Ringo Starr posted a message to fans about his annual upcoming Peace and Love birthday initiative, a tradition he started in 2008 at Chicago’s Hard Rock Cafe.
When asked by a reporter what he would like for his birthday. His answer was… Peace and Love.
Since then, Ringo has invited everyone everywhere to think, say or post #peaceandlove at Noon local time on July 7th to fulfill his birthday wish and encircle the planet in a wave of Peace and Love.
In the taped message Ringo 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 Ringo, 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!”
HISTORY OF RINGO’S ANNUAL JULY 7 PEACE & LOVE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS:
2008 – Chicago, IL Hard Rock Cafe
2009 – Online campaign including in store salutes at Noon at all Hard Rock Cafes worldwide
2010 – New York City, NY: Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square
2011 – Hamburg, Germany: Hard Rock Cafe
2012 – Nashville, TN: Hard Rock Café
2013 – Online celebration including a video message from Ringo
2014 – Los Angeles, CA: Capitol Records Tower
2015 – Los Angeles, CA: Capitol Records Tower
2016 – Los Angeles, CA: Capitol Records Tower
2017 – Los Angeles, CA: Capitol Records Tower
2018 – Nice, France: Hard Rock Café
2019 – Los Angeles, CA: Capitol Records Tower
2020 – Los Angeles, CA: Virtual celebration, “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show”
PEACE AND LOVE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY RINGO!
Source: Reel Chicago