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George Harrison gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star
By Solvej Schou, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – Hundreds of George Harrison's biggest fans and best friends, including Paul McCartney and Tom Petty, turned out Tuesday to see a posthumous star for the quiet Beatle unveiled during a raucous celebration on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Fellow former Beatle McCartney stood next to
Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, as the star was unveiled in front of the landmark Capitol Records building. "Thank you very much!" he yelled to hundreds of screaming fans wearing Beatles T-shirts and holding signs, albums and flowers to honor Harrison.

The only other surviving member of the band, Ringo Starr, did not attend. But one of Harrison's friends, Monty Python's Eric Idle, said he had recently spoken to Starr. "He said, 'What about mine?'" Idle said. "I said, 'They don't give drummers stars.'"
Harrison already shared a Walk of Fame star with all of the Beatles, but only he and John Lennon, who was shot to death by a deranged fan in 1980, have their own stars. Harrison, the youngest of the Beatles, died of lung cancer in 2001 at age 58."He was a beautiful, mystical man living in a material world," Olivia Harrison said of her late husband. Standing next to her, Dhani Harrison uttered the mantra "Hare Krishna."

Incense smoke snaked into the air during the dedication as Petty, sporting dark sunglasses, mingled with such celebrity guests as Jeff Lynne, T-Bone Burnett and Tom Hanks. "He had the most remarkable sense of humor," said Idle, who talked about having a hard time knowing what to say about his friend and fellow Englishman.
After the ceremony, Idle, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, McCartney and his girlfriend, Nancy Shevell, and others attended a luncheon at Capitol Records' spacious Studio A. They, Lynne, Petty, Ed Begley Jr., Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, and others hugged and chatted while sipping champagne and dining on vegan food.

Hollywood gives George Harrison his star

By Alan Duke; CNN

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- George Harrison's closest friends and family gathered in Hollywood on Tuesday to dedicate the late Beatle's star on the Walk of Fame."There's someone here from every important stage of George's life and career," Harrison's widow, Olivia, said. Harrison, who was 58 when he died of cancer in 2001, becomes the second Beatle with a Hollywood star. John Lennon was the first.
The new star is next to the iconic Hollywood headquarters of
Capitol Records
, the distributor of much of Harrison's music for the past five decades.
Tuesday's ceremony coincided with the Capitol/EMI announcement that it will release Harrison's first solo greatest hits collection -- "Let it Roll: Songs by George Harrison" -- on June 16.
Actor Tom Hanks said the world changed for him in January 1964 when he heard his first
Beatles
song. "That's when we escaped the doldrums and moved on to a brighter, better, more joyful future," Hanks said
Superstar musicians Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh and Jeff Lynne attended the star's dedication, but they did not address the crowd. Scores of Harrison fans showed up for the event, with some traveling from as far as Liverpool, England. "We all have deep feelings for George, because he was such a deep-feeling person," Olivia Harrison said. "He was a beautiful, mystical man, living in a material world," she said. "He was funny as the day is long and just as perplexing." His son, Dhani, 30, joked about his father's star. "It's good, it's lovely and it's nice and shiny and I'm glad it's not outside of Frederick's of Hollywood," he said.
Harrison
was just 15 when schoolmate Paul McCartney asked him to join his and John Lennon's band, the Quarrymen. The band evolved into the Beatles and the rest is history. Harrison played lead guitar and sang for the Beatles. Songs penned by Harrison included "Taxman," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun."
Harrison was a pioneer of what has since become a tradition of rock stars supporting charitable causes with their music. In 1971, he helped organize the star-studded "Concert for Bangladesh" at New York's Madison Square Garden.
In addition to his post-Beatles solo career, Harrison played with several groups -- most notably the Traveling Wilburys, alongside Petty, Lynne, Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan.

Paul McCartney, Tom Hanks Give George Harrison the Star Treatment
Apr. 14, 2009 by
Gina Serpe
From Abbey Road to Hollywood Boulevard.
George Harrison posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this morning—the 2,382nd issued—becoming the second individual Beatle
to earn the solo honor.
Paul McCartney
was on hand to represent for the Fab Four.
Also joining the hundreds of fans gathered in front of the Capitol Records building (not far from
John Lennon's star) were Tom Hanks and a couple of Harrison's fellow Traveling Wilburys, Tom Petty
and Jeff Lynne doing their best to add a little more pomp to the circumstance.
Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, were also present for the unveiling, which honored the musician's career as a twice-inducted member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and 11-time Grammy winner.
In conjunction with the unveiling of
Harrison
's star, EMI/Capitol Records announced the first ever collection of his post-Beatle hits, Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison, to be released June 16.
Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001 at age 58.