ILLINOIS GOVERNOR DECLARES GEORGE HARRISON DAY

Gov. Pat Quinn is proclaiming Sept. 21 “George Harrison Day” in honor of the late musician’s two-week stay in Southern Illinois 50 years ago.

The governor announced the proclamation Sunday, as part of an effort to promote heritage tourism in Illinois. The Beatles were on the verge of making pop music history when George was in the Benton area. Officials have planned to dedicate a historical marker Sept. 21 that will unveil a permanent reminder of Harrison’s Southern Illinois activities as “The First Beatle in America,” Quinn announced.

“Many icons through history have Illinois connections, and we are recognizing one more with this proclamation,” Quinn said. “George Harrison helped define a generation, and we encourage visitors to follow his footsteps throughout Southern Illinois.”

The historical marker dedication, hosted by the Franklin County Historic Preservation Society and the Illinois State Historical Society, will be held in Benton’s Capitol Park at 2 p.m. Saturday. The event is free and open to the public. The marker will describe the regional exploits of a young British musician just months before he and his partners exploded into worldwide fame that is as strong today as it was in 1963, according to the governor’s announcement.

In late summer ’63, The Beatles, made up of Liverpool, England musicians George, John, Paul and Ringo, had three hit singles in England and decided to take separate holidays before their anticipated American debut in early 1964. Lennon went to Paris, Paul and Ringo to Greece, and George to America. Traveling with his older brother Peter, George came to the region to visit their sister, Louise Harrison Caldwell.

George stayed at his sister’s home in Benton, jammed with several local musicians, performed with a group at the Eldorado VFW Hall, bought a guitar in Mount Vernon, sang “Happy Birthday” at a bocce ball club in Benton, and went camping in the Garden of the Gods and other Shawnee National Forest locations, officials have recorded.

Many of The Beatles’ first recordings were played over a West Frankfort radio station, and George was interviewed by a local teenager, Marcia Schafer, which turned out to be the first interview with a member of The Beatles in America.

George returned to England and came back to America with the rest of band in Feb. 1964 after “I Want to Hold Your Hand” rose to number one on the U.S. charts.