A life in pictures: Celebrating musical legend Ringo Starr
Born Richard Starkey on July 7, 1940, Ringo Starr rose to fame in the early ‘60s as the drummer of the legendary rock group The Beatles.
The veteran musician officially joined the group in 1962 after replacing Pete Best. Quickly a “Beatlemania” took hold and they climbed to the top of the charts all across the world with their single I Want To Hold Your Hand.
“When I was 13, I only wanted to be a drummer,” Ringo said on his website.
This year, the former Beatles member, with the help of his friend, Sheila E. Richard Lewis, is hoping to create “a wave of peace and love across the planet.”
For his birthday, the 79-year-old sent an invitation to fans to join him on the streets of Chicago to celebrate his birthday by saying or thinking words of “peace and love”.
“I’ve said it before but I really can’t think of a better way to celebrate my birthday, or a better gift I could ask for, than peace and love,” Starr said in a statement.
“It’s so great how every year it keeps growing, with the wave of peace and love starting in the morning on July 7 in Australia and ending in Hawaii, with celebrations in all the time zones in between.
“I am so happy to be back at Capitol Records, and for our great sponsors who are carrying the message of peace and love around the world, like the David Lynch Foundation, Life is Good, SiriusXM, Modern Drummer and Starbucks. I also want to thank each and everyone of you for continuing to help spread peace and love, Ringo.”
Scroll through the gallery above to see Ringo Starr’s life in pictures.