Harrison’s Widow Stops Statue Plans

George Harrison's widow, Olivia Harrison, has halted outsider plans to erect a statute of "The Quiet Beatle" in his adopted English hometown of Henley-On-Thames. Local fan, James Lambert had sent a petition for the statue to Olivia as a tribute to the late Beatle, who died of cancer in 2001 at age 58. The BBC reported that Olivia's reps informed Lambert that she would prefer "a community project in his name." Harrison purchased Friar Park in Henley-On-Thames on January 14th, 1970.

Lambert went on to explain, "The statue could create problems of different types of fans turning up, the unwanted fans. Gauging the pulse in terms of Henley residents I think there was a lot of support. This petition wasn't tapping into the Beatles fanfare worldwide, it was much more to recognize George's contribution to Henley and the affection Henley had for him. It is slightly disappointing but you have to respect Olivia's wishes, as she still has a house in Henley, Friar Park. And I think the danger was it wouldn't just become a Henley acknowledgment of George's work but would encourage more people to visit Henley."