Dancing and playing drums on stage for 55 years has been kind to musician Ringo Starr. On Saturday he turned 72, and as Starr has advocated for the past five years, he encourages everyone to pursue "peace and love" on "the seventh of the seventh" this July.

It's a lifestyle he advocates in the first track on his new album, "Ringo 2012," called "Anthem," which Starr identifies as an anthem for peace and love.

One of two living members of the Beatles and winner of nine Grammy Awards, Starr is on the road touring with the All Starr band. The band, formed in 1989, features a rotation of celebrity musicians. The current grouping is the 13th version of the band.

"Everybody has to have a hit to be in the band," he told CNN. "We have a very cool lineup, and it's a diverse lineup. But when you put it all together, it works, and I don’t know that when it starts."

The All Starr Band includes Todd Rundgren, Gregg Rolie from Santana, Steve Lukather from Toto, Richard Page from Mr. Mister with saxophonist Mark Rivera and drummer Gregg Bissonette.

With friends such as these, the show's set lists are rolling out hits like "Rosanna," "Broken Wings," "Hello It's Me," and "Black Magic Woman," in addition to Starr's hits on his own and with The Beatles. The tour also includes promoting his 17th solo studio recording, "Ringo 2012."

In addition to advocating peace and love, Starr is also passionate about helping endangered rhinos.

"The rhinos go back to the 70s, actually," he says. "Keith Moon and I were friends and we both loved rhinos. I had two life-sized rhinos made. I gave him one and I had one, just being one of those animals that I feel an affinity to. And the idea that they kill a 3-ton animal to get that horn for the reasons we know is incredibly insane."

Starr also catches up with former band mate Paul McCartney. While most of their conversations aren't about "the old days," as both are actively involved in their solo careers, Starr still feels the reverberations of the music they made as Beatles.

"The music we made is still important," Starr said. "The kids are still learning about our music all these years later. We left a great legacy. Every generation listens to The Beatles. We’re still outselling most acts!"

Read more about Starr's life.

Ringo Starr on his new album

Never-before-seen Beatles photos go on sale

Abbey Road crosswalk named historic landmark

Ringo Starr's life in pictures

Personal:

Birth date: July 7, 1940

Birth place: Liverpool, England

Birth name: Richard Starkey Jr.

Parents: Richard Sr. and Elsie (Gleave) Starkey, both worked in a bakery

Marriages: Barbara Bach (April 27, 1981 – present)

Maureen Cox (February 11, 1965 – July 1975, divorce)

Children: with Cox: Zak, Jason and Lee (daughter)

Other Facts:

The nickname "Ringo" came from his habit of wearing numerous rings.

Suffered from serious illnesses throughout childhood, spending one year in the hospital because of peritonitis and two years in a sanitarium for pleurisy.

Quit school at the age of 15 to become a messenger for British Railways. After losing his job, he found work as a professional drummer.

Paul McCartney has appeared on several of Starr's solo albums, including Vertical Man (1998) and Y Not (2010).

Starr was the first Beatle to score seven consecutive Top 10 singles.

Timeline:

1957 – 1962 – Plays drums for several bands in the Liverpool area, including Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

August 18, 1962 – Becomes the drummer for the Beatles, officially replacing Pete Best.

1962 – The Beatles are signed by EMI-Parlophone and release their first record.

1963 – Beatlemania hits England as the group has four No. 1 hits.

January 3, 1964 – The Beatles make their U.S. television debut, in a film clip on “The Jack Paar Show.”

February 9, 1964 – They appear live on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

April 13, 1965 – The Beatles win two Grammy Awards, one for Best Performance by a Vocal Group and one for Best New Artist of 1964.

August 15, 1965 – The Beatles play for a crowd of 55,000 people at Shea Stadium in New York.

October 26, 1965 – Queen Elizabeth II names The Beatles members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

August 29, 1966 – Last scheduled Beatles concert, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

1968 – Starr acts in the movie “Candy.”

February 29, 1968 – The Beatles win two Grammy Awards for “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”: Song of the Year and Best Contemporary Album.

May 14, 1968 – Apple Corps Ltd. is formed to manage the Beatles' business affairs.

1969 – Starr has a part in the movie “The Magic Christian.”

January 31, 1969 – The Beatles play an impromptu concert on the roof of the Apple building in London, their last live performance together.

April 10, 1970 – Paul McCartney announces that the Beatles have broken up.

March 16, 1971 – The Beatles win a Grammy for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special for “Let it Be.”

