By Steve Marinucci
Published Feb. 25, 2011
It's been a long and winding road for Louise Harrison, sister to Beatle George Harrison. She'll turn 80 in August.
And she hasn't stopped. She's currently writing her memoirs, which she says will reveal a lot of details about the Beatles' rise to fame that haven't been available before.
"It will basically tell what my life's been like, and include all the parts of it where I was involved with my brother," she told us in a recent phone interview. "And I'd also like for the first time to have people know publicly that I was totally involved for that whole first year in 1963 in talking to Brian and George Martin and Dick James and Capitol Records and everything and working very very hard to get them established in the United States. That's something that nobody knows about. It's about time the people at Apple were aware that I was part of the team before my brother and the Beatles had any assets to protect."
She says there are things her brother didn't even know.
"I never ever told George about it because I was afraid if it didn't work, I didn't want to disappoint him. But I worked really hard with Brian Epstein. I was writing to him just about every week. I was researching all the magazines over here and everything and going to all the radio stations trying to get them played, reporting back to Brian on this whole payola thing that was going on over here in those days. And all of that kind of thing."
She currently works with the Beatles tribute group Liverpool Legends, who put on shows in Branson, Mo. at the Mansion Theatre. It's something she's very proud of.
"People who come out at the end of the show say to me, "This is the best show I've ever seen. And these are people that go to Vegas and Broadway and everywhere. You know, we're really doing something right."
She says in the show, she does a segment concentrating on George's music.
"One of the things that I have done in our show when I go talk to the audience is just before the end of the intermission I sometimes do an audio version of his lyrics. And one of the things that I worked in at high school and college was dramatic speaking. And so, I will read the words of his songs. I'll say, 'Life goes within you and without you' and really expressing what he's trying to say in a way that people can understand what his lyrics are all about. I'm going to do be doing a whole chapter (in the book) on some of what George was really talking about in some of his songs, which sometimes has been misunderstood."
Beatle fans come from all walks of life. They even include U.S. presidents. One is President Bill Clinton.
"President Clinton, I've known him and met him several times," Louise says.." I actually first met him when my brother died and I was in New York doing a TV show. And he called me at the studio and invited me to his office in Harlem to offer his condolensces. He was really very nice and we had a good talk. I've always been a great admirer of his."
Clinton's library and museum in Little Rock, Ark., also has a piece of Beatles memorabilia -- a copy of "Meet the Beatles" autographed by all four members on loan from Louise.
Another fan is President Barack Obama.
"I met him when he was running for senator and I was invited to speak at some kind of gathering in Mount Vernon. And after I'd given my little chat to the people, the mayor of Mount Vernon came over to me with this young fellow. And he said, 'Here's somebody that would like to have his picture taken with you. He's a big Beatle fan.' That's how I got my picture taken with Barack Obama. Not that I was trying to have my picture taken with the president, but the other way around."
She says George's music is resonating more than ever.
"I can still listen to it over and over and never tired of. What he was trying to say. I remember one time it was around about 'Gone Troppo' or 'Extra Texture.' They weren't selling very well. But he had some songs on them that were really really remarkably insightful. And I can remember talking to him on the phone and saying, 'Hey, you know, it's such a pity they're not selling as well because you're really making some wonderful comments that people really need to hear.' And he said to me, 'Well, as long as one person understands what I'm saying, it's worth doing." And that was his attitude. So long as one or two people understand what you're trying to do, it's worth doing."
Harrison and the Liverpool Legends have a sold-out show tonight in Joplin, Mo., the night of George birthday. They have a one-week engagement at the Mansion Theatre in Branson starting March 15, then return for their regular engagement starting April 19.
Harrison says a big birthday party is planned for her at the Mansion in Branson when she turns 80 in August. "I'd like to invite all the Beatle fans to come. The theater holds 3,500 people so we should be able to have a good party!"
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