Look To The Stars News: Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr Drums Up Support For Charity With Timberland

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Leading outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland has announced “Canvas that Cares,” a new program created to raise funds for non-profit organizations through the auction of custom-designed, limited edition Earthkeepers footwear – Timberland’s most eco-minded collection. Rock and roll icon and artist Ringo Starr is helping to drum up support for the initiative by lending his original peace sign artwork to the inaugural boot collection.

Proceeds from the auction, which kicks off December 1 on eBay, will benefit WaterAid, a non-profit dedicated to improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene in the world’s poorest communities.

Stars Cover Buddy Holly For Charity

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Songmasters has announced Listen To Me: Buddy Holly, a new collection benefitting the Grammy Foundation and featuring contemporary takes on songs originally written and performed by Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Buddy Holly.

Set to be released Sept. 6 in conjunction with Holly’s 75th birthday, the album includes tracks from Jackson Browne, Chris Isaak, Patrick Monahan (Train), Stevie Nicks, and Ringo Starr, among others.

Forty Years Ago Today - George Harrison's Concert For Bangladesh

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Forty years ago today, George Harrison took to the stage with a host of his celebrity friends for what is regarded as the first large scale multi-artist benefit concert – The Concert For Bangladesh. Look To The Stars Feature Editor Tim Saunders looks back at the climatic and political events that led up to the concert, and the on-going effects the show has had on celebrity charity events.

In early November, 1970, the Beatles were just about to break up and something wasn’t right in the South China Sea.

As Paul McCartney prepared his legal suit for the dissolution of the Fab Four after months of tempestuous fighting within the band, merchant shipping reported a storm was brewing to the south east of India. Moist, hot air was rising off the warm sea, sucking up water vapor as it went. When it reached a few hundred meters in height, it began to cool, condensing and becoming saturated. The low pressure system that was forming started to react with the high pressure system around it, swirling round like some celestial being was mixing a cake.

UNICEF Celebrates George Harrison's Charity Concert For Bangladesh

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000

On the 40th anniversary of George Harrison’s groundbreaking Concert for Bangladesh, the first major celebrity charity concert for a humanitarian cause, the music community is coming together yet again for UNICEF, this time to help provide emergency relief for children in famine and drought-affected regions in the Horn of Africa.

UNICEF is calling the situation in the Horn of Africa the “worst humanitarian emergency in the world,” with Somalia being the epicenter of the crisis.

To pay tribute to the Concert for Bangladesh and its organizers George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, this August has been designated as the “Month of Giving.” During the Month of Giving all donations to the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF will benefit UNICEF’s life-saving programs for children in the Horn of Africa. To jump start this fundraising initiative, the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF, which was founded by Olivia Harrison, wife of the late George Harrison, is immediately releasing $1 million to UNICEF for emergency efforts there.

Celebrity Guests To Hit Cannes For AIDS Charity

Wed, 18 May 2011 15:30:00 +0000

The annual amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala will hit Cannes tomorrow, May 19, with some very special guests.

Janet Jackson, Brooke Shields, Gwen Stefani, Michelle Yeoh, Milla Jovovich and Patrick Dempsey are expected to be among the guests during the event at the 64th annual Cannes International Film Festival. Other event chairs include amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole, amfAR Global Fundraising Chair Sharon Stone, Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace.

The annual star-studded event at the Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, will include a formal dinner and a world-renowned live auction, all to benefit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. As in previous years, Harvey Weinstein will recruit talent from the room to help with the live auction.

Stars Help Celebrate World Wish Day

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:45:00 +0000

The Make-A-Wish Foundation will celebrate its unifying message of hope, strength and joy by honoring wishes in 41 countries around the globe on World Wish Day, April 29.

World Wish Day is organized by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to commemorate the anniversary of the wish that inspired the creation of what is now one of the world’s leading children’s charities. Seven-year-old Chris Greicius’ wish to be a police officer was granted in Phoenix by volunteers from several law-enforcement agencies on April 29, 1980.

“World Wish Day highlights the common cause of people worldwide to bring hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions through the Make-A-Wish Foundation,” said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer. “When children are granted a wish, they receive more than just a great experience for a brief time. A wish granted has a long-term impact in creating more happiness and less fear in a family’s life, improving their quality of life during a difficult time.”

