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On Oct. 13, 2008, Ringo Starr<\/strong> stunned fans by announcing he would no longer sign fan mail.<\/p>\n In a 43-second video message<\/a>, the legendary Beatles drummer told fans he had a \u201cserious message\u201d to relay. He then gave fans one week\u2019s notice as he told them directly, \u201cWith peace and love, I want to tell you, after the 20th of October, do not send fan mail to any address that you have.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing will be signed after the 20th of October,\u201d the music icon added. \u201cIf that is the date on the envelope, it\u2019s going to be tossed. I\u2019m warning you with peace and love. I have too much to do, so no more fan mail. And no objects to be signed. Nothing! Anyway, peace and love, peace and love.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time, Starr received backlash from many who felt he seemed unappreciative of his fans. He soon issued a statement to<\/a> Rolling Stone<\/a> to explain that he was tired of seeing items with his autograph being peddled online.<\/p>\n \u201c[The fan mail ban] is in direct response to an inordinate amount of items which have recently appeared for sale on eBay, and to those that repeatedly send cards and items to be signed,\u201d he explained, before adding that his video message wasn\u2019t directed at his \u201creal fans.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa4<\/strong>SIGN UP for our The Voice newsletter to get access to exclusive news, interviews, insider info, sneak peeks & more<\/strong><\/a>\ud83c\udfa4<\/strong><\/p>\n Ten years later, Starr appeared on Sirius XM\u2019s Howard Stern Show<\/a> and explained that the last straw came after he signed some guitar scratch plates. The legendary musician found out that someone screwed one of the signed scratch plates onto a junky guitar and was selling it for three thousand dollars because it had his name on it.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I only sign for charity now, mainly my charity and [my wife] Barbara’s charity,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n Nearly 20 years after Starr\u2019s fan mail ban, fans still talk about it. Some joke about being warned by Starr with \u201cpeace and love.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI been tossed with peace and love,\u201d one commenter wrote on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fan mail game was changed forever after this,\u201d another noted<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a Reddit thread<\/a>, one fan wanted to know, \u201cDid anyone send Ringo fan mail after the 20th of October? Did he respond?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI sent Ringo fan mail a week or two before the deadline and still haven’t heard back… 14 years later. Any day now!\u201d another fan cracked.<\/p>\n Starr\u2019s Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney<\/strong> also commented on the situation.<\/p>\n \u201cI love it, \u201c McCartney said on Stern\u2019s show<\/a>. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to love Ringo. The thing is, you know Ringo was always like that. He was the one if fans came to his door, he just said, \u2018P— off. This is my private life. Out there I’m a Beatle, that\u2019s fine, but I’m at home with babies and a wife, I don’t want that.\u2019 And I think it’s very brave of Ringo to just go you know, ‘Peace and love, peace and love. I’m not going to sign.'”<\/p>\n This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Oct 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n