April 15, 1971 – The Beatles win an Academy Award for Original Song Score for “Let it Be.”

1973 – Starr has two No. 1 hits: “Photograph” and “You're Sixteen.”

1981 – Starr plays part in the movie “Caveman” with future wife Barbara Bach.

January 20, 1988 – The Beatles are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1988 – Starr spends five weeks in a clinic being treated for alcoholism.

1989 – Starr forms the All Starr Band, with a rotating group of celebrity musicians.

1991 – Starr receives an award from BMI, for 1 million broadcasts of the song, “It Don't Come Easy.”

December 1995 – The Beatles release a new single, “Free as a Bird,” their first new song in 25 years. John Lennon started it before his death in 1980.

February 26, 1997 – “Free as a Bird” wins two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance By a Duo Or Group With Vocal and Best Music Video-Short Form, and “Anthology” wins one for Best Music Video.

2008 – Starr accepts the Diamond Award at the World Music Awards on behalf of the Beatles for more than 100 million records sold.

February 8, 2010 – He receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Major Awards:

Academy Award (1 nomination/1 win)

1971 – Wins, as part of The Beatles, Best Music, Original Song Score for "Let It Be" from the documentary "Let It Be" (1970).

Grammy Award – The Beatles (7 wins/23 total nominations)

1964 – Wins Best New Artist Of 1964

1964 – Wins Best Performance By a Vocal Group for “Hard Day's Night”

1967 – Wins Best Contemporary Album for “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”

1967 – Wins Album of the Year for “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”

1996 – Wins Best Music Video, Long Form for “The Beatles Anthology”

1996 – Wins Best Music Video, Short Form for “Free as a Bird”

1996 – Wins Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Free as a Bird”

Solo (2 wins/4 total nominations)

1970 – Wins Best Original Score Written For a Motion Picture or a Television Special for "Let It Be." Each member of The Beatles earns an individual Grammy.

1972 – Wins Album of the Year for The Concert for Bangladesh

1990 – Nomination for Best Country Vocal Collaboration for “Act Naturally” with Buck Owens

2008 – Nomination for Best Surround Sound Album for “Ringo 5.1 The Surround Sound Collection”

Discography:

(Beatles)

Please Please Me, 1963

With The Beatles, 1963

A Hard Day's Night, 1964

Beatles For Sale, 1964

Help!, 1965

Rubber Soul, 1965

Revolver, 1966

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967

Magical Mystery Tour, 1967

The Beatles [White Album], 1968

Yellow Submarine, 1969

Abbey Road, 1969

Let It Be, 1970

(Post Beatles)

Sentimental Journey, 1970

Beaucoups of Blues, 1970

Ringo, 1973

Goodnight Vienna, 1974

Blast from Your Past, 1975

Ringo's Rotogravure, 1976

Ringo the Fourth, 1977

Scouse the Mouse, 1977

Bad Boy, 1978

Stop and Smell the Roses, 1981

Stay Awake, 1988

Starr Struck, 1989

Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, 1990 – Live

Time Takes Time, 1992

Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, Vol. 2, 1993 – Live

Live from Montreux, 1993

Old Wave, 1994

Ringo Starr and His Third All-Starr Band, 1997 – Live

VH1 Storytellers, 1998

Vertical Man, 1998

I Wanna Be Santa Claus, 1999

Ringo Rama, 2003

Tour 2003 – Live

Choose Love, 2005

Ringo Starr & Friends, 2006 – Live

Live at Soundstage, 2007 – Live

Liverpool 8, 2008

Live on Tour, 2008 – Live

Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band Live 2006, 2008

Y Not, 2010

Ringo 2012, 2012

Filmography (selected):

Hard Day's Night, 1964

Help!, 1965

Yellow Submarine, 1968

Candy, 1968

The Magic Christian, 1969

Commonwealth, 1970

Let it Be, 1970

200 Motels, 1971

Blindman (also known as Il Cieco and Il Pistolero Cieco) 1972

That'll Be the Day, 1974

Lisztomania, 1975

Sextette, 1978

Caveman, 1981

Give My Regards to Broad Street, 1984

To the North of Katmandu, 1986

Television:

(TV films)

Ringo, 1978

The Cooler, 1982

Princess Daisy, 1983

Alice in Wonderland, 1985

Shining Time Station Christmas: 'Tis a Gift, 1990

(TV series), (voice)

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, 1985-91

Shining Time Station, 1990-91

Publications:

Postcards from the Boys, 2003