HOLLYWOOD -- The 50th anniversary of groundbreaking on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was marked Monday night with former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr receiving its 2,401st star.   

Starr was joined by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as the star was unveiled in front of the Capitol Records building, near those of his late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison.   

"It's nice to look at a building you helped pay for,'' Starr joked.   

Joe Walsh, best known as the Eagles guitarist, but also a member of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, who is married to a sister-in-law of Starr, said, "You really deserve your own star with one R. You really are the greatest.''   

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 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 actor/singer Preston Foster. The walk was dedicated in November 1960 and became one of Southern California's top tourist attractions, drawing an estimated 15 million visitors a year.   

Starr was born Richard Starkey Jr. on July 7, 1940 in Liverpool, England. At 17, he joined the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Band and 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.   

"I'm an only child and I joined this band and I had three brothers,'' Starr said. "They looked out for me and I looked out for them and we all supported each other. It was really beautiful to be part of that. And besides that, we made some great records.''   

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.''   

"What touches me the most are the human qualities that enable the guy to make music of that fashion,'' music producer Don Was said. "I hear respect for the song, I hear respect for the singer. I hear compassion for what the other musicians are doing. There's joy and jocularity in his playing that are irresistible.   

"Once you become aware of these qualities in his music, you realize there are simply manifestations of the great qualities of the man. Ringo has always taken a stand for peace and for love and for compassion.''