Part of the local lore in Southern Illinois had to do with George Harrison's visit to downstate Benton, Illinois in September 1963 to visit his sister Louise Harrison. Her husband was a mining engineer working for one of the coal mining companies that operated a mine in that region, and during a break in the Beatle's tour schedule, George actually became the first Beatle to land in the United States with that visit.

There's a ton of information on the web about that visit. Two events are frequently mentioned in those stories. He performed with a local band at a dance at a VFW hall, and he apparently bought a Rickenbacker guitar while he was here. According to the stories, George had the original finish stripped in favor of a solid black color.

If that's a Rickenbacker guitar that he's playing on the Ed Sullivan Show, it's entirely possible that it's the same guitar he bought at that downstate Illinois music store while he was visiting his sister.

tony b.