Ringo Starr posted a message to fans about his annual upcoming Peace and Love birthday initiative, a tradition he started in 2008 after being asked by a reporter what he would like for his birthday. His answer? Peace and Love. Since then he has invited everyone everywhere to think, say or post #peaceandlove at Noon their local time on July 7th to fulfil his birthday wish and encircle the planet in a wave of Peace and Love.
In the taped message Starr tells fans, “I’m inviting everyone who wants to join the peace and love celebration for my birthday at Noon your time wherever you are, 7-7-21 – you can post it, you can say it, you can even think it – but it would be really cool if you go Peace and Love at noon on my birthday – so let’s spread peace and love on my birthday – c’mon everybody!”
Usually Ringo meets with fans in whatever city he is in, a tradition that began on July 7, 2008 when he convened with fans and friends on the streets in front of the Hard Rock Café in Chicago, passing out cupcakes and joining the crowd for “Peace and Love” exactly at Noon.
In the ensuing years it has grown enormously and in 2019 there were over 30 Peace & Love events in countries all around the world including Argentina – Buenos Aires; Chascomus, Armenia – Yerevan Australia -Sydney, Bolivia – La Paz, Brazil – Sao Paulo, Columbia -Bogota, Costa Rica – San Jose, Cuba – Habana, Czech Republic – Prague, El Salvador – San Salvador, Estonia – Tallin, Finland – Helsinki, Germany – Hamburg and Halle, Italy – Venice, Japan – Osaka; Tokyo, Panama – Panama City, Paraguay -Asunción, Peru – Lima, Russia – Moscow, Spain – Barcelona; Madrid, United Kingdom – London; Liverpool, United States – Chicago; Minneapolis, Hawaii, Los Angeles, New York City.
2020’s pandemic prevented an in-person event, and Ringo instead moved the celebration online, hosting “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show,” which featured unseen concert and unique performances by Starr, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Ben Harper and Dave Grohl, Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark Jr and Sheila E. The show was broadcast globally via AXS, YouTube and Ceek and it benefitted Black Lives Matter Global Network, The David Lynch Foundation, Musicares and WaterAid. Meanwhile the #peaceandlove posts came from near and far, with the Mars Rover and The International Space Station being the first to wish Ringo a Happy Birthday “From 260 miles above our home planet, NASA Astronauts wish Ringo Starr a happy 80th birthday! Since our orbiting laboratory operates in Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT, it’s officially July 7 – a perfect date to send #PeaceAndLove to everyone across the universe!”
Details about 2021 Peace and Love regional gatherings hosted by fans – both in person and zoom – can be found on Ringo’s Facebook page, with virtual and in person events already confirmed in Argentina, Costa Rica, Columbia, El Salvador, Germany, Guatamala, Japan, Italy, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA.
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