Dennys Art Sanctuary: Music News: Beatles Ringo Starr Turns 70

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Music News: Beatles Ringo Starr Turns 70

*** Help Beatles drummer Ringo Starr celebrate his 70th birthday in populist style! Check out his request.

Musician Ringo Starr celebrates his 70th birthday with a message of "Peace and Love" outside the Hard Rock Cafe Times Square on Wednesday, July 7, 2010, in New York. Photo by AP

From Denny: Just what do you get one of the world's most famous musicians for his birthday anyway? A music icon turns 70 years old today. Beatles Ringo Starr is as cheeky as ever, in good humor and fit. Those near his age are hoping they can do as well when they achieve his milestone.

Ringo doesn't want the typical gifts for his birthday. No, this man thinks big, really big. The buzz today is Ringo is asking everyone - no matter where you are at the moment - to throw up a hand peace sign today at noon, say out loud the words "Peace and Love" and be sure to take photos of your event, sending them along to his website - Ringo Starr.

Ringo has been doing this birthday ritual for a couple of years now, since Chicago in 2008. He hopes to keep it going for years to come. Somehow, I can envision this cheery guy throwing up a hand peace sign and saying, "Peace and Love" when he's 90 years old.

"We're just trying to keep the promotion going from the '60s," said Starr. "There's a little more peace and love than there was, I think, 40 years ago, and certainly it's a lot more peace and love than 70 years ago, when it was crazy," he said.

The Beatles' drummer will also celebrate his birthday with two shows in New York City. In the morning he performed at a private event at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. Later in the day he will perform with his All Starr Band at Radio City Music Hall.

Starr will be on tour in America and Canada through August. It's still up in the air if he will tour in the fall and he made no promises. "Touring...I'm having a holiday and then I'll be back in Europe and that's as far as I'm going," he said. "I love touring because I get a chance to play, and I play with really cool musicians."

When asked about how he felt to be turning 70, Ringo declared he is as full of energy as ever. "It's really impossible to say how it feels to be 70 since yesterday I was only 69," he said. "Nothing's really happened. The clock has ticked and now I'm a day older."

Ringo joined the famous "British Invasion" Beatles as a replacement drummer in 1962. He gave the group the beat they needed and their fame took off. Some of his megahits where he sang were "Yellow Submarine," "Octupus's Garden" and "With a Little Help from My Friends."

Ringo wants everyone around the world to send out peace and love into the universe and to each other. Send photos and videos of your celebrations to peaceandlove@applecorpsltd.com. Like they said in the '60's, "Give peace a chance, man." Maybe it's time for goodwill to be the new retro.

Happy Birthday, Ringo!

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