blog post The Background Check: 10 Things you might not know about Ringo Starr

Every Thursday on CBC Radio 2 Drive, Rich Terfry gives you a chance to win a great prize if you can separate the facts from the fiction about a famous artist. Rich will give you three clues, and one of them is true. Listen at 5:15 p.m. and send your answer on Twitter, Facebook or Email: R2Drive@cbc.ca Today: Ringo Starr

Today's Background Check features Ringo Starr. As one of the two remaining members of The Beatles, Starr remains a popular figure in popular music. His semi-annual tours feature an All-Starr band that includes some of the most respected names in Rock and Roll, including Edgar Winter, Todd Rundgren and Joe Walsh.

Starr's drumming style has been both celebrated and puzzled over. Some have stood up for his consistent backbeat work with The Beatles. Ringo's oddly timed, and sometimes complicated drum fills have been said to be very tricky to recreate. Others have scoffed at his abilities. John Lennon was once asked in an interview 'Is Ringo the best drummer in the world?' Lennon replied 'Ringo isn't even the best drummer in The Beatles'.

Regardless of where you stand on Liverpool's most famous drummer, here are ten things you might not know about Ringo Starr.

1. Ringo Starr is worth 300 million dollars. That makes him the richest drummer in the world.

2. Rolling Stone Magazine's Reader's Poll called him the 5th best drummer in the world.

3. Ringo Starr played 'Mr. Conductor' in the popular PBS Children's program "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends".

4. Ringo Starr does not do well with Indian food. He was forced to bring a suitcase full of baked beans on the Beatles' famous trip to India.

5. Ringo has an interesting lineage of last names. His Grandfather changed the family surname from Parkin to Starkey. He eventually changed it to Starr.

6. Starr is a respected musician, has dabbled in film and television, but he also tried his hand at design. He co-formed the design company, Ringo Or Robin Ltd. for which Ringo along with partner Robin Cruikshank designed art-deco style furniture.

7. Ringo Starr is a vegetarian. Unlike his former band mate Paul McCartney, Starr avoids meat for health reasons rather than ethical ones.

8. Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band has been a consistent touring act for decades. The initial inspiration for doing the tours was a deal with Pepsi.

9. While the other members of The Beatles had a tough time maintaining their relationships after the band's break-up, Ringo Starr was able to remain friends with all the members, including recording and playing with all three other band mates.

10. Ringo Starr was once refused an American Express card due to the fact that John Lennon owed the company money.

Don't forget to listen to The Background Check on CBC Radio 2 Drive today at 5:15 p.m. You could be a winner!