Ringo Starr: "Neither John, Paul nor George nor I knew how to read sheet music"

Ringo Starr famously stated that neither he nor his fellow Beatles bandmates (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison) could read sheet music. He humorously recalled that their biggest fear about joining a musicians' union was being forced to read music, as they were all self-taught musicians. Despite this, they achieved significant musical success, with Ringo Starr contributing both as a drummer and vocalist, and even writing and co-writing several songs. 

Self-taught musicians:
The Beatles were primarily a band that learned by ear and through experience, rather than formal music education.
Union concerns:
Starr's anecdote about the Nashville musicians' union highlights their initial apprehension about being required to read music.
Ringo's musical contributions:
Despite the lack of formal music reading skills, Ringo Starr was a vital part of the Beatles' sound, both as a drummer and vocalist.
Songwriting:
Starr also contributed as a songwriter, composing and singing "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden" and co-writing other songs.
"There are 4 drummers": The fact that Starr and the other Beatles couldn't read music didn't stop them from becoming one of the most successful bands in history, according to a blog post.

Source: ara