Harrison, George

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George Harrison ,Many published sources give Harold as Harrison's middle name: Everett, The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men Through Rubber Soul , ; , p. 246, Geoffrey Giuliano, John Lennon, Vrnda Devi, Published by Omnibus Press, 1998, ISBN 0-7119-6470-X. Others dispute that, based on the absence of any middle name on Harrison's birth certificate:(). Order of the British Empire|MBE (25 February 1943& nbsp;– 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as lead guitar ist of The Beatles ., p. 23, H. P. Newquist, Rich Maloof, Backbeat Books, 2003, ISBN 0-87930-761-7 Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian culture and mysticism, and introduced it to the other Beatles, as well as their Western audience.Schaffner, The Boys from Liverpool , . Following the band's break-up he was a successful solo artist, and later a founding member of the Traveling Wilburys . Harrison was also a session musician and a film and record producer. He is listed at number 11 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of " Top 100 Greatest Guitar Players of all Time|100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time ".

Although most of The Beatles' songs were written by Lennon–McCartney|Lennon and McCartney , Beatle albums generally included one or two of Harrison's own songs, from With The Beatles onwards., CBC Arts, 11 January 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2008. His later compositions with The Beatles include " Here Comes the Sun ", " Something " and " While My Guitar Gently Weeps ". By the time of The Beatles' break-up|the band's break-up , Harrison had accumulated a backlog of material, which he then released as the triple album All Things Must Pass in 1970, from which two hit singles originated: a double A-side single, " My Sweet Lord " backed with " Isn't It a Pity ", and " What Is Life ". In addition to his solo work, Harrison co-wrote two hits for former Beatle Ringo Starr , as well as songs for the Traveling Wilburys —the Supergroup (music)|supergroup he formed in 1988 with Jeff Lynne , Bob Dylan , Tom Petty , and Roy Orbison .

Harrison embraced Culture of India|Indian culture and Hinduism in the mid-1960s, and helped expand Western awareness of sitar music and of the Hare Krishna movement . With Ravi Shankar he organised the first major charity concert with the 1971 The Concert for Bangladesh|Concert for Bangladesh . In addition to his musical accomplishments, he was also a record producer and co-founder of the production company HandMade Films . In his work as a film producer, he collaborated with people as diverse as the members of Monty Python and Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna .

He was married twice, to model Pattie Boyd from 1966 to 1974, and for 23 years to record company secretary Olivia Harrison|Olivia Trinidad Arias , with whom he had one son, Dhani Harrison . He was a close friend of Eric Clapton . To date, he is the only Beatle to have published an autobiography, with I Me Mine (book)|I Me Mine in 1980. Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001.

Early years: 1943–1959

Harrison was born in Liverpool , Lancashire , England, on 25 February 1943,Reliable sources and his birth certificate show his birth date as 25 February, though some sources give 24 February. the last of four children to Harold Hargreaves Harrison and his wife Louise, née French.Miles and Badman, ''The Beatles' Diary , .

Harrison was born in the house where he lived for his first six years: 12 Arnold Grove , Wavertree , Liverpool, which was a small 2 up, 2 down terraced house in a cul-de-sac, with an alley to the rear. The only heating was a single coal fire, and the toilet was outside. In 1950 the family were offered a council house ,Ingham, Rough Guide to the Beatles , . and moved to 25 Upton Green, Speke .Miles and Badman, ''The Beatles' Diary , .

His first school was Dovedale Primary School , very close to Penny Lane ,Harrison, I Me Mine , . the same school as John Lennon who was a couple of years ahead of him.Frame, ''Rockin' Around Britain , . He passed his 11-plus examination and achieved a place at the Liverpool Institute for Boys (in the building that now houses the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts ), which he attended from 1954 to 1959.Giuliano, Dark Horse , p. 9.

Harrison said that, when he was 12 or 13, he had an "epiphany" of sorts – riding a bike around his neighbourhood, he heard Elvis Presley 's " Heartbreak Hotel " playing from a nearby house and was hooked. Even though he had done well enough on his 11-plus examination to get into the city's best high school, from that point on, the former good student lost interest in school.

When Harrison was 14 years old, he sat at the back of the class and tried drawing guitars in his schoolbooks: “I was totally into guitars. I heard about this kid at school who had a guitar at Coins of the pound sterling#System|£3 10s , it was just a little acoustic round hole. I got the £3 10s from my mother: that was a lot of money for us then.” Harrison bought a Dutch Egmond flat top acoustic guitar. While at the Liverpool Institute, Harrison formed a skiffle group called the Rebels with his brother Peter and a friend, Arthur Kelly . At this school he met Paul McCartney , who was one year older.Shapiro, Behind Sad Eyes , p. 23. McCartney later became a member of John Lennon's band called The Quarrymen , which Harrison joined in 1958.Miles, ''The Beatles' Diary: An Intimate Day by Day History , p. 18.

The Beatles: 1960–1970

Harrison became part of The Beatles when they were still a skiffle group called The Quarrymen . McCartney told Lennon about his friend George Harrison, who could play " Raunchy (song)|Raunchy " on his guitar.Davies, The Beatles 1985, pp. 44–45. Although Lennon considered him too young to join the band, Harrison hung out with them and filled in as needed. By the time Harrison was 15, Lennon and the others had accepted him as one of the band. Since Harrison was the youngest member of the group, he was looked upon as a kid by the others for another few years.

Harrison left school at 16 and worked as an apprentice electrician at local department store Blacklers for a while.Davies, The Beatles 1985, p. 55.Harrison, I Me Mine , . When The Beatles were offered work in Hamburg in 1960, the musical apprenticeship that Harrison received playing long hours at the Kaiserkeller with the rest of the group, including guitar lessons from Tony Sheridan , laid the foundations of The Beatles' sound, and of Harrison's quiet, professional role within the group;Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2006, . this role would contribute to his reputation as "the quiet Beatle". The first trip to Hamburg was shortened when Harrison was deported for being underage.Miles and Badman, The Beatles Diary , .

When Brian Epstein became The Beatles' manager in December 1961 after seeing them perform at The Cavern Club in November,Schaffner, The Boys from Liverpool ,. he changed their image from that of leather-jacketed rock-and-rollers to a more polished look,Babiuk, Lewisohn, and Bacon, Beatles Gear , . and secured them a recording contract with EMI. The first single, " Love Me Do ", with Harrison playing a Gibson J-160E ,Everett, The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men Through Rubber Soul , .Babiuk, Lewisohn, and Bacon, Beatles Gear , . reached number 17 in the UK chart in October 1962,, p. 560, Dominic Pedler, Omnibus Press, 2003, ISBN 0-7119-8167-1. and by the time their debut album, Please Please Me , was released in early 1963, The Beatles had become famous and Beatlemania had arrived.Greene, Here Comes the Sun , .

