For Photos of George Tributes at Abbey Road Click Here
The Los Angeles affiliate of the UPN network, citing unnamed sources, reported Tuesday night that McCartney bought the Beverly Hills house from rock star Courtney Love six months ago and allowed Harrison to use it in the last days of his life. Harrison died on November 29.
UPN News13 said that two weeks before Harrison's death, McCartney visited him and told him he could borrow the secluded home, which is tucked away behind a gated driveway.
The home is located high above a tree-lined road near the UCLA Medical Centre where Harrison received cancer treatments in his last weeks of life, UPN News13 reported.
Harrison died of cancer at what the media were told at the time was the home of a friend, security consultant Gavin de Becker who made the announcement that he had passed away.
The official death certificate, however, listed an address which postal and other authorities have since said does not appear to exist.
A Los Angeles police spokesman said no one had been charged with any offence over the elusive address, saying the practice was sometimes used by celebrities to avoid their place of death being besieged by fans or souvenir hunters.
A Los Angeles attorney last week filed an official complaint over the accuracy of the death certificate because it listed an apparently non-existent address as his place of death.
Attorney Gloria Allred said she lodged her complaint with the Los Angeles Police Department because the "integrity of public records is at stake." Police said it was not a crime to list a false address as long as there was no intent to defraud.
A neighbour who lives on the tree-lined street where Harrison reportedly died told UPN 13 she could feel "emanations from across the street."
George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" will be re-released in January, 31 years after the song first topped the British charts, report Reuters.
"We are releasing the single on January 14, with all proceeds going to charity," a spokesman said. "But we have no name for the charity yet."
The single, which grabbed the number one UK chart position for five weeks in January and February 1971, was tipped for the Christmas number one slot when EMI announced its re-release last week.
But a spokesman for EMI said on Wednesday the company had decided to delay the release until early 2002 in the name of good taste.
"It takes time to get a record out," the spokesman said. "Rushing it out in time for Christmas could have been seen as bad taste."
"My Sweet Lord" was the first number one single by a solo Beatle and appeared on Harrison's album "All Things Must Pass," which was digitally remastered and reissued earlier this year.
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George Harrison left £20 million of his estate to the Hare Krishna faith which sustained him as he died of cancer, report the Times
He left instructions for up to 10per cent of his wealth to be distributed to the Hare Krishnas, whom he supported spiritually and financially for more than 30 years. It is expected to be distributed by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to temples across the world. The sect will receive a proportion of future earnings from HarrisonÕs music.
A significant proportion will go to Bhaktivedanta Manor, the Hertfordshire mansion bought by Harrison and donated to the Krishnas. A spokesman for the Manor said: ÒWe are eternally grateful for all George has done for us. His generosity allowed the Krishna movement to take root in Britain.Ó Up to £5 million will be distributed to unnamed international and British-based charities which aid children in poor African countries.
Thousands of fans remembered George around the world at 21.30 GMT yesterday evening .
In scenes eerliy reminicent of the silence after John died, the biggest gatherings were in Central Park, New York; outside St George's Hall, Liverpool; and outside Abbey Road Studios, London
It was originally thought that the vigil would be timed to the exact moment that George's family scattered his ashes in the River Ganges in India, however it seems now that might not have been the case
Fans hold moment of meditation for Harrison
Beatles fans meet to mourn Harrison
Liverpool Pays Silent Tribute to Harrison
The statement was released by family friend Gavin de Becker.
Mr Harrison died of cancer on Thursday in Los Angeles. A family funeral has already been held.
"We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and compassion from people around the world," said Mr Harrison's wife Olivia and son Dhani.
"The profound beauty of the moment of George's passing - of his awakening from this dream - was no surprise to those of us who knew how he longed to be with God. In that pursuit, he was relentless."
Mr de Becker said: "Olivia and Dhani invite you to join them in a minute of meditation in honour of George's journey, wherever you are on Monday at 1:30pm PST (1830 GMT)."
This Story came from Ananova - unfortunately the times are wrong - 1.30pm PST is 21.30 GMT - not 18.30 - we will give you the right times asap
Ananova have now corrected the time to 21.30 GMT - however it was too late to change the time of a vigil in Liverpool which will take place at 18.30
I'm afraid that George Harrison has passed away. Please pray for him.
Harrison died on Thursday at a friend's Los Angeles home, at 1330 local time, according to his longtime friend Gavin De Becker.
"He died with one thought in mind - love one another," De Becker said.
