The making of the mural from concept to completion as told through pictures and in an interview between Muralist John Cerney and DJ Phlash Phelps on his ’60’s on 6′ Sirius XM Radio Show. Painted in 2017, this mural is 16 feet tall and is located along Interstate 57 in Benton, Illinois. The mural commemorates the first visit by a Beatle to America. Several months ahead of the British rock group’s big splash on US soil in early 1964, George Harrison came to Benton, Illinois to visit his sister Louise and her family. The Beatles were unknown to Americans, despite being at the top of the charts in England, and George was able to remain anonymous during his two week stay. He played with a local band, bought a guitar in a neighboring town, and mostly hung out as a tourist. The Beatles were about to explode on the world stage, and for years to come, folks in Southern Illinois would recall the polite young man with long hair and a funny accent.