After he revealed in an interview that he liked jelly babies , British fans inundated Harrison and the rest of the band with boxes of the sweets as gifts. A few months later, American audiences showered the band with the much harder jelly beans instead. In a letter to a fan, Harrison mentioned jelly babies, insisting that no one in the band actually liked them and that the press must have made it up.

The popularity of The Beatles led to a successful tour of America, the making of a film, '' A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night '' (during which Harrison met his future wife Pattie Boyd ), and in the 1965 Queen's Birthday Honours , all four Beatles were appointed Order of the British Empire|Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Harrison, whose role within the group was that of the careful musician who checked that the instruments were tuned,Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2003, . by 1965 and the Rubber Soul album, was developing into a musical director as he led the others into folk-rock, via his interest in The Byrds and Bob Dylan ,, pp. 180–181, Richie Unterberger, Backbeat Books, 2002, ISBN 0-87930-703-X. and into Indian classical music|Indian music with his exploration of the sitar., pp. 34 – 36, Jon B Higgins, K Ishwaran, Brill Academic Publishers, 1978, ISBN 90-04-05809-5.Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps'' 2003, . Harrison's musical involvement and cohesion with the group reached its peak on Revolver (album)|Revolver in 1966 with his contribution of three songs and new musical ideas.Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2003, .Schaffner, The Boys from Liverpool ,. By 1967, Harrison's interests appeared to be moving outside the Beatles, and his involvement in '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band consists mainly of his one song, " Within You Without You ", on which no other Beatle plays,Everett, The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology , . and which stands out for its difference from the rest of the album.Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2006, .

During the recording of The Beatles (album)|The Beatles in 1968, tensions were present in the band;Babiuk, Lewisohn, and Bacon, Beatles Gear ,. these surfaced again during the filming of rehearsal sessions at Twickenham Studios for the album Let It Be in early 1969. Frustrated by ongoing slights, the poor working conditions in the cold and sterile film studio, and Lennon's creative disengagement from the group, Harrison quit the band on 10 January. He returned on 22 January after negotiations with the other Beatles at two business meetings.

Relations among The Beatles were more cordial (though still strained) during recordings for the album Abbey Road .Miles and Badman, The Beatles Diary , . The album included " Here Comes the Sun " and " Something ", "Something" was later recorded by Frank Sinatra , who considered it "the greatest love song of the past fifty years"., p. 38, Jeanne Fuchs, Ruth Prigozy, Boydell & Brewer, 2007, ISBN 1-58046-251-0. Harrison's increasing productivity, coupled with his difficulties in getting The Beatles to record his music, meant that by the end of the group's career he had amassed a considerable stockpile of unreleased material. Harrison's last recording session with The Beatles was on 4 January 1970. Lennon, who had left the group the previous September, did not attend the session.

Relationships with the other Beatles

For most of The Beatles career, the relationships in the group were extremely close and intimate. According to Hunter Davies , "The Beatles spent their lives not living a communal life, but communally living the same life. They were each other's greatest friends." Harrison's wife Pattie Boyd described how The Beatles "all belonged to each other" and admitted, "George has a lot with the others that I can never know about. Nobody, not even the wives, can break through or even comprehend it.".

Ringo Starr also stated, "We really looked out for each other and we had so many laughs together. In the old days we'd have the biggest hotel suites, the whole floor of the hotel, and the four of us would end up in the bathroom, just to be with each other." and added "There were some really loving, caring moments between four people: a hotel room here and there – a really amazing closeness. Just four guys who loved each other. It was pretty sensational."

John Lennon stated that his relationship with George was "one of young follower and older guy", and admitted that " was like a disciple of mine when we started.". The two would often go on holiday together throughout the 1960s. Their relationship took a severe turn for the worse after George published his autobiography, I Me Mine . Lennon felt insulted and hurt that George mentioned him only in passing. Actually, the book mentions John 11 times, which is higher than the number of mentions received by Paul, The Beatles, Eric Clapton or even George's second wife, Olivia.
Nevertheless, Lennon claimed he was hurt by the book and also that he did more for George than any of the other Beatles. As a result, George and John were not on good terms during the last months of Lennon's life. After Lennon's murder, George paid tribute to Lennon with his song " All Those Years Ago " which was released in 1981, six months after Lennon's murder. It contains the lyric "I always look up to you", suggesting implicit agreement with Lennon's appraisal of their relationship.

Paul McCartney has often referred to Harrison as his "baby brother", and he did the honours as best man at George's wedding in 1966. The two were the first of The Beatles to meet, having shared a school bus, and would often learn and rehearse new guitar chords together. McCartney stated that he and George usually shared a bedroom while touring..

Guitar work

Although not fast or flashy, Harrison's guitar work with The Beatles was solid and typified the more subdued lead guitar style of the early 1960s. The influence of the Guitar picking|plucking guitar style of Chet Atkins and Carl Perkins on Harrison gave a country music feel to The Beatles' early recordings., p. 17, Jeff Kitts, Hal Leonard Corporation, 2002, ISBN 0-634-04619-5 Harrison explored several guitar instruments, the Twelve-string guitar|twelve-string , the sitar and the slide guitar , and developed his playing from tight eight- and twelve-bar solos in such songs as " A Hard Day's Night (song)|A Hard Day's Night " and " Can't Buy Me Love ", to slide guitar#History|slide guitar playing, p. 181, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Backbeat Books, 2001, ISBN 0-87930-627-0 first recorded during an early session of " If Not for You " for Dylan's New Morning in 1970.Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2003, p 50. The earliest example of notable guitar work from Harrison was the extended acoustic guitar solo of " And I Love Her ", for which Harrison purchased a José Ramírez nylon-stringed classical guitar to produce the sensitivity needed.Everett, The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men Through Rubber Soul , .Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2006, . Time 2.40 minutes – 3.50 minutes.

