Former Beatles Ringo Starr marks his 80th birthday with online party
File image of Ringo Starr
Music legend Ringo Starr celebrated his 80th birthday on Tuesday with a special online concert of sorts. He had a few of famous fellow musicians and some classic Beatles songs for company - as they all raised funds for various charities including the Black Lives Matter movement.
Fans, though were left a little disappointed as fellow Beatles Paul McCartney did not join the gig live. Instead, the celebration concluded with an archive clip of the two legends performing 'Helter Skelter.'
But musicians Sheryl Crow and Kenny Loggins and filmmaker David Lynch did record vocals and video tributes for Star who introduced hits from the Beatles' back catalog as well as his own.
'Come Together,' 'All You Need is Love' and 'With a Little Help From My Friends' were some of the hits that were performed during the live concert which had over 130,000 fans watching.
Starr has been celebrating his birthdays each year with musical performances but this year owing to the pandemic, it became a virtual event.
"As most of you know, I'm fond of a good birthday party... but this is a bad year to host a get-together of any kind," said the British musician, sitting behind a drum kit wearing a colorful face mask adorned with the peace sign.
"So I'm celebrating with my friends in a new way this year -- we're going to have to keep our distance due to the coronavirus."
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, a collaboration that is still active today with various artists that played hits from the Beatles and other ensembles.