De Becker said Harrison's wife Olivia and son Dhani, 24, were both with him when he died. Harrison's family issued a statement saying: "He left this world as he lived in it, conscious of God, fearless of death, and at peace, surrounded by family and friends.
"He often said, 'Everything else can wait but the search for God cannot wait, and love one another'." 'Humour'
Sir Paul McCartney said: "I am devastated and very very sad. We knew he'd been ill for a long time. He was a lovely guy and a very brave man and had a wonderful sense of humour. He is really just my baby brother."
I've known George forever and he's a really beautiful guy who I love dearly. I remember all the beautiful times we had together and I'd like to remember him like that because I know he would like to be remembered like that.
"He was a great guy, full of love for humanity but he didn't suffer fools gladly. He's a great man. He'll be sorely missed by everyone."
John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono said: "My deep love and concern goes to Olivia and Dhani. The three of them were the closest, most loving family you can imagine. George has given so much to us in his lifetime and continues to do so even after his passing, with his music, his wit and his wisdom.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/obituaries/george_harrison/default.s
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http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/home.pat,local/3acd2c88.b30,.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/11/30/MN16932.DTL
http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,319614-412,00.shtml
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38945-2001Nov30.html
http://www.msnbc.com/news/665358.asp
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/harrison/
I spent much of today at Abbey Road. Fans were coming all day leaving flowers and photos and just remembering. They were joined by a total media scrum - I've never seen so many TV crews and reporters in one place. The authorities at the studios put a huge speaker in the doorway and played the All Things Must Pass LP very loudly.
The BBC broadcast a very nice Tribute to George this evening and ITV are doing one at 10pm. Sky News are doing there's as I write this message.
Paul McCartney was at Cavendish Avenue this morning when he heard the news but I think went to Peasmarsh later.
As a teenager at grammar school, I remember how we used to turn on the radio between classes in the hope of hearing something being played by The Beatles. I would then go home and try and work out the chord sequences of the latest songs on the piano, proudly calling out to my dad to come and listen each time there was a new one I could play. Little did I realise that when it would be time to leave school in 1966 my first job was to be working at Abbey Road Studios and that I would be working with those very people who had already had so much influence on my life.
George Harrison was an incredibly talented musician whose distinctive guitar work added a very special magic to The Beatles recordings. As a song writer he composed one of the most beautiful contemporary songs - 'Something' - which I had the privilege to work on as recording engineer for the Abbey Road album. More importantly, he was a lovely, kind and caring man. One of my most cherished memories is of when I was engineering a session for the Billy Preston track, That's The Way God Planned It. George was producing and Eric Clapton and Billy were overdubbing their guitar and organ solos. The first take sounded amazing, as did the second, the third, the fourth - and many more. Eric was sure he could get it even better. George was enjoying the session so much he was very happy to let things continue in the quest for that elusive take. He knew however that what we already had on tape was going to be hard to improve upon and therefore didn't want to 'lose' any of the takes we had done. When we ran out of tracks on the master tape we started to record on a second machine, knowing that we could have mixed the two together at a later date. Finally George had to put his foot down and convince the guys that what we had was brilliant. I think Eric and Billy would have gone on all night if George had let them! After listening back to what had been done it was shown that George's instincts had been right, and it was agreed that one of those early takes did indeed have the 'magic' that everyone was looking for.
I have on my desk a copy of the Autobiography Of A Yogi. George gave it to me after we had sat talking about his interest in Eastern culture. I always regarded it as a special gift but it has now taken on a new significance. It will always remind me of a very special person that I was privileged to meet and work with. His life may have come to an end but the memories and his music will never be forgotten.
Jeff Jarratt
Here is a very nice tribute by my good friend Ray Andersen
Added December 2nd
This is a sad day, indeed.
On Thursday, November 29, 2001, Mr. George Harrison, the man who gave us THE BIG 3: "Here Comes The Sun," "Something," which Sinatra called one of the greatest love songs to have been written in the last 50 years, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and so many more, has gone on to meet his maker... If he never wrote ANY MORE songs, THOSE 3 would be sufficient -- would be GENIUS ENOUGH.
His passing rings premature, it seems for us - almost selfish it makes me feel...as each Beatles gets a little older and leaves this planet (even by the senseless, unthinkable act that robbed John Lennon of his life), it forces all of us that grew up with the Fab Four's music pouring over the airwaves in that once-vital phenomenon known as Rock n' Roll Radio, to hear our mortality clocks ticking ever more loudly.