Harrison's first electric guitar was a Czech built Jolana Futurama/Grazioso,
which was a popular guitar among British guitarists in the early 1960s. The guitars Harrison used on early recordings were mainly Gretsch played through a Vox AC30|Vox amp . He used a variety of Gretsch guitars, including a Gretsch Duo Jet – his first Gretsch, which he bought in 1961 second hand off a sailor in Liverpool; a Gretsch Tennessean,Everett, The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men Through Rubber Soul , . and his (first out of two) Gretsch Country Gentleman, bought new for £234 in April 1963 at the Sound City store in London, which he used on " She Loves You ", and on The Beatles' 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show ., p. 65, Tony Bacon, Backbeat Books, 2005, ISBN 0-87930-822-2.
During The Beatles' trip to the US in 1964, Harrison acquired a Rickenbacker 360/12 guitar. He had tried out the 12-string electric guitar during an interview with a Minneapolis radio station, and was given the guitar either by the Rickenbacker company or the radio station. The History of Rickenbacker Guitars , pp. 77–79, Richard R. Smith, Centerstream Publications, 1988, ISBN 0-931759-15-3. The 360/12 was an experimental 12-string guitar with the strings reversed so that the lower pitched string was struck first, and with an unusual headstock design that made tuning easier.Babiuk, Lewisohn, and Bacon, Beatles Gear , . Harrison used the guitar extensively during the recording of '' A Hard Day's Night (album)|A Hard Day's Night '',. and the jangly sound became so popular that the Melody Maker termed it "the beat boys' secret weapon".Babiuk, Lewisohn, and Bacon, Beatles Gear , p. 120. Roger McGuinn liked the effect Harrison achieved so much that it became his signature guitar sound with the Byrds ., p. 82, Peter Doggett, Sarah Hodgson, Pavilion, 2003, ISBN 1-86205-538-6.

He obtained his first Fender Stratocaster in 1965 and used it for the recording of the Rubber Soul album, most notably on the " Nowhere Man (song)|Nowhere Man " track, where he played in unison with Lennon who also had a Stratocaster., p. 22, A. R. Duchossoir, Eric Clapton, Hal Leonard Corporation, 1994, ISBN 0-7935-4735-0. Lennon and Harrison both had Sonic Blue Stratocasters, which were bought second hand by roadie Mal Evans .Babiuk, Lewisohn, and Bacon, Beatles Gear , . Harrison painted his Stratocaster in a psychedelic design that included the word "Bebopalula" painted above the pickguard and the guitar's nickname, "Rocky", painted on the headstock. He played this guitar in the Magical Mystery Tour (film)|Magical Mystery Tour film and throughout his solo career. Harrison listed his early influences as Carl Perkins , Bo Diddley , Chuck Berry and the Everly Brothers .

After David Crosby of the Byrds introduced him to the work of sitar master Ravi Shankar in 1965, Harrison—whose interest in Indian music was stirred during the filming of Help& #33; (film)|Help! , which used Indian music as part of its soundtrack—played a sitar on the Rubber Soul track " Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)|Norwegian Wood ", expanding the already nascent Western interest in Indian music. Harrison's sitar playing on " Love You To " represented an "astonishing improvement" over "Norwegian Wood" and has been termed "the most accomplished performance on sitar by any rock musician."Peter Lavezzoli. The Dawn of Indian Music in the West. Bhairavi. The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. New York 2006. ISBN 0-8264-1815-5 ISBN 978-08264181592006. p175

Song writing and singing

Harrison wrote his first song published with the Beatles, "Don't Bother Me", while sick in a hotel bed in Bournemouth during August 1963, as "an exercise to see if I could write a song", as he remembered.Harrison, George. I Me Mine (1980) p. 84 "Don't Bother Me" appeared on the second Beatles album With The Beatles later that year, then on Meet the Beatles! in the US in early 1964, and also briefly in the film '' A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night . The group did not record another Harrison composition until 1965, when he contributed " I Need You (The Beatles song)|I Need You " and " You Like Me Too Much " to the album Help& #33; (album)|Help! ''. One of his more enduring early works is 1965's " If I Needed Someone ".

Harrison's songwriting improved greatly through the years, but his material did not earn respect from his fellow Beatles until near the group's break-up. McCartney told Lennon in 1969: "Until this year, our songs have been better than George's. Now this year his songs are at least as good as ours". Miles (1997) p. 554. John Lennon: One Day at a Time: a Personal Biography of the Seventies , p. 96, Anthony Fawcett, New English Library, 20 January 1977, ISBN 0-450-03073-3. Harrison had difficulty getting the band to record his songs. Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends who Changed Music Forever , p. 174, Scott Schinder, Greenwood Press, 2008, ISBN 0-313-33846-9. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll: Revised and Updated for the 21st Century'', p. 413, Holly George-Warren, Patricia Romanowski, Patricia Romanowski Bashe, Jon Pareles, Fireside, 2001, ISBN 0-7432-0120-5. The group's incorporation of Harrison's material reached a peak of three songs on the 1966 Revolver (album)|Revolver album and four songs on the 1968 double The Beatles (album)|The Beatles .

Harrison performed the lead vocal on all Beatles songs that he wrote by himself. He also sang lead vocal on other songs, including " Chains (song)|Chains " and " Do You Want to Know a Secret " on Please Please Me , " Roll Over Beethoven " and " Devil in Her Heart " on With The Beatles , " I'm Happy Just to Dance with You " on '' A Hard Day's Night (album)|A Hard Day's Night '', and " Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby " on Beatles for Sale .

Solo work: 1968–1987

Before The Beatles split up in 1970, Harrison had already recorded and released two solo albums, Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound . These albums were mainly instrumental. Wonderwall Music was a soundtrack to the Wonderwall (film)|Wonderwall film in which Harrison blended Indian and Western sounds;, p. 182, Peter Lavezzoli, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006, ISBN 0-8264-1815-5 while Electronic Sound was an experiment in using a Moog synthesizer|Moog synthesiser ., p. 508, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Backbeat Books, 2002, ISBN 0-87930-653-X It was only when Harrison was free from The Beatles that he released what is regarded as his first "real" solo album, the commercially successful and critically acclaimed All Things Must Pass .Schaffner, The Boys from Liverpool , .

All Things Must Pass (1970)

After years of being restricted in his song-writing contributions to the Beatles, All Things Must Pass contained such a large outpouring of Harrison's songs that it was released as a triple album , though only two of the discs contained songs—the third contained recordings of Harrison Jam session|jamming with friends., pp 36 – 37, David N. Howard, Hal Leonard Corporation, 2004, ISBN 0-634-05560-7 The album is regarded as his best work;, p. 181, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Backbeat Books, 2001, ISBN 0-87930-627-0 it was a critical and commercial success, topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic,In early 2007, it was determined that All Things Must Pass should have been noted as a number one album in the United Kingdom when first released in the winter of 1970–71. Because some sales were not properly counted, the album originally peaked at number four in Britain.
and produced the number-one hit single " My Sweet Lord " as well as the top-10 single " What Is Life ". The album was co-produced by Phil Spector using his " Wall of Sound " approach,Schaffner, The Beatles Forever , p 142. and the musicians included Eric Clapton , Dave Mason , Gary Wright , Billy Preston , and Ringo Starr .

