RINGO RINGS IN 80TH
Drummer leading virtual concert with stars
Ringo Starr is ringing in his 80th birthday with a little help from his friends.
The legendary Beatle will celebrate the milestone Tuesday with a virtual concert that’s set to feature appearances from his ex-bandmate Paul McCartney and some of music’s biggest names.
Joe Walsh, Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark Jr., Ben Harper and Sheila E. are each onboard for the livestreamed event, which starts 8 p.m. on Starr’s YouTube channel.
With his trademark shades and perpetually youthful looks, the iconic Brit is helping to lead his generation of early rockers into their late years. Earlier this year he revealed he can still fit into his bright pink outfit from “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” the Beatles album that celebrated its 50th birthday in 2017.
“I love to paint, I love to play music, I love to make records and I love to go on tour,” Starr told the Daily News last summer during g a tour with his All-Starr Band. “I love life.”
In the interview, Starr detailed his passion for performing with other musicians and his love for his adoring fans. Each year since 2008, the musician has encouraged his fans to take a moment to recognize “Peace and Love” at noon on his birthday.
“Wherever you are — on the bus, down a mine, in a spaceship, in a rocket — Peace and Love,” Starr said last week in a video shared on social media.
Starr memorably celebrated his 70th birthday with a concert at Manhattan’s famed Radio City Music Hall. That show famously ended with a surprise appearance by Sir Paul, who played the band’s hit “Birthday.”
The proceeds from Tuesday’s concert — titled “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show” — will go to the charities Black Lives Matter Global Network, The David Lynch Foundation, MusiCares and Water Aid.
The man born Richard Starkey debuted with the Beatles in 1962, joining McGeorge Cartney, John Lennon and Harrison to complete what many consider to be the most influential band of all time.
In addition to providing the Beatles’ beats, Starr occasionally handled the vocals. The results, which included “Yellow Submarine,” “With a Little Help from My Friends” and “Octopus’ Garden,” were always unmistakably Ringo.
More than three decades ago, Starr began touring with his All-Starr Band — a group that has featured Walsh, The Band’s Rick Danko and the E Street Band’s Nils Lofgren and Clarence Clemons, among other rock legends who came together to perform with the Liverpoolborn drummer.
All-Starr Band concerts have seen Starr sing some of his solo songs, such as “Photograph” and “It Don’t Come Easy,” as well as Beatles hits.
Starr released his 20th studio album, “What’s My Name,” last October. Earlier this year, the rocker postponed his 2020 All-Starr Band gigs over the coronavirus pandemic.