Celebrity Guests Announced For Charity Cannes Gala

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Janet Jackson, Brooke Shields, Gwen Stefani, Freida Pinto, Michelle Yeoh, Milla Jovovich, Patrick Dempsey and Harvey Weinstein are among those who will travel to Cannes to raise funds for AIDS research at amfAR’s annual Cinema Against AIDS gala, to be held on May 19 during the 64th annual Cannes International Film Festival.

Other event chairs include amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole, amfAR Global Fundraising Chair Sharon Stone, Milutin Gatsby, Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, Ryan Kavanaugh, Karl Lagerfeld, Michel Litvak, Vincent Roberti, Carine Roitfeld and Donatella Versace.

Ringo Starr Makes A Wish Come True For Young Cancer Survivor

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Ringo Starr made a wish come true for a young brain cancer survivor last week when he gave him a set of drums.

Ringo met young brain cancer patient Alexx Kipp as part of a Make-A-Wish Foundation wish last Thursday to launch a new partnership between the charity and Hard Rock International.

Playing drums had played a major part in helping Alexx get through his treatment, and his wish to meet Ringo was punctuated by a surprise gift from the Beatle drummer – a brand new drum set.

Ringo Starr And Eric Clapton To Headline Charity Gig

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton will headline a massive charity event in London in May, supported by some of their celebrity friends.

Hosted by Rory Bremner with Jonny Gould and Jeffrey Archer, Bunbury’s Big 25th Birthday Ball will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Bunbury Celebrity Cricket Team and will benefit the AF Foundation – established by English cricketer Andrew Flintoff to raise funds to build, develop and improve child rehabilitation and physiotherapy units throughout the UK – as well as Clapton’s Crossroads Centre for alcohol and drug dependency and the English School’s Cricket Association.

Guests will include some of the 60 Bunbury England U15 old boys who went on to become England stars of today plus the victorious Ashes Squad of 2010/11. Established by Sir David English, the Bunbury Celebrity Cricket club has raised over £12 million for charity in the last 25 years.

Stars Join Larry King To Talk Charity For Haiti

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:30:00 +0000

As reported earlier by LookToTheStars.org, a host of stars joined Larry King on CNN last night to encourage people to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. The broadcast raised over $5 million for UNICEF and the Red Cross.

Famous faces such as Alyssa Milano, Mick Jagger, Ben Stiller, Ringo Starr, Colin Powell, John Mayer, Seal, Ryan Seacrest, Benicio del Toro, Tea Leoni, Scarlett Johansson, Christian Slater, Ashley Judd, Sarah Ferguson, Russell Simmons, P. Diddy, Kobe Bryant, Danny Glover, David Spade, Susan Sarandon, Nicole Richie, Benji Madden, Joel Madden, Jeff Probst, Molly Sims, Peter Wentz, will.i.am and many more took the chance to appear on the show.

Each star took the time to speak about the disaster and appeal for donations.

Larry King To Host Star-Studded Haiti Special

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:40:00 +0000

Larry King will host a special two hour show tonight, Monday January 18, on CNN featuring a plethora of celebrities, leaders and activists talking about how YOU can help victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Expected to take part are Alyssa Milano, Mick Jagger, Ben Stiller, Ringo Starr, Colin Powell, John Mayer, Seal, Ryan Seacrest, Benicio del Toro, Tea Leoni, Scarlett Johansson, Christian Slater, Ashley Judd, Sarah Ferguson, Russell Simmons, P. Diddy, Kobe Bryant, Danny Glover, David Spade, Susan Sarandon, Nicole Richie, Benji Madden, Joel Madden, Jeff Probst, Molly Sims, Peter Wentz, will.i.am and more.

The show will air on CNN at 8pm ET.

Ringo Starr Wants Peace And Love For His Birthday

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Ringo Starr wants a very special 70th birthday this year – he wants the world to unite for world peace.

As a special show of solidarity, the former Beatle wants his fans all around the world to stop what they are doing and give the V-shaped peace sign at midday on July 7.

“We have big plans to do an all star tour this summer,” he said. “We’ll be in New York on July 7, which is my birthday and we’re going to celebrate. No matter what state you’re in, at noon wherever you are I’d like you to gesture peace and love.”