Harrison was later sued for copyright infringement over the song "My Sweet Lord" because of its similarity to the 1963 The Chiffons|Chiffons song " He's So Fine ", owned by Bright Tunes. Harrison denied deliberately plagiarising the song, but he lost the resulting court case in 1976 as the judge deemed that Harrison had "subconsciously" plagiarised "He's So Fine". When considering liable earnings, "My Sweet Lord"'s contribution to the sales of All Things Must Pass and The Best of George Harrison were taken into account, and the judge decided a figure of $1,599,987 was owed to Bright Tunes., Joseph C. Self, The 910, 1993. Retrieved 13 December 2008. The dispute over damages became complicated when Harrison's former manager Allen Klein purchased the copyright to "He's So Fine" from Bright Tunes in 1978. In 1981, a district judge decided that Klein had acted improperly, and it was agreed that Harrison should pay Klein $587,000, the amount Klein had paid for "He's So Fine", so he would gain nothing from the deal, and that Harrison would take over ownership of Bright Tunes, making him the owner of the rights to both "My Sweet Lord" and "He's So Fine" and thus ending the copyright infringement claim. Though the dispute dragged on into the 1990s, the district judge's decision was upheld.Huntley, Mystical One .

The Concert for Bangladesh (1971)

Responding to a request for help by longtime friend Ravi Shankar , Harrison organised a major charity concert, The Concert for Bangladesh , on 1 August 1971, drawing over 40,000 people to two shows in New York's Madison Square Garden . The aim of the event was to raise money to aid the starving refugees during the Bangladesh Liberation War . Ravi Shankar opened the proceedings, which included other popular musicians such as Bob Dylan (who rarely appeared live in the early 1970s), Eric Clapton , who made his first public appearance in months (due to a heroin addiction which began when Derek and the Dominos broke up), Leon Russell , Badfinger , Billy Preston and fellow Beatle Ringo Starr . Tax troubles and questionable expenses tied up many of the concert's proceeds. Apple Corporation released a newly arranged concert DVD and CD in October 2005 (with all artists' sales royalties continuing to go to UNICEF ), which contained additional material such as previously unreleased rehearsal footage of " If Not for You ", featuring Harrison and Dylan.

Living in the Material World to George Harrison (1972–1979)

Harrison would not again release an album that came close to the critical and commercial achievements of All Things Must Pass . Although 1973's Living in the Material World initially did well, holding number one spot on the US album chart for five weeks and reaching number two in the UK, and the album's single, " Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) ", was also successful, reaching number one in the US and the top ten in the UK, neither could match the sales of All Things Must Pass and "My Sweet Lord". The album was lavishly produced and packaged, and its dominant message was the power of Harrison's Hindu beliefs.Schaffner, The Beatles Forever , pp 158–159. The one fully secular song, " Sue Me, Sue You Blues ", expressed Harrison's disgust with the endless legal squabbling that had overtaken all of the former Beatles. The Dark Horse (George Harrison album)|Dark Horse album of 1974 written after Harrison's break-up with his wife Pattie Boyd and when he was suffering from laryngitis received harsh reviews,Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2003, . as did the accompanying tour of North America. Harrison was criticised for poor songwriting and poor vocals on the album, and for over-indulging his love for Indian music during the tour.Greene, Here Comes the Sun , . The album and single " Dark Horse (song)|Dark Horse " did briefly make an appearance near the top of the US charts, but both failed to chart in the UK.

His final studio album for EMI (and Apple Records) was Extra Texture (Read All About It) , featuring a die cutting (web)|diecut cover. The album spawned two singles, " You (George Harrison song)|You " which reached the Billboard top 20 and " This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying) ", which became Apple's final original single release in December 1975.Schaffner The Beatles Forever , pp. 209–210. Following the former Beatle's departure from Capitol, the record company was in a position to license releases featuring Beatles and post-Beatles work on the same album, using Harrison for this experiment.Nicholas Schaffner, The Beatles Forever , McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978), p. 188. The Best of George Harrison (1976) combined his Beatles songs with a selection of his solo Apple work.

Thirty Three & 1/3 his first Dark Horse release, was his most successful late-1970s album, reaching number 11 on the US charts in 1976, and producing the singles " This Song " (a satire of the " My Sweet Lord "-" He's So Fine " court case ruling) and " Crackerbox Palace ", both of which reached the top 25 in the US. With an emphasis on melody, musicianship, and subtler subject matter rather than the heavy orchestration and didactic messaging of earlier works, he received his best critical notices since All Things Must Pass .Schaffner, The Beatles Forever , p 192. With its surreal humour , "Crackerbox Palace" also reflected Harrison's association with Monty Python 's Eric Idle , who directed a comic music video for the song. After his second marriage and the birth of son Dhani Harrison , Harrison's next released a self-titled album. 1979's George Harrison (album)|George Harrison included the singles " Blow Away ", " Love Comes to Everyone " and " Faster (George Harrison song)|Faster ". Both the album and "Blow Away" made the Billboard top 20.

In addition to his own works during this time, between 1971 and 1973 Harrison co-wrote or produced three top ten US and UK hits for Ringo Starr (" It Don't Come Easy ", " Back Off Boogaloo ", and " Photograph (Ringo Starr song)|Photograph ").Schaffner, The Boys from Liverpool , . Harrison played electric, slide and dobro guitars on five songs on John Lennon's 1971 Imagine (album)|Imagine album (" How Do You Sleep? (John Lennon song)|How Do You Sleep? ", " Oh My Love ", " I Don't Want to Be a Soldier ", " Crippled Inside " and " Gimme Some Truth "),Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2006, . with his stinging slide guitar work on the first of these indicating that he took John's side of the intense Lennon-McCartney feud of the time.Schaffner, The Beatles Forever , p 145. Lennon later said of Harrison's work on the album, "That's the best he's ever fucking played in his life!" Harrison also produced and played slide guitar on the Apple band Badfinger 's 1971 top ten US and UK hit " Day After Day (song)|Day After Day "., p 136, Dan Matovina, Frances Glover Books, 2000, ISBN 0-9657122-2-2

During the decade, Harrison also worked with Harry Nilsson ("You're Breakin' My Heart", 1972),Shapiro, Behind Sad Eyes , p 219. as well as Billy Preston (" That's the Way God Planned It ",Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2006, . 1969 and " It's My Pleasure ", 1975) and Cheech & Chong (" Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces|Basketball Jones ", 1973).Shapiro, Behind Sad Eyes , p 220. He also appeared with Paul Simon to perform two acoustic songs on Saturday Night Live .

