Seeking Some Words of Wisdom, Fans Gather to Remember George Harrison

She was a teenager when she first saw Beatles guitarist George Harrison perform with the legendary band on the Ed Sullivan Show. She fell in love.

“George was my favorite,” said Becky Bledsoe, who said she bought every record the Beatles ever made.

Bledsoe, now 52, was among 800 people who gathered Sunday at Griffith Park Observatory for a memorial for Harrison, who died from cancer last week in Los Angeles.

They gathered on the damp grass of the observatory, some sitting on sheets and blankets. They waved American flags. They listened to Beatles songs. They brought their cherished Beatles’ memorabilia and burned incense.

“I feel like a part of me is gone,” said Bledsoe, as tears rolled down her face. “I lost a husband, brother and dad to cancer. I can relate to his death, I think that’s why I feel so close to him.”

The 58-year-old guitarist, who underwent treatment for a brain tumor earlier this year, died at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at a friend’s house in Los Angeles. His wife, Olivia; son, Dhani, 24; and friend, Gavin De Becker, were by his side. He was known as the quiet member of the influential band, which blew up in the 1960s.

Theresa Flores, 43, a teacher for Montebello Unified School District, arrived at the 3 p.m. memorial more than an hour early. She wore a Beatles sweatshirt that she bought at a festival in 1986 and a Beatles baseball cap with a button pinned to it that read “I love George.”

“Once again, one of my heroes, my idols, my brothers, my role models, has passed away,” said Flores, who became a fan at age 5 and carries a picture of the band in her wallet. “Any time something happens to one of the Beatles, it is a life-changing experience.”

Younger fans, like 21-year-old Chris Nunnink of Whittier, also attended the ceremony, which was sponsored by City Councilman Tom LaBonge and K-EARTH-FM (101).

“My parents used to play the Beatles to me all the time,” said Nunnink, who brought along three friends. “My mom really loved George Harrison. She said he was the cutest.”

Nunnink’s favorite modern rock bands are Slipknot and Nickelbag, but the Beatles were legendary. “Their music will never die,” he said. “My kids will listen to it. They are their own era of rock, and they introduced rock into their generation.”

Adrian Juarez, 46, of Ontario, said he has been a fan since he was a teenager. Every Sunday he listens to a Beatles radio show in the morning with his 5-year-old daughter, Sonia. Sometimes, she sings along, he said.

At the memorial, Sonia grabbed her mother’s hand and asked, “Mommy, how did George die?”

LaBonge said he chose to commemorate Harrison at Griffith Park because it is a symbol of Los Angeles. “He died in the City of Angels, and now he is with the angels,” LaBonge said. “I’m sure this city influenced him, and he influenced us greatly.”

For Bledsoe, it was a chance to be with other people who appreciated Harrison and the Beatles, the way she did.

“Their music expressed the way a lot of us felt, but never put into words themselves,” she said. “George was quiet and, in a way, I am quiet too. I don’t think people understood what he was about, but I understood. He was a good person.”