Hard Rock Serves Up John Lennon For Charity

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Last week, Look To The Stars brought you the news that Yoko Ono had donated John Lennon’s Give Peace A Chance to charity. Now we can reveal that she has also donated another of the singer’s songs to another charity campaign.

The World Hunger Year (WHY), along with Hard Rock Cafe, has released Serve4, the latest in their series of albums designed to fight hunger around the world. Yoko Ono has donated John Lennon’s Gimme Some Truth to the album.

“This is a beautiful step towards world peace,” she said. “By imagining there’s no hunger, like what John sang in his song, we express our strong desire to bring a world in which children will never again suffer from hunger or poverty. Let’s come together and help spread this message around the world. John would have loved the fact that so many illustrious and good meaning partners and organizations have stood up to make this effort together.”

Beatlemania Returns For Charity

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Beatlemania has hit the headlines once again this week, with the release of the Fab Four’s remastered CD collection, their Rock Band video game, and a popular British presenter’s efforts to re-record their hits for charity.

A whole new generation of fans are currently being exposed to the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo through the release of Rock Star, and a number of limited edition Xbox 360 consoles are available to benefit Doctors Without Borders. The consoles are available at eBay.

Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971 working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe. Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, personally selected the charity as the beneficiary of these proceeds.

Beatles Launch Game With Charity Download

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were in California earlier this week to launch the new Xbox The Beatles:Rock Band game. During the event, the musicians announced that one of the songs from the game, All You Need Is Love, will be released exclusively as a download through Xbox Live, with proceeds to benefit Doctors Without Borders.

McCartney and Starr joined Yoko Ono – widow of John Lennon – and Olivia Harrison, widow of George Harrison, in unveiling the game at Microsoft’s 2009 E3 Media and Business Summit.

All You Need Is Love will be released exclusively as a downloadable song on September 9, with all proceeds benefiting Doctors Without Borders. Also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, this international humanitarian aid organisation provides emergency medical aid in more than 80 countries. Established in 1971, Doctors Without Borders provides aid “to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need and reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols.” The organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

Beatles Day 2009 To Benefit Charity Appeals

Wed, 13 May 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Fans of the Fab Four around the world will have the chance to celebrate their favorite band during Beatles Day 09 and raise money for the Imagine Appeal for the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the Marina Dalglish Appeal for a radiotherapy centre in Liverpool.

Officially launched by Julia Baird – John Lennon’s sister – and Ricky Tomlinson, the event will take place on July 10 in places as diverse as China, Russia, New Zealand and of course Liverpool.

This year will mark the second time the event will be held, with last year’s homage to John, Paul, George and Ringo – which gained support from Pink, Russell Brand and the Sugababes – raising over £45,000. Liverpool will once again host a concert as part of the event, and there will be loads of merchandise and happenings available.

Remaining Beatles Reunite At Benefit Concert

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunited for a special benefit concert in New York on Saturday, April 4.

The pair came together on stage to perform With A Little Help From My Friends, playing together for the first time since George Harrison’s tribute show in 2002. They played three songs together in total on Saturday, Including I Saw Her Standing There.

“At this point we would like to introduce somebody to you who you know, you’ve heard his name,” Sir Paul said as he introduced his former bandmate. “He’s going to come out here and play you a little song this joyful night. Ladies and gentlemen: Billy Shears!!”

Join The Shining Stars At Shane's Inspiration Gala

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:00:00 +0000

A charity that aims to eliminate bias against children with disabilities by creating accessible playgrounds and programs that integrate children of all abilities is to hold a star-studded gala this Saturday, March 14.

Hosted by Joe Mantegna, the Our Shining Stars gala will benefit Shane’s Inspiration, a charity established in 1997 after founders Catherine Curry-Williams and Scott Williams lost their son, Shane Alexander, to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Type I: Werdnig-Hoffman Disease) only a few weeks after his birth.

Expected to attend the gala are Dakota Fanning, Slash, and former NBA Star and current NASCAR racer Derek Strong. Guests will be treated to cocktails, dinner, Rockstar Photobooth, entertainment from comedian Chris Fonseca and a special auction featuring a donated one-of-a-kind collaborative painting. Paraplegic artist Tommy Hollenstein – who paints with the wheels of his wheelchair – created the painting with the collaboration and signatures of sixteen rock stars, including Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh (The Eagles), Slash, and members of Incubus, Santana, The Cars, The Knack, and The Cult.

