George Harrison enjoyed an emotional last dinner with his Beatles friends, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Legendary friends Macca and Ringo flew to New York to say goodbye to George after George told them he didn’t have long to live.
Although he was very ill, the three friends laughed and joked for hours as they talked about the distant days of beatlemania. And George drew strength and relaxation from this last meeting with two of his closest friends. A source close to Paul said that “they knew it was his last supper and it was really emotional. There were some tears, but more than anything there were laughter. “
George’s doctor, Gil Lederman, was also present for part of the historic gathering. He said: “It was a joyful meeting, not a gloomy one (…) there was a lot of laughter and fun, hours were spent remembering old times. For me, it was a unique phenomenon. The entire experience was incredible. These were the icons of my life, three of the most important people of the 20th century. There were tears, but George remained very worthy. In the end, after Paul and Ringo left, he was fine and calm. He was a cheerful man. That meeting meant a lot to him. “
They met since lunch. Paul was the first to arrive after flying in from London with his girlfriend Heather Mills. Ringo drove to George’s apartment from a nearby hotel after arriving in town a few days earlier. The frail 58-year-old George, who was on medication, ate a vegetarian meal and only drank water. But the old friends laughed and had fun for 90 minutes of lunch. Then, just before Ringo said that he had to go, since his daughter was going to have surgery that same day, George’s family and other friends left to leave the three musical legends alone for the last time.
A friend of Paul’s recounted: “Over the years they had their differences, but those disagreements were put aside as they realized how much they meant to each other. Paul always remembers that he and George spent their first meeting laughing at each other’s jokes, and it was fitting that their last moments together were the same. With Ringo there, feelings surfaced and the three of them had a lot to say to each other. They talked and talked, and it was George who put the humor in the evening. He made everyone laugh. He could be close to death, but he didn’t let it defeat his great sense of humor. “
George left after lunch to continue his treatment at Staten Island University Hospital. But Paul insisted on staying until he returned. She spent the rest of the day with him and his wife Olivia, enjoying their last moments together. Paul’s friend said: “Paul told George and Ringo that he loved them like his brothers and his real family.” As they talked about the early days of the Beatles in Hamburg and their experiments with drugs and religion, “you could feel the warmth between them.”
He added: “George was clearly in a good mood as the afternoon wore on. He was smiling, happy and seemed delighted to see his friends. Deep inside he knew that those were the last moments together and he realized what a great life they had lived. Of course there were tears, but only when they said goodbye. For most of the time George, Paul and Ringo forgot about their condition and they all seemed to behave as if they had not been separated for 30 years. ” (The image that illustrates the publication corresponds to July 7, 2000. On Ringo Starr’s 60th birthday).
