The ex-Beatles Ringo Starr celebrated his 80th online spring Tuesday, coronavirus oblige- with several songs of the legendary group but in the absence of his ex-accomplice Paul McCartney.
Ringo Starr usually celebrates all his birthdays with live concerts in front of hundreds of people, but the coronavirus pandemic forced him to give it up this year.
“Like most of you, I enjoy a good birthday party (…) but it’s not the right year to organize a big gathering,” said the artist, sitting behind a battery and sporting a mask decorated with a peace symbol.
“So I’m celebrating it with my friends differently this year. We’re going to have to stay away because of the coronavirus,” he said.
The Beatles cult songs “Come Together,” “All You Need is Love” and “With a Little Help From My Friends” were part of the evening’s eclectic program, consisting of a mixture of archival and home recordings, as well as recorded tributes from artists like Sheryl Crow or David Lynch. It was watched live by 130,000 fans.
But some have said they are disappointed with the absence of Paul McCartney, who only appeared during the evening in an extract from a concert in Los Angeles last year, in which the two former Beatles played together.
“Happy birthday SIR RICHARD alias RINGO. Have a great day my old friend,” said McCartney tweeted earlier today.
Ringo Starr took advantage of the event to call for donations to the “Black lives matter” movement to “put an end to all this racist violence,” he said.
“Black lives matter. Stand up and make your voice heard,” said Ringo Starr.
Documentary footage reflected on the Beatles’ refusal to play before a segregated audience in Jacksonville, Florida during their famous 1964 US tour.
“Black Lives Matter. Stand up and make your voice heard,” said Starr, before noting the major influence of Black artists including Little Richard on the Beatles’ sound.
Ahead of the bash NASA’s Curiosity Rover tweeted Starr birthday wishes from space.
“Happy 80th, Ringo! Here’s my view of Earth (and Venus) from the surface of Mars where I’m thinking about your message of Peace and Love, and how in good times and in tough ones, we all get by with a little help from our friends,” it said.
Known for his easy-going personality and humor, Starr rocketed to global fame in the early 1960s and helped change the face of pop music forever as part of the Beatles — still perhaps the world’s most famous band.
After the group’s break-up, Starr emerged as a band leader in the late 1980s with his All Starr Band.
In an interview with Rolling Stone published Tuesday, the newly-minted octogenarian talked about his recent turn to health as he heads into his ninth decade.
Starr said he works out anywhere from three to six times a week, goes for long walks and maintains a vegetarian diet — eating “broccoli with everything and blueberries every morning.”
He said he hasn’t really left his Los Angeles home in some 11 weeks during the pandemic, inviting an engineer over just once for a jam session.
“I do a bit of that and I have a paint room, a little art room. And I’m going in there, painting and doing stuff. And I love to sit in the sun. I love LA. I love the brightness and hanging out.
“That’s all we’re doing.”
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