Ringo Starr once said when he was 13, "I only wanted to be a drummer.'' (Photo courtesy of ringostarr.com)
Story Published:
Feb 9, 2010 at 4:25 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Feb 9, 2010 at 4:25 PM PDT
HOLLYWOOD -- The 50th anniversary of groundbreaking on the Hollywood Walk of Fame will be marked Monday night with former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr receiving its 2,401st star.
Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, bassist and music producer Don Was and singer-songwriter Ben Harper will join Starr in speaking at the ceremony in front of the Capitol Records building on Vine Street.
Starr's star will be near the stars of his late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison.
Vine Street near the ceremony site will be closed from noon-10 p.m. Monday. Fans are advised to park in lots on Hollywood Boulevard or take the Metro Red Line to the Hollywood & Vine stop.
The ceremony will be shown on the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's Web site, Hollywoodchamber.net, Starr's site, ringostarr.com, and The Beatles site, thebeatles.com.
Born Richard Starkey Jr. on July 7, 1940 in Liverpool, England, Starr once said when he was 13, "I only wanted to be a drummer.''
At 17, he joined the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Band. In 1959, he became part of the Raving Texans, adopting the stage name Ringo Starr because of the rings he wore and because it sounded "cowboyish.''
By October 1960, the group was renamed Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. While performing in Hamburg, Starr met The Beatles, going on to drum with them three times, then officially joining the group in August 1962, replacing Pete Best.
Following The Beatles breakup in 1970, Starr had a solo career, including releasing his 16th studio album, "Y Not,'' last month; performed on other artists' albums; toured 10 times with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band; acted in a variety of films; and was the narrator for the children's series "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.''
The idea of creating the Walk of Fame was first conceived by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 1953 in a bid to return glamour to Hollywood, when the movie industry was declining because of the rise of television, which then mainly emanated from New York City, and the flight from urban areas to the suburbs.
The Walk of Fame began with the installation of a few demonstration stars in August 1958, the first of which was a television star dedicated to Preston Foster, an actor and singer.
The Walk of Fame was dedicated in November 1960 and is one of Southern California's top tourist attractions, drawing an estimated 15 million visitors a year.