Surviving Beatles Reunite For Charity Concert

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:00:00 +0000

As reported by Look To The Stars back in January, Paul McCartney is to headline a charity concert to benefit filmmaker David Lynch’s meditation charity. We can now announce the music icon will be joined by his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr.

After initially not confirming that the two stars would share the stage together, a UK spokesperson has now announced that the pair will definitely perform at least one song together – making it a reunion of the surviving members of The Beatles. They last performed together in public at a tribute show for George Harrison in 2002.

Proceeds from the show will go to the David Lynch Foundation, set up by the filmmaker to provide funds for in-school “Quiet Time” programs utilizing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique. In the past year, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars for thousands of students, teachers, and parents to learn to meditate. The Foundation also provides funds for independent research institutions to assess the effects of the program on creativity, intelligence, brain functioning, academic performance, ADHD and other learning disorders, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The filmmaker attributes much of his creativity to the practice.

Roger Daltrey Rocks Village With Charity Gig

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:30:00 +0000

Roger Daltrey rocked a field of fans at a small charity gig last week.

Frontman for The Who, Daltrey played to 400 people who packed themselves into a huge tent at West Well Farm in the sleepy English village of Tingewick – about 20 miles from Oxford – to raise money for some local charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Florence Nightingale House, and the Oxford Kidney Unit.

The singer performed for 75 minutes in a lineup of musicians that included members of Deep Purple, Ringo Starr’s son, Zac, and famed session musician Robbie McIntosh.

Stars Keep In Time For Charity

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:30:00 +0000

A new series of designer watches featuring memorabilia from rock stars and celebrities is raising money for charity.

California-based Nixon Watches has launched their 2008 LTD collection of watches which incorporates guitar frets, concert ticket stubs, and other items into quality timepieces. The brainchild of No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont, the collection features watches designed by musicians such as Ringo Starr, Nikki Sixx, members of Fall Out Boy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Angels and Airwaves, and screen stars Jack Black and Joy Bryant. Proceeds from the watches will benefit the Tony Hawk Foundation, a children’s aid charity that seeks to foster lasting improvements in society, and the MusiCares MAP Fund to help musicians recovering from addiction.

According to the Nixon website, the collection ranges in price from $350 to $1,500, and is available from Barneys New York in Beverly Hills.

Grammy Auction Has Something For Everybody

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:30:00 +0000

Another incredible Grammy auction benefiting MusiCares is currently running on eBay, giving bidders the opportunity to pick up some very special memorabilia for a good cause.

The 51st annual Grammy Awards will take place in February next year, and to celebrate there are all sorts of exciting items on offer. Maybe you fancy books signed by Ringo Starr, John Legend, Tom Jones, Tony Bennett, Nelly Furtado, Little Richard, or Carole King, or postcards signed by Rihanna. Or perhaps you would be more interested in grabbing a guitar signed by Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, or the Eagles’ Joe Walsh. Or, if strumming chords seems too hard and you want to hear real musicians play, you might want to make a bid on tickets to see Bette Midler, America, or 3 Doors Down. Whatever your taste, the auction has something for you.

So head over to the eBay Grammys Auction now to find yourself a once-in-a-lifetime bargain to raise money for MusiCares, an organization that works to help those in need in the music industry, and the Grammy Foundation, which works with industries, cultural communities and the public to raise awareness of music and arts education.

Eric Clapton - Standing At The Crossroads Of Addiction

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:00:16 +0000

Although regarded by many as one of the best rock and blues guitarists to ever live, Eric Clapton is a man who has suffered for his art. But the succession of addictions and the tragic personal dramas have not stopped the legend from becoming one of the most successful performers in the world today, and have fueled his desire to help those who face the same problems in their daily struggle to survive.

Clapton was born in 1945, in Surrey, England. He was raised by his grandmother and grew up believing his mother was actually his older sister – she was only 16 when he was born. He eventually found out the truth when he was 9 years old, and he took it hard. He became shy and lonely, and took solace in the only thing he could find stability in – blues music.

A proficiency with the guitar led the young teenager to join a band called The Yardbirds in 1963, and the group started to attract a large cult following when they took over the Rolling Stones’ residency at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. Clapton played on The Yardbirds first hit record, “For Your Love”, before leaving the band in 1965 due to their pop-orientated musical direction.