Somewhere in England to Cloud Nine (1980–1987)

Harrison was deeply shocked by the 8 December 1980 Death of John Lennon|murder of John Lennon .Harry, The George Harrison Encyclopedia , p 247. The crime reinforced his decades-long worries about safety from stalking|stalkers . It was also a deep personal loss, although unlike former bandmates McCartney and Starr, Harrison had little contact with Lennon in the years before the murder. Their estrangement had been marked by Harrison's longstanding dislike of Yoko Ono, his refusal to allow her participation in the Concert for Bangladesh , and his omission of any mention of Lennon in his autobiography, I Me Mine , published the year of Lennon's murder.Harry, The George Harrison Encyclopedia , p 246. The omission had upset Lennon greatly, which Harrison had regretted, leading him to leave a telephone message for Lennon, but Lennon had declined to return the call and they had not spoken again. Following the murder, Harrison said, "After all we went through together I had and still have great love and respect for John Lennon. I am shocked and stunned. To rob life is the ultimate robbery in life."

Harrison modified the lyrics of a song he had written for Starr to make it a tribute song to Lennon. " All Those Years Ago " received substantial radio airplay, reaching number two on the US charts. All three surviving ex-Beatles performed on it, although it was expressly a Harrison single. "Teardrops" was issued as a follow-up single, but was not nearly as successful. Both singles came from the album Somewhere in England , released in 1981. Originally slated for release in late 1980, Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros. rejected the album, ordering Harrison to replace several tracks, and to change the album cover as well. The original album cover that Harrison wanted was used in the 2004 reissue of the album. In 1981, Harrison played guitar on one track of Mick Fleetwood 's record The Visitor and Lindsey Buckingham 's song "Walk a Thin Line".

Aside from a song on the '' Porky's Revenge '' soundtrack in 1985 (his version of a little-known Bob Dylan song " I Don't Want to Do It "), Harrison released no new records for five years after 1982's Gone Troppo received apparent indifference.

In October 1985, Harrison made a rare public appearance on the Cinemax Channel 4 live concert TV special in a tribute to Carl Perkins . He appeared along with Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton among others. The show was called Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session . He performed " Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby ", "Your True Love", " That's Alright Mama " (including the guitar solo), " Glad All Over " (including the guitar solo), "Gone Gone Gone" and " Blue Suede Shoes ". He only agreed to appear because he had been a close admirer and friend of Carl Perkins for over 20 years.

In 1987, Harrison returned with the critically acclaimed platinum album Cloud Nine (George Harrison album)|Cloud Nine , co-produced with Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra , and enjoyed a hit (number one in the US; number two in the UK) when his rendition of James Ray (singer)|James Ray's early 1960s number " Got My Mind Set on You " was released as a single; another single, " When We Was Fab ", a retrospective of The Beatles' days complete with musical flavours for each bandmate, was also a minor hit. MTV regularly played the two videos, and elevated Harrison's public profile with another generation of music listeners. The album reached number eight and number ten on the US and UK charts, respectively. In the US, several tracks also enjoyed high placement on Billboard's Album Rock chart – "Devil's Radio", " This Is Love (George Harrison song)|This Is Love " and "Cloud 9" in addition to the aforementioned singles.

Live performances (1971–1992)

On 23 November 1971, Harrison appeared on an episode of The Dick Cavett Show in a band called Wonder Wheel performing a song written by Gary Wright called "Two Faced Man". Harrison played slide guitar in this band as a favour since Wright had played piano on Harrison's album All Things Must Pass . The episode can be viewed on DVD The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons Disc 3.

Harrison launched a major tour of the United States in 1974. Critical and fan reaction panned the tour for its long mid-concert act of Pandit Ravi Shankar & Friends and for Harrison's hoarse voice.
Harrison had hired filmmaker David Acomba to accompany the tour and gather footage for a documentary. Due to Harrison's hoarse voice throughout most of this tour, the film was not released, but in 1977 Acomba placed a newly revised director's cut in the Harrison archive. It was the last time he toured in the United States.

In 1986, Harrison made a surprise performance at the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986 a concert event to raise money for the Birmingham Children's Hospital . Harrison played and sang the finale " Johnny B. Goode " along with Robert Plant , The Moody Blues , and Electric Light Orchestra , among others. The following year, Harrison appeared at The Prince's Trust concert in Wembley Arena , performing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun" with Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, and others.Ingham, Rough Guide to The Beatles , p 159. On 1 May 1990, during Eric Clapton 's Journey Man Tour, Harrison joined Clapton on stage at the L.A. Forum, performing "Crossroads" and "Sunshine Of Your Love".Harry, The George Harrison Encyclopedia , p 100. In 1991, Harrison staged a tour of Japan along with Clapton. It was his first tour since the 1974 US tour, but no other tours followed. The Live in Japan (George Harrison album)|Live in Japan recording came from these shows.

On 6 April 1992, Harrison held a benefit concert for the Natural Law Party at Royal Albert Hall , his first London performance in 23 years and his last full concert. In October 1992, Harrison performed three songs, " If Not for You ", " Absolutely Sweet Marie ", and " My Back Pages ", at a Bob Dylan tribute concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This was released on the album The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration in August 1993.

On 14 December 1992, Harrison took part in a memorial concert at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles for Toto (band)|Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro . The concert consisted of an all-star line-up that included Boz Scaggs , Donald Fagen , Don Henley , Michael McDonald (singer)|Michael McDonald , David Crosby , Eddie Van Halen , and the members of Toto. The proceeds of the concert were used to establish an educational trust fund for Porcaro's children.Harry, The George Harrison Encyclopedia , p 106.

Later life: 1988–2001

Early in 1989, Harrison, Lynne and Ringo Starr all appeared in the music video for Tom Petty 's "I Won't Back Down", although Starr did not actually play on the track; Harrison played acoustic guitar. The same year also saw the release of Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989 , a compilation drawn from his later solo work. This album also included two new songs, "Poor Little Girl", and "Cockamamie Business" (which saw him once again looking wryly upon his Beatle past), as well as " Cheer Down ", which had first been released earlier in the year on the soundtrack to the film Lethal Weapon 2 , which starred Mel Gibson and Danny Glover . Unlike his previous greatest hits package, Harrison made sure to oversee this compilation. In 1989 Harrison played slide guitar on the " Leave a Light On " and "Deep Deep Ocean" songs from Belinda Carlisle 's third album Runaway Horses (album)|Runaway Horses . "Leave a Light On" was successful worldwide.

