George Harrison visited Illinois in 1963, before the Beatles’ first American trip.
In September 1963, Harrison travelled to the United States with his brother Peter to visit their older sister Louise, who lived in Benton, southern Illinois. The visit came months before the Beatles arrived in America for their 1964 appearances and was Harrison’s first trip to the country.
Because Beatlemania had not yet fully reached the United States, Harrison was able to move around Benton with remarkable anonymity. He visited local venues, met musicians and appeared on a local radio program, giving residents an extraordinary glimpse of a future global star before they knew his name.
The trip is often confused with the Beatles’ first group visit to the United States in February 1964. Harrison’s Illinois visit was earlier and made him the first Beatle to set foot on American soil. It also gave him an early impression of the American musical culture that had influenced the Beatles.