Organizers of a New York concert featuring Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have apologized to outraged fans after hundreds were blocked from buying tickets online.

The stars are both booked to perform at Manhattan's iconic Radio City Music Hall on April 4 at a bash to aid The David Lynch Foundation - formed by the director to promote meditation in schools.

The booking has sparked rumors the pair will take to the stage together and wow fans with a Beatles reunion duet, prompting an overwhelming demand for tickets.

But fans were left fuming after Ticketmaster.com began declining requests just nine seconds into Monday's launch, while tickets appeared onsale online for up to $9,000.

The controversy has forced the foundation's program director Chris Busch to write to fans, expressing his disappointment.

The note, distributed on Tuesday, says: "Ticketmaster suggested the demand was so great that internet ordering could easily claim 1,200 tickets in a matter of moments. We did hear from individuals who beat the scalpers and got a ticket on the Monday morning sale. But many didn't.

"We were alarmed seeing that tickets were listed on the scalping sites days before they went on sale. To our knowledge these tickets were only being held by Ticketmaster for the pre-sale and public sale. It is disappointing to us that we can not accommodate all the fans who want to attend. And very disappointing for us to see how many tickets are being sold on the ticket reselling sites from people who only care about making a buck."

Starr and McCartney last played together in 2002.

In February, Bruce Springsteen fans suffered a similar fate. Tickets sold out in moments, and the website redirected prospective buyers to a Ticketmaster sister site selling second hand tickets for a hefty sum - prompting a U.S. Congressman to demand an investigation as to how the sister site was able to procure tickets so quickly.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)