Ringo Starr has asked the world to celebrate his birthday with a moment of peace and love. The former Beatle was born on 7 July 1940 in Liverpool, England.
At midday at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square, New York City, Starr was joined by family, friends and fans in one simple salute: "peace and love".
There's a lot 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.
In the evening he gave a concert at Radio City Music Hall with his All Starr Band, during which he was joined onstage by Paul McCartney to sing The Beatles' song Birthday.
Other guests at the show included Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, Sid Bernstein and Gary Brooker. Ringo was presented with a cake in the shape of a drum kit.
Starr invited the world to celebrate the occasion with a moment of peace and love. The idea originated in 2008 when Starr was asked during an interview what he would like for his birthday, to which he replied: "more peace and love". A peace and love campaign launched in July that year, with Ringo and his wife Barbara joining fans in Chicago outside the Hard Rock Café.
In 2010 the Hard Rock Café International hosted various celebrations around the world, with additional spontaneous peace and love events cropping up everywhere. Hamish Dodds, the president and CEO of the company, presented Starr with a gift of seven 'Decades' trees to be planted in New York City schoolyards.
Hard Rock International also transported the famous Magical Mystery Tour bus, which was parked on Broadway in Times Square.
In addition, London celebrated with a peace and love moment at Abbey Road:
In Los Angeles fans gathered outside Capitol Records; and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art unveiled a gold-plated snare drum presented to him during The Beatles 1964 visit to Chicago.
From the Beatles Bible to Ringo: peace and love!
Wow!! Ringo singing Give Peace a Chance is fantastic!!! I love his version!! Did he record it in an album?