Ringo Starr’s Regret About Jimi Hendrix

The Beatles dominated the musical landscape of the 1960s, specifically in the UK. During their golden days, Jimi Hendrix arrived in London in 1966 and became a massive hit with his blues and rock influence amongst fans. The Beatles as a band and Jimi Hendrix were undoubtedly friends, and they had enjoyed each other’s company on several occasions.

However, the same can’t be said for one of the Beatles members Ringo Starr. It’s not uncommon for major rock stars to have disagreements and grudges against one another. Tensions can run high from the smallest of things to more substantial reasons. In Jimi Hendrix’s case, a particular incident caused him to get kicked out of Ringo Starr’s rental apartment, and the Beatle definitely regretted making the decision that caused this spat.

Why Does Ringo Starr Hold A Grudge Against Jimi Hendrix?

The members of the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix started their relationship on the right foot as the most prominent musical influences of the ’60s. However, things weren’t always smooth sailing throughout their relationship, especially after the incident at Ringo Starr’s apartment.

As some of you might know, Hendrix rented a flat from the Beatles drummer Ringo Starr after he moved to the UK to pursue his career. Starr started renting the basement flat he owned on 34 Montagu Square, Marylebone, London, to Hendrix in 1996. The guitar icon decided to live with his girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham, his manager, Chas Chandler, and his girlfriend, Lotta Null. Their rent cost £30 at the time, which seems ludicrous in today’s market.

Everything was quite good in the beginning. In fact, Hendrix achieved a lot while living in the flat. He released one of the more popular songs ‘Purple Haze’ in 1967 and even played at the Monterey Pop Festival after Paul McCartney recommended him that same year. He also wrote ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ at the flat after a fight with Kathy, her middle name was Mary, over her cooking skills.

However, Jimi Hendrix’s time living at 34 Montagu Square didn’t last long due to his failure to stick to the renter’s agreement. The musician was in his prime and enjoying major successes by that point, so the problem wasn’t that he couldn’t pay his rent on time.

However, he did get evicted by Ringo Starr for a different reason. During a bad acid trip in 1967, Hendrix destroyed the house’s walls by throwing whitewash over them. After this incident, the Beatle decided to evict the musician for destroying his apartment. It is clear that Ringo Starr regretted renting his house to Jimi Hendrix since this incident probably also affected their relationship.