Happy Birthday Ringo!
By Russ Allsup
On Tuesday, July 7th, I headed out to the home of The Beatles and so many other legendary bands and musicians, Capitol Records on Hollywood and Vine to take part in a free celebration for Ringo Starr’s 75th birthday. First, a little Beatles personal history. I drive by the Capitol Records building multiple times every month and I try to make it a point to crank up The Beatles on my stereo whenever I’m going by. They’ve been my favorite band since I was a little kid, and a chance to see a living Beatle right in front of that building, well it was a pretty big deal for me. It had been announced a couple of weeks before that there would be a celebration at Capitol Records and also a global moment of Peace and Love when it was noon wherever you were at on July 7th.
I went to the iconic Capitol Records building, which was built to resemble a stack of records, and got there early enough to get a great spot directly 20 feet in front of the stage, dead center. To start things off, there was music provided by Adam Arcuragi and Spirit Family Reunion. After that, celebrities such as Ringo’s wife Barbara Bach, Edgar Winter, David Lynch, Joe Walsh, and many more filled the stage and seats in front of the stage. Then, there he was, larger than life- Ringo! To be only 20 feet from a man that has brought so much joy and great music is something I’ll remember for a long time. Surprised I didn’t tear up a little haha.
Ringo gave a speech and gave a countdown to noon, when everyone held their hands high in the air and said in unison, ‘Peace and love’. After that, everybody sang Happy Birthday and wristbands and cookies honoring the event were given out to the audience. I was lucky enough to get a wristband that Ringo had tossed out himself, and I’ll be treasuring that little gem for a long time. To top things off, I was on the channel 7 news later in the day. After that, I headed to Venice beach to spend time with family, breathe in some much needed ocean air, and reflect on what a great day it was. This will always be remembered as one of my favorite days. After all it’s not everyday that one is twenty feet away from a Beatle. Happy 75th Ringo and PEACE AND LOVE.
RINGO STARR’S 75th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, and PeaceAndLove Countdown! Fun and Wristbands for Everyone!
