Attacker Issues Apology to Harrisons

Michael Abram, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday in an Oxford Crown Court for attempting to murder George Harrison and his wife Olivia, issued an apology to the couple after the trial. Abram's lawyer read the written apology, which expressed Abram's sorrow about the attack but disassociated Abram from it.

The letter reads: "I'm writing this letter in the hope that it would be passed on to Mr. and Mrs. Harrison. I wished to say how sorry I am for the alarm, distress and injury that I have caused when I was ill. I have seen many doctors prior to the attack and I was never told that I was suffering with schizophrenia or any mental illness. I thought my delusions were real and everything that I was experiencing was some kind of witchcraft. I know that Mr. and Mrs. Harrison fought for their lives on December 30, 1999, and that they must have been terrified by the lunatic in their house."

Harrison's son, Dhani, who attended the proceedings with his mother Olivia was not moved by the letter, telling BBC reporters, "It's tragic anyone should suffer such a mental breakdown. We can never forget he was full of hatred and violence when he came into our home. Naturally the prospect of him being released back into society is abhorrent to us."

"We will now continue to rebuild our lives," Dhani said, adding that his father was "doing fine."

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Song Stories

“(We're Not) The Jet Set”

George Jones and Tammy Wynette | 1973

George Jones and Tammy Wynette were still married when they recorded the tongue-in-cheek "(We're Not) The Jet Set." The lyrics, written by Nashville songwriter Bobby Braddock, who also penned Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," make fun of the good life by declaring, "We're not the Jet Set/We're the old Chevrolet set." Braddock recalled that while writing the song, he needed the name of a city that evened out the rhyme he had with "Riviera" and "Missourah." “I got out a Rand McNally atlas," he said. "In the first part are the maps. The last part is an alphabetical listing of cities. I wanted a rustic, small-time sound. I went to the listing for Missouri. And I found 'Festus.' I loved the sound of it."

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