In 1996, Harrison recorded, produced and played on "Distance Makes No Difference With Love" with Carl Perkins for his Go-Cat-Go record.

Harrison's final television appearance was not intended as such; in fact, he was not the featured artist, and the appearance had been intended to promote Chants of India , another collaboration with Ravi Shankar released in 1997, at the height of interest in chant music. John Fugelsang , then of VH1 , conducted the interview, and at one point an acoustic guitar was produced and handed to Harrison. When an audience member asked to hear "a Beatles song", Harrison pulled a sheepish look and answered, "I don't think I know any!" Harrison then played "All Things Must Pass" and revealed for the first time "Any Road", which subsequently appeared on the 2002 Brainwashed album.

In January 1998, Harrison attended the funeral of his boyhood idol, Carl Perkins , in Jackson, Tennessee . Harrison played an impromptu version of Perkins' song "Your True Love" during the service. That same year he attended the public memorial service for Linda McCartney . Also that same year, he appeared on Ringo Starr 's Vertical Man , where he played both electric and slide guitars on two tracks.

In 2001, Harrison performed as a guest musician on the Electric Light Orchestra album Zoom (ELO album)|Zoom . He played slide guitar on the song "Love Letters" for Bill Wyman 's Rhythm Kings, and remastered and restored unreleased tracks from the Traveling Wilburys. He also co-wrote a new song with his son Dhani, " Horse to the Water ". The latter song ended up as Harrison's final recording session, on 2 October, just eight weeks before his death. It appeared on Jools Holland 's album Small World, Big Band .

Harrison's final album, Brainwashed (album)|Brainwashed , was completed by Dhani Harrison and Jeff Lynne and released on 18 November 2002. It received generally positive reviews in the United States, and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard charts . A media-only single, " Stuck Inside a Cloud ", was heavily played on UK and US radio to promote the album (number 27 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart), while the official single " Any Road ", released in May 2003, reached number 37 on the British chart. The instrumental track, "Marwa Blues" went on to receive the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance , while the single "Any Road" was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance .

The Traveling Wilburys: 1988–1990

In 1988, Harrison played an instrumental role in forming the Traveling Wilburys with Jeff Lynne , Roy Orbison , Bob Dylan , and Tom Petty when they gathered in Dylan's garage to quickly record an additional track for a projected Harrison European single release. pp129-138, Paul Williams, Omnibus Press, 2004, ISBN 1-84449-281-8. Retrieved 13 December 2008. The record company realised the track (" Handle With Care (song)|Handle With Care ") was too good for its original purpose as a B-side and asked for a full, separate album. This had to be completed within two weeks, as Dylan was scheduled to start a tour. The album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 , was released in October 1988 and recorded under pseudonyms as half-brothers (supposed sons of Charles Truscott Wilbury, Sr.). Harrison's pseudonym on the first album was "Nelson Wilbury"; he would use the name "Spike Wilbury" for the Traveling Wilburys' second album.

After the death of Roy Orbison in late 1988 the group recorded as a four-piece. Though Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 was their second release, the album was mischievously titled Vol. 3 by Harrison. According to Lynne, "That was George's idea. He said, 'Let's confuse the buggers.'"Hurwitz, Matt. "Wilburys set to travel again" USA Today 11 June 2007 It was not as well received as the previous album, but did reach number 14 in the UK and number 11 in the US where it went platinum, while the singles " She's My Baby (Traveling Wilburys song)|She's My Baby ", "Inside Out", and " Wilbury Twist " got decent air play.

The Beatles Anthology: 1994–1996

In 1994–1996, Harrison reunited with the surviving former Beatles, and Traveling Wilburys producer Jeff Lynne for The Beatles Anthology project, which included the recording of two new Beatles songs built around solo vocal and piano tapes recorded by John Lennon in the late 1970s, as well as the lengthy interviews on The Beatles' history.Everett, The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology , . The single " Free as a Bird ", was the first Beatles single since " The Long and Winding Road " in 1970.

HandMade Films: 1978–1994

HandMade Films was a British film production and distribution company that Harrison formed in 1978 with his business partner, Denis O'Brien (producer)|Denis O'Brien .Davies, The Beatles 1985, pp 362–363. It was created to help out his Monty Python friends by raising £2 million to finish their film '' Monty Python's Life of Brian|Life of Brian '' after EMI Films , the original financiers, pulled out due to the film's satirical content. Harrison took the name from some handmade paper he had been given on a mill visit. Though the company was formed with the intention of funding just the one film (a scenario which became epitomised as Harrison's "world's most expensive cinema ticket", as the Python's Eric Idle put it), Harrison and O'Brien bought the rights to The Long Good Friday , which had been faced with various cuts, and released it in its original form.

The first film started under the company was Time Bandits , equipped with a soundtrack by Harrison, in 1981, a solo project by Python Terry Gilliam for whom HandMade originally also was to finance The Adventures of Baron Munchausen before several funding parties including HandMade dropped out of the project. Harrison produced twenty three films with HandMade, including Mona Lisa (movie)|Mona Lisa , Shanghai Surprise , and Withnail and I . He made several cameo appearance s in these movies, including appearing as a nightclub singer in Shanghai Surprise and as Mr Papadopolous in Life of Brian .
Handmade Films became a rarity in the British film industry, a production company that was both consistently successful and internationally known. The company was well regarded both for nurturing British talent and for most of its films having British settings or inspirations. Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture , Peter Childs and Mike Storry, Taylor & Francis, 1999, ISBN 0-415-14726-3

Harrison was involved in some creative decisions, approving projects such as Withnail and I , pp 26–27, Thomas Hewitt-McManus, Lulu.com, 2006, ISBN 1-4116-5821-3 and visiting sets as executive producer to sort out creative problems.Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2006, . On the whole, though, he preferred to stay out of the way: " I've been the person who's said of the people with the money, 'What do they know? ' and now I'm that person. But I know that unless you give an artist as much freedom as possible, there's no point in using that artist."

The bulk of the financial and business decisions were left to O'Brien, who was tasked with making sure that films got made on time and on budget. This eventually resulted in disagreements and lawsuits between the pair as HandMade Films encountered reversals,Ingham, Rough Guide to The Beatles , . and Harrison sold the company in 1994.Everett, The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology , .

