00:00Ringo Starr sent fans a direct message, and they're still talking about it years later.
00:05The Beatles legend confused fans with his warning.
00:08On October 13, 2008, Ringo Starr stunned fans by announcing he would no longer sign fan mail.
00:15In a 43-second video message, the legendary Beatles drummer told fans he had a serious message to relay.
00:22He then gave fans one week's notice as he told them directly with peace and love, I want to tell you.
00:26After the 20th of October, do not send fan mail to any address that you have.
00:32Nothing will be signed after the 20th of October, the music icon added.
00:36If that is the date on the envelope, it's going to be tossed.
00:40I'm warning you with peace and love.
00:42I have too much to do, so no more fan mail, and no objects to be signed.
00:47Nothing.
00:49Anyway, peace and love, peace and love.
00:51At the time, Starr received backlash from many who felt he seemed unappreciative of his fans.
00:57He soon issued a statement to Rolling Stone to explain that he was tired of seeing items with his autograph being peddled online.
01:04The fan mail ban is in direct response to an inordinate amount of items which have recently appeared for sale on eBay.
01:10And to those that repeatedly send cards and items to be signed, he explained,
01:16Before adding that his video message wasn't directed at his real fans,
01:21Ten years later, Starr appeared on SiriusXM's Howard Stern show and explained that the last straw came after he signed some guitar scratch plates.
01:29The legendary musician found out that someone screwed one of the signed scratch plates onto a junky guitar
01:35and was selling it for three thousand dollars because it had his name on it.
01:41So I only signed for charity now, mainly my charity and my wife Barbara's charity, he explained.
01:47Nearly 20 years after Starr's fan mail ban, fans still talk about it.
01:51Some joke about being warned by Starr with peace and love.
01:55I've been tossed with peace and love, one commenter wrote on Instagram.
01:59The fan mail game was changed forever after this, another noted.
02:04In a Reddit thread, one fan wanted to know,
02:06Did anyone send Ringo fan mail after the 20th of October?
02:10Did he respond?
02:11I sent Ringo fan mail a week or two before the deadline and still haven't heard back.
02:16Fourteen years later, any day now.
02:18Another fan cracked.
02:19Starr's Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney also commented on the situation.
02:23I love it, McCartney said on Stern's show.
02:26You've gotta love Ringo.
02:26The thing is, you know, Ringo was always like that.
02:30He was the one, if fans came to his door, he just said,
02:33Pee off.
02:34This is my private life.
02:35Out there.
02:36I'm a Beatle, that's fine.
02:37But I'm at home with babies and a wife.
02:39I don't want that.
02:41And I think it's very brave of Ringo to just go, you know,
02:43Peace and love, peace and love.
02:45I'm not going to sign.
02:46I'm not going to sign.
02:47I'm not going to sign.
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