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CNN Saturday Morning News

Fans Mourn Death of George Harrison at Abbey Road Studios

Aired December 01, 2001 - 09:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: He was born in Liverpool, England, in 1943, and George Harrison's musical career began at 13 when he got his first guitar. Soon afterward, he met Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and the rest, as they say, is history.

CNN's Chris Burns is live at -- where else -- Abbey Road in London.

Hi, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Well, the weight of rock and roll history weighing very heavily here at the Abbey Road Studios. This is where not only the Beatles recorded but also Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and even the some of the soundtrack for "Lord of the Rings," the new movie out. So a very, very historic place, and this is where many people are feeling the weight of history themselves, enough to bring flowers, candles, notes, all kinds of anecdotes and feelings that they had felt for the last few decades as the Beatles continued to touch their lives even after they broke up in 1970.

As you can see, some of the people here reading some of the messages here. In fact, there's one over here that says, "Whilst you sleep in heaven, whilst you in heaven sleep your guitar will still gently weep," sort of a takeoff on one of the songs by George Harrison.

Some of the people here, where are you from?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.S., Maryland.

BURNS: From Maryland. What's your name?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Karen (ph).

BURNS: And how do you feel today? What are your thoughts here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's kind of -- it's one of those occasions where you sort of never forget where you were the day something happened. It's one of those kind of occasions, I think.

BURNS: What does the death of George Harrison mean to you? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the end of an era, for sure, the end of an era, you know, so much of the history of music, you know, that I grew up with, certainly, in the States, is all about the Beatles.

BURNS: And how does it feel that there are only two Beatles left...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Only two left.

BURNS: ... only two Beatles left? That must hurt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know, it makes me feel old; makes me feel very old.

BURNS: Stop. Thanks very much Karen, appreciate it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, thank you.

BURNS: A couple of other things, there are newspapers today also here saying -- noting also that -- some of the flashier tabloids noting how the death of George Harrison, a very somber, very black and white, and that's the feeling here in front of Abbey Road Studios -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Chris Burns, a true Beatles fan, I know that for a fact. Thanks so much.

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