Tucked away in a corner of our Beatle-ific minds, we have always wondered if a reunion of the remaining 3 would be possible...there was even talk about it transpiring at the Concert for New York City at the Garden, when Paul performed. Maybe we thought, as writers had theorized, with Julian Lennon standing in for his Dad...just once -- maybe for "a good cause." In a sense, it really is the end of a dream.
George Harrison, the Quiet One, the Mystic, the Other Writer, the Family Man, the One Who Taught John Lennon How To Play Guitar,
did not have it easy as a Rock n' Roll Star.
As George's good friend, Bob Geldof said on BBC radio yesterday, "All the way back, he measured up...maybe because of the necessary competition between the other two (John & Paul), his standard of songwriting was incomparably better than most other contemporaries anyway. As he said himself, how do you compare with the genius of John and Paul? But he did, very well."
A few months back I bought the remastered reissue of All Things Must Pass, and I am listening to it as I write this. I was (am) struck by the songwriting on that album all over again. "My Sweet Lord", "What Is Life?" "Isn't It A Pity?" "Beware Of Darkness." There are just SO MANY wonderful songs on that album that have stood the test of time.
George's voice, had an achingly-beautiful quality to it, almost a SADNESS....come to think of it, his slide guitar artistry had the same quality...it truly did seem like his guitar was weeping as he stepped in to color a song, 'though, interestingly enough, Eric Clapton, not George was the one who soloed and captured the feeling of that seminole gem, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"...a rather unselfish nod to his Guitar Guru pal, wouldn't you say? As a young musician, figuring out chords to "My Sweet Lord," I gotta say, the way he would strum those FAT (that's fat with an "f", 'member that spelling?) CHORDS, it thrilled my youthful, hairless hands..giving me even more of a reason to help me elevate my own musicianship. Not only that, but the WAY he and his team recorded those chords, they sounded like they were dripping from my EJ Korvettes-bought stereo speakers with a dense earthcore, dark magic, that I had to know the essence of.
How different it'll be looking at "A Hard Day's Night," "Help!," or any other footage of the Fab Four. With each passing life and year, it seems we are looking back on a distant chapter of a book we read when we were "so much younger than today."
As driven to the ground as this next sentence is,
it still smacks of utter truth:
George and the Beatles music will live on.
Long after the short-lived starbursts of teen pop, cartoon rock, and
hedonistic, gluttonous hip-hop rap, there will be the music of the Beatles.
The Beatles "One" is the greatest kids' album of all time. If you're a parent, and you haven't seen it work it's magic on your little ones, as many a parent has expressed to me, go out, buy it, put it on, and let it do it's thing.
In closing, I can't help thinking of George on the Ed Sullivan show, looking so damn excited, pumped-up.....one of the 4 New Princes of the New America...strumming that big ol' Gretch guitar, and doin' that Harrison shuffle-dance with his right foot -- getting a high-pitched squeal from the wide-eyed, New York/New Jersey theatre audience, every time he did it. Then I think of my friend's sister saying she was going to see George at the Bangla Desh concert at the Garden in '71. My friend & I were too damn young to go, she said. But when that glorious album came out, it was as if we were IN the concert...we learned (struggled) every song, even mimicked/memorized the onstage patter like, "That's eveyone, everybody onstage...did we forget anyone? We forgot Mr. Billy Preston!"
We'd go 'round saying that in our best mock-British accent.
Today I cherish life a little bit more. Listen to my Beatles a bit more.
(as some of you who know me, nothin' new there.)
I will perform at a local bar tonight with a good friend, and we will remember and honor the spirit of George Harrison in our own quaint way
by singing "Here Comes The Sun," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," etc.,
to whoever wants to listen.
Today I thank George Harrison, who gave me some of the reasons, the inspirations that shaped the kind of musician I am today.
Through his voice, his guitar-playing and his songwriting -- his honesty
is what touched me, without pretense, ever, giving me the strength to endure and stick to my initial dream-of-life, which was, and will always be....to be the 5th Beatle.
As trite as it sounds, to live up to that highest of all musical standards, has kept me waking up every day since February of 1964, wondering where my musical journey will take me....
God Bless You, George.
-Ray Andersen
November 2001
Fans Flock to Abbey Road
Hi all George Harrison - a Special Tribute
A Tribute to George by Jeff Jarratt
Jeff was an engineer on the Abbey Road album and many Beatles solo projects. He is now a top producer and owner of the Abbey Road Cafe