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CNN Saturday Morning News
Tributes to George Harrison Continue at Strawberry Fields
Aired December 01, 2001 - 11:22 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: What better place could there be than Abbey Road in London for fans to gather and bid farewell to George Harrison? Terry Lloyd has this look at the homage that's being paid.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TERRY LLOYD, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): Beatle fans gathered outside London's Abbey Road Studio where that very soundtrack was first recorded.
According to Harrison's cancer specialist, it was his faith which helped him face death, first when he was attacked two years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone broke into his house and stabbed him with a knife, and he took he knife out of the man's hand. Took the sharp end and took it out of the hand. And he went to the porch and said "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna." So he was a very spiritual man. I believe he always was very spiritual. He didn't fear, however, illness or death.
LLOYD: Musical tributes of a different kind adorn the many bouquets of flowers left in Liverpool, where The Beatles first performed in humble surroundings before becoming the world's first super group.
Terry Lloyd, ITN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And in this country, George Harrison's fans are still gathering at Strawberry Fields in New York's Central Park to pay tribute this morning.
CNN's Jodi Ross has been there all morning.
Hi Jodi.
JODI ROSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra, and you can see that it is very crowded now. I would say there have been hundreds of people here since we've been here early this morning. Of course, this part of Strawberry Fields here in Central Park is almost always attributed to John Lennon, except of course for today, where it serves as a shrine to George Harrison. Actually, if you look right here to my right, you'll see candles have been burning all night. Flowers are strewn about. There's pictures and posters, song lyrics. Fans have been here, some overnight. Many have come by today to sort of pay their respects, mourn together, grieve together.
We've spoken to many of them. I have one with me here now who came an awful long way. This is John Rall (ph), all the way from Liverpool, am I right, John?
JOHN RALL: That's right, yes.
ROSS: Now you heard about George Harrison's death while you were in New York City.
RALL: That's right.
ROSS: Tell me your feelings about it. Did he have a lot of impact on you, his music and The Beatles?
RALL: I think so, The Beatles. We grew up with The Beatles. I'm from a large family. I've got three older sisters and a younger brother, and The Beatles music was on all the time in the house. I very much grew up with it all our lives.
ROSS: What kind of impact did it have on you? What did you like about it? What was so special about it?
RALL: It's timeless. Some of the songs are over 30 years old and they just sound as, like they're brand new. It never, ever leaves us.
ROSS: Did you have a favorite Beatle?
RALL: Probably McCartney is probably still my favorite Beatle.
ROSS: OK, so what does the loss of George mean then? I mean what do you think will be his biggest impact? Is it the music? He was also you know a very spiritual man. What do you think will be his legacy?
RALL: Probably he was the quiet Beatle. Probably the most underrated Beatle actually. Maybe now people will realize just how strong his impact was. McCartney and Lennon pretty much got all the credit, but yes George is very much part of the Fab Four.
ROSS: Exactly. Right, maybe he'll get his due now?
RALL: I think so. I think so.
ROSS: What do you think's going on over in Liverpool today to mourn him, to grieve him?
RALL: I think it will be big over in Liverpool. I can just picture it now, this Penny Lane, the Cabin Club. It will be huge at Liverpool City Center. It will be a big, big turnout today. ROSS: Are you anxious to get home, or is it OK to grieve here in New York City?
RALL: No, it's OK here. I wanted to come here anyway because of the John Lennon thing. So, it's -- I feel very much a part of it anyway.
ROSS: John Lennon's death, that's still obviously sort of tied in.
RALL: Yes. Yes, that's very much linked in with the park here and it's very much. I brought my 10-year-old daughter over, and I wanted her to see Strawberry Fields.
ROSS: OK, John, thank you so much for talking to us. John is one of so many fans here and what a lot of fans are saying too is they're learning so much more about George Harrison, just that he was a musician but also a very spiritual man who will clearly be very missed. Back to you guys in the studio.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jodi Ross, thank you so much.
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