Interest in Indian culture

Sitar and Indian music

During The Beatles' American tour in August 1965, Harrison's friend David Crosby of the Byrds introduced him to Indian classical music and the work of sitar player Ravi Shankar . Harrison became fascinated with the instrument, immersed himself in Indian music and played a pivotal role in expanding the emerging interest in the sitar in particular and Music of India|Indian music in general in the West., p. 172, Peter Lavezzoli, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006, ISBN 0-8264-1815-5

Buying his own first sitar from a London shop called India Craft later that year (as he recalled during interviews for "The Beatles Anthology"), he played one on the Rubber Soul track " Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) ". In June 1966 Harrison met the sitar maestro Ravi Shankar at the home of Mrs Angadi of the Asian Music Circle, asked to be his student and was accepted.Peter Lavezzoli. The Dawn of Indian Music in the West. Bhairavi. The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. New York 2006. ISBN 0-8264-1815-5 ISBN 978-08264181592006. p176 Shankar and Alla Rakha gave a private concert at Harrison's house which Starr and Lennon attended. Shankar influenced Harrison and the other Beatles not only musically, but spiritually. On 6 July 1966 Harrison travelled to India to purchase a top flight sitar from Rikhi Ram & Sons in New Delhi. After the Beatles final live tour performance in August, Harrison returned to India in September 1966 to study sitar with Shankar. Initially staying in Bombay, Harrison moved (to avoid crowding fans) to a houseboat on a remote lake in the shadow of the Himalayas where he was taught by Shankar for six weeks and read spiritual texts. Harrison was influential in the decision to have Ravi Shankar included on the bill at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967. After Shankar, Harrison received sitar tutelage from Shambhu Das.Everett, The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology , .

Hinduism

During the filming of the movie Help& #33; (film)|Help! , on location in the Bahamas , the Beatles met Swami Vishnu-devananda , founder of Sivananda Yoga , who gave each member of the band a signed copy of his book The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga ., p. 173, Peter Lavezzoli, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006, ISBN 0-8264-1815-5 During a pilgrimage to Mumbai|Bombay with his wife, Harrison studied sitar, met several guru s and visited various holy places, filling the months between the end of the final Beatles tour in 1966 and the commencement of the '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band recording sessions. In 1968, Harrison travelled to Rishikesh in northern India with the other Beatles to study meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi .

In the summer of 1969, he produced the single " Hare Krishna Mantra ", performed by the devotees of the London Radha Krishna Temple. That same year, he and fellow Beatle John Lennon met A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada . Soon after, Harrison embraced the Hare Krishna tradition (particularly Japa| japa-yoga chanting with beads), became a lifelong devotee, being associated with it until his death.

Harrison was a vegetarian from 1968 until his death.

While during his lifetime, Harrison bequeathed to ISKCON his Letchmore Heath mansion (renamed Bhaktivedanta Manor ) north of London, some sources indicate he left nothing to the organisation, others report he did leave a sum of 20 million pounds.

Harrison respected people of other faiths and believed in a united holy cause; he once remarked:

Harrison was a devotee of Paramahansa Yogananda . The Self-Realization Fellowship guru s Mahavatar Babaji , Lahiri Mahasaya , Sri Yukteswar , and Yogananda himself appear on the cover of the Beatles' '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band , and a quote by Harrison appears on the back cover of the Self-Realization Fellowship release of Autobiography of a Yogi '', Yogananda's own autobiography.

Personal life

Family and friends

Harrison married model Pattie Boyd on 21 January 1966, at the then Epsom Register Office, Upper High Street, Epsom, with McCartney as Wedding ceremony participants#Groomsmen|best man . They had met during the filming for '' A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night '', in which the 19-year-old Boyd was cast as a schoolgirl. After Harrison and Boyd split up in 1974, she moved in with Eric Clapton and they subsequently married.

Harrison married for a second time, to Dark Horse Records secretary Olivia Trinidad Arias on 2 September 1978. They had met at the Dark Horse offices in Los Angeles in 1974. They had one son, Dhani Harrison . After the 1999 #Knife attack|stabbing incident in which Olivia subdued Harrison's assailant nearly single-handedly, Harrison received a fax from his close friend Tom Petty that read: "Aren't you glad you married a Mexican girl? "

Harrison formed a close friendship with Clapton in the late 1960s, and they co-wrote the song " Badge (song)|Badge ", which was released on Cream (band)|Cream 's Goodbye (Cream album)|Goodbye album in 1969.Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2003, . Harrison also played rhythm guitar on the song. For contractual reasons, Harrison was required to use the pseudonym "L'Angelo Misterioso".
Harrison wrote one of his compositions for The Beatles' Abbey Road album, " Here Comes the Sun ", in Clapton's back garden. Clapton also guested on the Harrison-penned Beatles track " While My Guitar Gently Weeps ". Through Clapton, Harrison met Delaney Bramlett , who introduced Harrison to slide guitar. They remained close friends after Pattie Boyd split from Harrison and married Clapton, referring to each other as "husbands-in-law".

Through his appreciation of Monty Python, he met Eric Idle . The two became close friends, with Harrison appearing on Idle's Rutland Weekend Television series and in his Beatles spoof, The Rutles ' All You Need Is Cash . Harrison was also parodied as a Beatle as "Stig O'Hara", portrayed by Rikki Fataar . Idle also performed the famous Monty Python sketch, " The Lumberjack Song ", at the Concert for George , held in 2002 to commemorate Harrison.

Interests

An accomplished gardener, Harrison restored the English manor house and grounds of Friar Park ,Greene, Here Comes the Sun , . his home in Henley-on-Thames . The house once belonged to Victorian eccentric Sir Frank Crisp . Purchased in 1970, it is the basis for the song "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)".Leng, While My Guitar Gently Weeps 2003, . Several Harrison videos were also filmed on the grounds, including " Crackerbox Palace "; in addition, the grounds served as the background for the cover of All Things Must Pass . He employed a staff of ten workers to maintain the garden, and both of his older brothers worked on Friar Park as well.Davies, The Beatles 1985, p 360. Harrison took great solace working in the garden and grew to consider himself more a gardener than a musician; his autobiography is dedicated "to gardeners everywhere".Huntley, Mystical One , . Harrison also owned homes on Hamilton Island, Australia and in Nahiku, Hawaii .

