacing Ringo Starr, but not much is known about his life after Starr returned to the band, and he had to go back to anonymity after a few days of being on top of the world. He didn’t handle the change very well, and even grew resentful of The Beatles for giving him a taste of fame and then taking it away.
“Jimmie felt that he may have had a chance to take over for Ringo,” biographer Jim Berkenstadt explained. “He felt that Brian Epstein and others somehow were working against him becoming a member of the Beatles.” Of course, this was never a possibility, but he’d thought joining The Beatles would be his ticket to fame, and when it didn’t happen, “he believed Brian Epstein blacklisted him after The Beatles.”
Not only was that not true, but The Beatles were very grateful to him for stepping in when they needed him. At the end of his time with the band, they, along with Brian Epstein, gifted him a gold watch with an inscription that said, “From the Beatles and Brian Epstein to Jimmie – with appreciation and gratitude.”
After he got back to England, Nicol attempted to start his own bands, with very little success, and soon he found himself penniless and virtually unknown. According to Berkenstadt, McCartney read about his misfortune in the newspaper, and “secretly called Peter Asher [his girlfriend, actress Jane Asher‘s brother] of Peter and Gordon and said, ‘Hey, maybe you could give Jimmie a little work on your next tour because he’s a very good drummer, and it looks like from this article he really could use some help.’” Working with The Beatles was any musician’s dream, but they were a four-headed monster; no member was ever replaceable, and Nicol learned that the hard way.
