(Credits: Far Out / Joe Walsh / Ringo Starr)
Sat 28 February 2026 3:00, UK
Can you imagine being related to one of The Beatles?
Sure, there might be times where the children and wives of the band have highlighted just how tough it is being their next of kin, but if you were a little more of a distant relation, that would be pretty cool, right?
Having the opportunity to have your uncle Paul McCartney visit you every once in a while or to have fond memories of receiving a tenner in your birthday card every year from George Harrison, your third cousin once removed, then I’d imagine that would be a rather impressive claim to fame to be able to bring to a dinner party.
However, being a distant relative would make the possibility of being invited over to use your famous family’s recording facilities a lot slimmer, and if you were asked, would your comparative lack of talent get in the way of you feeling as though you’d want to even accept some sort of offer to work with them in the studio?
No, of course you wouldn’t pass up the opportunity, no matter how rudimentary your musical skills might be, but for some, this pipedream is actually a completely real prospect. Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh has the luxury of being able to say that his former Beatle of a relative has casually asked him over on a number of occasions, and despite the fact that he himself is a member of one of the most celebrated rock groups himself, he still has trouble comprehending the fact that this opportunity keeps falling in his lap.
The Californian guitarist and Beatles drummer Ringo Starr aren’t blood relatives, but that doesn’t make it any less cool that Walsh frequently finds himself receiving an invite to come over and jam. Walsh has been married five times in his life, but his most current wife, whom he tied the knot with in 2008, happens to be Marjorie Bach, the sister of Starr’s current wife, Barbara, therefore making them brothers-in-law.
Walsh’s pedigree as a famous musician obviously helps in this situation, as Starr would presumably be far less likely to ask if his sister-in-law had married a financial advisor, but given how Starr’s notoriety is even above A-list level, it’s still a surreal situation for Walsh to find himself in, even if they had worked together prior to this familial connection being formed.
Before Walsh and Bach were married, he had been a member of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band, with him being featured on two of their live albums during the 1990s, and had produced for Starr as early as 1983. However, according to an interview with WROR in 2017, Walsh feels that their connection has strengthened in the years since they became part of the same family.
“He’s my brother-in-law, and he wants to involve me in making music, and what am I gonna say? No?” he joked. “I’m really, really, really blessed to be in this family that I’m in that came along with my wife, and I still get in the studio, and I’ll be playing guitar, and I’ll look over and go, ‘That’s fucking Ringo Starr! I don’t believe it!’ It still happens sometimes.”
It’s obviously the sort of opportunity that most would bite someone’s hand off for, and even the biggest names have to pinch themselves that they’ve been blessed with this chance. It’s a handy connection to have, whichever way you want to look at it, and their continued creative collaboration goes to show just how much the brothers-in-law have found themselves to be kindred spirits.