Among those paying tribute to the former Beatle, who died of lung cancer at age 58 in 2001, were Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, T Bone Burnett, Joe Walsh and Tom Hanks, who said, "All things must pass, sure, but George is going to live forever."

Harrison's widow, Olivia, joined by their son Dhani and speaking before hundreds of fans waving photos and albums behind heavily guarded barricades, called her late husband "a beautiful, mystical man living in a material world." Dhani, 30, uttered only two words: "Hare Krishna."

Monty Python alum Eric Idle recalled how McCartney cared for Harrison during his final days. He died in McCartney's Los Angeles home, "and it's one reason I won't go stay with John Cleese," he said.

Capitol used the event to announce the June 16 release of Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison, the first career-spanning set of solo hits with digitally remastered singles plucked from solo albums All Things Must Pass through Cloud Nine and live recordings of three Beatles tunes he wrote: Something, While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Here Comes the Sun.