Ringo Starr announces streaming 80th birthday concert special featuring Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh and more

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Courtesy of Ringo Starr

Courtesy of Ringo StarrRingo Starr will celebrate his 80th birthday next Tuesday, July 7, with a little help from his musical friends and a star-studded charity concert special called Ringo’s Big Birthday Show that will air on YouTube at 8 p.m. ET that day.

Guest artists appearing on the program will include Starr’s Beatles band mate Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Sheryl Crow, Sheila E, Gary Clark Jr. and Ben Harper. The event will feature unique home performances, as well as previously unseen concert footage from Ringo and his guests.

Proceeds raised by the special will benefit four charities: Black Lives Matter Global Network, the David Lynch Foundation, MusiCares, and WaterAid.

“As everyone knows, I love gathering with fans for peace and love on my birthday,” Ringo says in a statement. “But this year, I want everyone to be safe at home —  so I called up a few friends and we put this Big Birthday Show together so we could still celebrate my birthday with you all, with some great music for some great charities. I hope you will all join me! Peace and Love.”

The program also will include the premiere of a special prerecorded video performance of Ringo’s 2017 song “Give More Love” that was made to benefit MusiCares and that features Peter Frampton, Jackson Browne, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, Jeff Bridges, T Bone Burnett, and others.

Starr may not be able to do his usual annual public “Peace and Love” birthday gathering because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the ex-Beatles drummer still wants fans all over the world to say his famous catch phrase at noon on July 7 wherever they are.

In addition, Ringo’s YouTube channel will host a playlist of tribute videos from various artists in honor of Starr’s big day.

By Matt Friedlander
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