Rhythm King.

From the L.A. Times:

Ringo Starr was so proud to play a Ludwig drum set during the Beatles' first televised appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964 that he asked William F. Ludwig II to build a special set for him with the company name printed in bold letters at the top of the bass drumhead. Naturally, Ludwig obliged.

"I remember my dad watching them on TV and saying, 'Who knows? Maybe these kids will be big someday,' " said his son, William Ludwig III. "The next day our phone was ringing off the hook." Family members said the resulting demand for Ludwig drums prompted the Chicago-based company to build a 100,000-square-foot addition to its factory and add a night shift. "It was hard keeping up with all the orders," his son said. After a concert at Chicago's International Amphitheatre several months later, Ludwig met with Starr, who over the years remained a loyal customer. The two visited again backstage in 2006 after Starr performed with his band at the Rosemont Theatre in Chicago. "It was as if nothing had changed," his son said. "They still had so much respect and appreciation for each other." 

Ludwig, the son of the founder of Ludwig Drum Co. and its former president, died of natural causes March 22, in his home in Chicago. He was 91.

Ludwig was the first drum set I ever played.