The “Fifth Beatle” Drummer Pete Best Proposes Reunion With Paul McCartney

This year’s been full of meaningful anniversaries for the extended Beatles family, with the band turning 64 and Paul McCartney just celebrating his 82nd birthday on June 18. Just in time for the occasion, former Beatles drummer Pete Best reached out to McCartney with a birthday message and a proposal for a reunion of epic proportions.

McCartney, along with John Lennon and George Harrison had been a functional trio since 1958 and went through a series of drummers to find their fourth missing piece, One of them was Pete Best, though by ‘62, Ringo Starr would ultimately fill that final role. However, Best, also 82, wanted to reconnect with his roots and pitched some collaboration ideas for McCartney’s consideration.

Former Beatles drummer Pete Best proposes a reunion to Paul McCartney

On Wednesday, Best took to social media to join the chorus of supporters wishing McCartney a happy 82nd trip around the sun. “Happy Belated Birthday,” he cheered his former bandmate, adding in jest, “Not far behind you.”

Then came the proposal. “Reach out if you’d like me to open for you in Manchester,” Best added. “Imagine. Now that would be something.”

In the comments, fans had plenty of opinions to share on the idea of such a collaboration. One called it “a reunion for the ages.” Another proposed, “Paul should play the drums while you sing Pinwheel Twist, Pete!”

Others had some different sentiments to his suggestion. “If I were you, Mr. Best, I would live peacefully with this,” one Twitter user suggested. “You have your place in history and continue to be a legend for many fans and rock music enthusiasts.”

Others were content to make lyric references.

The fifth Beatle

For most of his life, Best has lived with the moniker of the fifth Beatle, having been dismissed from the band just on the eve of its leap into stardom. Ahead of a September 1962 recording session, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison learned that sound engineers preferred replacing Best with a session drummer. This prompted the bandmates to decide they could probably just let Best go altogether.

Group manager Brian Epstein was not a fan of this decision, primarily because by that point, the Beatles were starting to find their footing and had become a cohesive personality that fans could follow. Epstein bid “the Beatles to leave the group as it was.” The management team also especially appreciated Best’s charisma, which made him a significant asset at shows, drawing in fans with his easy charm.

However, Best’s drumming was not of the same caliber. The remaining Beatles insisted that they needed to consider who would play the drums the best for record production. Despite the name, the answer wasn’t Best, and so he was dismissed.

Best’s luck ran out after that, as the groups he worked with never secured commercial success, and for 20 years, Best simply focused on working as a civil servant before starting up the Pete Best Band.

To this day, though, Best still has his devoted fans. In the reply section of his proposal to McCartney, Best has received supportive responses like “For those who have said for Pete to ‘get over it….PETE HAS GOTTEN OVER IT. Pete, you have lived your life with grace and dignity after such heartbreaking split. I so respect you for that.”

Was Best’s comment out of pocket or something that is way past happening already?