Joe Walsh Married Ringo Starr’s Sister Marjorie Bach After 3-Minute Love at His Home

It took just three minutes for Joe Walsh to know he’d found his future wife — and it happened at the Los Angeles home of Ringo Starr. The Eagles guitarist, now 77, didn’t just fall in love with Marjorie Bach that day in the 1970s. He fell into a decades-long mystery of timing, family ties, and quiet destiny. They didn’t marry until 2008 — after both had been through divorces, heartbreaks, and a lifetime of rock ‘n’ roll chaos. But when they reconnected years later, the spark hadn’t dimmed. "She said, ‘Did you feel that?’ And I said, ‘Yeah,’" Walsh told PEOPLE in July 2025. That moment, in the same house where they’d first met, sealed it.

The House That Connected Two Rock Families

The story begins in the mid-1970s, when Walsh was in England recording Starr’s album The Old Wave. He returned to Los Angeles and stayed at Starr’s home, where he met Marjorie — the younger sister of Starr’s wife, actress Barbara Bach. "I was at their house and Barbara’s little sister stopped by for three minutes," Walsh recalled. "And I was in love with Barbara’s sister from then on." But life got in the way. Walsh was deep in his own rock orbit — touring, recording, and navigating four previous marriages. Marjorie, meanwhile, was married to Lord Alexander Rufus Isaacs for 14 years. The two didn’t speak again for decades. Until one day, Walsh was back at Starr’s house — this time, alone. Marjorie showed up. They hugged. And something shifted.

A Love Story Delayed by Family Drama

The hesitation wasn’t just personal. It was familial. "I spent years wondering — would this be incest? Would Rich and Barb kill me?" Walsh admitted. The joke among fans was never far from the surface: "He tried to marry me but he had to settle for my wife’s sister!" Starr once quipped. Yet the connection was real. By November 2007, Marjorie had divorced her husband. She was seen at a Hollywood party with Walsh, arm-in-arm, as Barbara and Ringo looked on approvingly. A friend told Radar Online: "We all heard she had gone off with a drummer, like her sister — but it’s a guitarist instead." They dated for a year. Then, on December 13, 2008, they married in Los Angeles. It was Walsh’s fifth marriage — after Margie Walsh, Stefany Rhodes, Juanita Boyer, and Denise Driscoll. For Marjorie, it was her second. No children together, but both brought kids from prior relationships into the fold. "She’s the love of my life," Walsh said simply. "And she’s a high-ranking officer in the Starkey family."

From Rock Romance to Real-World Impact

Marjorie Bach didn’t just become a rock wife — she became a force. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, she turned her pain into purpose, joining the advisory board of the Simms Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology. She and Joe co-founded VetsAid in 2017, honoring Joe’s father, a veteran. The nonprofit has raised over $4 million to support veterans’ groups across the country.

On November 15, 2024, they returned to Walsh’s hometown of Wichita, Kansas for the 9th annual VetsAid benefit at Intrust Bank Arena. Over 5,000 people showed up. Local groups like the Wichita Police and Fire Foundation and KanVet United Organization benefited directly. "It’s not just about the music," Walsh said that night. "It’s about showing up for the ones who did."

A Family Tied by Music, Not Blood

The Walsh-Starr-Bach connection remains one of rock’s most enduring oddities. Walsh played in Starr’s All-Starr Band from 1989 to 1992, and still guested with the group as recently as 2019. At Starr’s annual Peace & Love birthday celebration on July 7, 2025, in Beverly Hills, California, Walsh publicly thanked Starr: "You introduced me to my wife. I owe you more than I can say." Fans love to joke that the marriage officially merged the Eagles and Beatles families. But for those who know them, it’s deeper than that. It’s about resilience. About second chances. About finding love in the same living room where rock history was made.

What’s Next for Joe and Marjorie?

As of November 20, 2025, Joe Walsh is still onstage with The Eagles at their residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Their next show is scheduled for Friday, November 21. Marjorie continues her advocacy work, balancing quiet mornings with horses, late-night phone calls with cancer survivors, and the occasional family gathering at Starr’s place.

Their story isn’t about fame. It’s about timing. About two people who met once, forgot each other, then found their way back — not because they were looking, but because they were ready.