Starr Thrilled With 70th Birthday Drum Honour

The rocker was presented with the drum as a gift from instrument makers Ludwig back in 1964 to honour his loyalty to Bill Ludwig's company.

Now it will be a part of a major drum and percussion exhibit at the museum - and Starr couldn't be prouder.

He says, "It's cool... I did a show there (at the museum) in January with Ben Harper, that's how we got friendly with them, and they have an instrument room with a lot of very crazed African drums, old pianos, and so they thought this would be good."

Starr tells the New York Times newspaper the drum is very special to him: "I'm lending it to them because, it's well-documented, in 1964 that old Bill Ludwig, he presented it to me. I bought these Ludwig drums, and, in the shop in England, the guy wanted to take the sign out, but I love everything American, the music and the instruments. So I made him leave the sign on.

"So I was a running commercial - on (chat show host Ed) Sullivan, and all that touring of America, it said Ludwig drums. And so, to thank me for that, they gave me this gold drum, and that's the one that's going into the Metropolitan for a year."