Harrison honoured on Walk of Fame

George Harrison was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – an achievement the late Beatle would have viewed as “a load of old b******s”, his friend Eric Idle joked.

The Monty Python star was among those present as the singer-songwriter became the 2,382nd name to be commemorated on the streets of Los Angeles, near to where fellow Beatle John Lennon’s plaque lies.

Paul McCartney, currently performing in the States, also attended, joining guests including Harrison’s widow Olivia and son Dhani outside the Capitol Records building.

Harrison, who died in 2001, is the second Beatle to be honoured individually on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 1988, Lennon received a star on Vine Street, just down from where his former band mate was today remembered. McCartney has been approved for a star, but no date has been fixed yet for a ceremony.

The Beatles have also been honoured as a group, with a Hollywood star offered as a gift to their fans during a 1998 ceremony.

At last night’s event, McCartney waved to screaming fans who had turned out to honour Harrison.

But he left it to Monty Python funnyman Idle, a long-time friend of the late guitarist who worked alongside him in the Beatles parody film 'The Rutles', to speak.

The comedian said: “I’m very honoured to be here to speak on behalf of George, and when Olivia asked me to do this I was a bit worried because I didn’t know quite what I could say.

“I was thinking, what would George think about a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and I thought I heard his voice say, ’It’s a load of old b******s’.

“And I didn’t want to say that so I asked Ringo, what shall I say about George’s star and Ringo said, ’What about mine?’.”

The Beatles drummer is the only member of the band not to be nominated for the honour

Idle went on to praise McCartney for his support of Harrison during his final months.

He said: “Paul was there, was just wonderful and supportive in the way that you would just – well you’d want a friend and an old colleague to be there with you.

“And it’s not well known but George actually died in Paul’s house, which is rather an amazing fact and it’s one of the reasons I won’t go and stay with John Cleese,” he added, to laughter.

Idle described Harrison as a “remarkable person” with a “wonderful sense of humour”.

Olivia Harrison also paid tribute to her husband, describing him as “a beautiful, mystical man living in a material world”.

“We all have deep feelings for George because he was such a deep-feeling person. Once you met him you couldn’t help but be drawn into his world and he wanted to be in your world too,” she said.

Her son added simply: “Hare Krishna” – a reference to the Hindu mantra that his father embraced.

Actor Tom Hanks also addressed well-wishers at the event.

He said: “George Harrison held the future in the guitar in his hands and it had six strings. Let us thank Leo Fender, who brought electricity to music.

“Let us thank Sam Phillips, who recorded a man named Elvis Presley, in a record that cost three dollars to make.

“Let us thank them all for bringing us George. Let us thank them all for making life worth living that much more. Every record was an event, every cut was an opera, the entire story told ours. All things must pass, sure. But George is going to live forever.”

Harrison’s honour came as Capitol and EMI announced plans for the release of a new posthumous album by the guitarist.

Film-maker Martin Scorsese is currently directing a documentary feature about Harrison’s life and work.