Jack S. Wang blog

Former Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed together at a New York charity show on Saturday night.

Sir Paul headlined the concert, in aid of The David Lynch Foundation, and sang a string of Beatles and solo career hits before bringing Starr on stage.

The pair performed the Beatles song, With a Little Help from My Friends together before embracing afterwards.

Sir Paul also paid a tearful tribute to the late John Lennon before playing Here Today, a song he wrote for him.

Tribute concert

The star also dedicated the song Blackbird to US President Barack Obama.

After Sir Paul played his set, which included video clips of Beatle footage, he introduced Starr as "Billy Shears".

A nod to Starr's pseudonym on the Beatles song Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

"He's going to come out here and play you a little song this joyful night"
Sir Paul McCartney introducing Ringo Starr

"At this point we would like to introduce somebody to you who you know, you've heard his name," Sir Paul said.

"He's going to come out here and play you a little song this joyful night. Ladies and gentlemen: Billy Shears."

Starr, who had previously sang the songs Yellow Submarine and Boys during his own set, then played drums backing Sir Paul's rendition of Cosmically Conscious.

It appeared as a hidden track on his 1993 album Off the Ground.

The David Lynch Foundation, set up by the film director, promotes transcendental meditation in schools.

Last month, the organisation's UK arm initially said Sir Paul and Starr would "definitely" perform together.

But a spokesman later retracted, stating their reunion had not been finalised.

At the time both Sir Paul and Starr's publicists would not confirm whether they would play together either.

The two Beatles legends last performed together at a tribute concert for George Harrison in 2002.

They were joined by Eric Clapton to perform While My Guitar Gently Weeps at the show at the Royal Albert Hall.

Sir Paul and Starr, along with Harrison, also played in private in 1994 to record material for their Anthology series.