That autobiography, I Me Mine , published in 1980, is the only full autobiography by an ex-Beatle.An autobiographical sketch by John Lennon , titled after one of his songs, The Ballad of John and Yoko , was posthumously published in 1986 as part of his collection Skywriting by Word of Mouth . Former Beatles' publicist Derek Taylor helped with the book, which was initially released in a high-priced limited edition by Genesis Publications . The book said little about The Beatles, focusing instead on Harrison's hobbies, such as gardening and Formula One automobile racing. It also included the lyrics to his songs and some photographs with humorous captions., reviews

Harrison had an interest in sports car s and motor racing ; he was one of the 100 people who purchased the McLaren F1 road car,, p. 127, Martin Buckley, MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company, 2004, ISBN 0-7603-1953-7 and would often attend Formula One races. He had collected photos of racing drivers and their cars since he was young; when he was 12 he attended his first race, the 1955 British Grand Prix at Aintree Racecourse#Motor racing|Aintree , in which Stirling Moss won his first Grand Prix.
He wrote " Faster (George Harrison song)|Faster " as a tribute to the Formula One racing drivers Jackie Stewart and Ronnie Peterson . Proceeds from its release went to the Gunnar Nilsson cancer charity, set up following the Swedish driver's death from the disease in 1978.Huntley, Mystical One , . Harrison's first "important" car was recently sold at auction in Battersea Park , London. The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 was bought new and delivered to Harrison personally in 1965 at his Kinfauns (George Harrison)|Kinfauns estate in Esher, Surrey , England.

Humanitarian Involvement

George Harrison had an interest in humanitarian involvement even when he was a part of The Beatles. The Beatles had a strong stance on human rights, with them showing support for the civil rights movement and the protest against the Vietnam War. However, it was not until the band's split that George Harrison became more involved in humanitarian work.

Harrison's friend, Ravi Shankar , consulted him regarding a means to providing help to the problems in Bangladesh, in the aftermath of the 1970 Bhola Cyclone and the Bangladesh Liberation War . With that, Harrison recorded " Bangla Desh (song)|Bangla Desh ", and pushed Apple Records to release his song alongside Shankar's "Joy Bangla" in an effort to raise funds. Shankar then asked for Harrison's advice about organising a small charity concert in The United States. Harrison took that idea and called up all his friends, organising The Concert for Bangladesh on 1 August 1971 in New York City, which featured other artists of the time like Bob Dylan , Eric Clapton , Billy Preston , Leon Russell and former Beatle Ringo Starr . The concert ended up raising US$243,418.50.

The George Harrison Humanitarian Fund for UNICEF still contributes to humanitarian efforts. The fund is a joint effort between the Harrison family and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF that aims to support UNICEF programs providing lifesaving assistance to children caught in humanitarian emergencies. Every year, UNICEF identifies countries and territories where the children suffer from poverty. Much like Bangladesh in 1971, many of these problems are ignored by the media. The fund continues to support UNICEF programs in Bangladesh, while expanding its influence to include other countries in crisis where children are at risk. In December 2007, the fund made a donation of $450,000 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for relief and recovery efforts for the victims of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh. On 13 October 2009, the first ever George Harrison Humanitarian Award went to Ravi Shankar for his unprecedented efforts in saving the lives of children, and his involvement with the Concert for Bangladesh.

Knife attack

In late 1999, Harrison survived a knife attack by an intruder in his home.

At 3:30 am on 30 December 1999, 36-year-old Michael Abram broke into the Harrisons' Friar Park home and began loudly calling to Harrison. Harrison left the bedroom to investigate while his wife, Olivia, phoned the police. Abram attacked Harrison with a kitchen knife, inflicting seven stab wounds, puncturing a lung and causing head injuries before Olivia Harrison incapacitated the assailant by striking him repeatedly with a Fire iron#Types of fire irons|fireplace poker and a lamp. The attack lasted approximately 15 minutes., pp 277–278, Eric Idle, Harper Entertainment, 2005, ISBN 0-06-075864-3
Abram, who believed he was being demonic possession|possessed by Harrison and was on a "mission from God" to kill him, was later acquitted of attempted murder insanity defence|on grounds of insanity , but was detained for treatment in a secure hospital. He was released in 2002 after 19 months' detention.

Illness and death

Cancer diagnosis

Harrison developed throat cancer , which was discovered in the summer of 1997 after a lump on his neck was analysed. He attributed it to smoking heavily from the 1960s until at least the late 1980s. He was successfully treated with radiotherapy . Early in May 2001, it was revealed that he had undergone an operation at the Mayo Clinic to remove a cancerous growth from one of his lungs.
In July 2001, it was reported that he was being treated for a brain tumor|brain tumour at a clinic in Switzerland.

On 22 July 2001, media reports claimed that Harrison was close to death as a result of the cancer, but he denied that this was true.

In November 2001, by which time the Daily Mail had reported that Harrison may only have a month to live, Harrison began radiotherapy at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City for lung cancer which had metastasis|spread to his brain.

On 25 November, it was reported in the Sunday People that Harrison's condition had continued to deteriorate in spite of the treatment, and that he was likely to die within days.

Death

Despite the treatments and operations, Harrison died on 29 November 2001, at a Hollywood Hills mansion that was once leased by McCartney and was previously owned by Courtney Love . The cause of death was listed on his Los Angeles County death certificate as " metastatic lung cancer|non-small cell lung cancer ". He was 58 years old. Harrison was cremated at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and his ashes were scattered in the Ganges River by his close family in a private ceremony according to Hindu tradition., p. 198, Peter Lavezzoli, International Publishing Group, 2006, ISBN 0-8264-1815-5., p. 47, Lynne Gibson, Pat Wootten, 2002, ISBN 0-435-33618-5 He left almost £100& nbsp;million in his will.

Lederman affair

In a complaint later brought on behalf of Harrison's estate, it was alleged that while under the care of Staten Island University Hospital, Dr Gilbert Lederman, a radiation oncology|oncologist , repeatedly revealed Harrison's confidential medical information during television interviews and forced him to autograph a guitar. The complaint alleged that Lederman and his family came uninvited to visit Harrison in the house he was staying in on the day before he was to leave for California. Lederman allegedly had his son play the guitar for Harrison. The complaint further alleged that after the performance, Lederman put the instrument on Harrison's lap and asked him to autograph it, and that Harrison responded, "I do not even know if I know how to spell my name any more." Lederman then allegedly took Harrison's hand and guided his hand along to spell his name while encouraging him by saying, "Come on, George. You can do this. G-E-O...". (PDF), Complaint, United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, The Estate of George Harrison v Gilbert Lederman. The allegations about the autograph appear on page 10 of the Complaint.

The suit was ultimately legal settlement|settled out of court under the condition that the guitar be "disposed of".

Tribute concert

In 2002, on the first anniversary of Harrison's death, the Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall ; it was organised by Eric Clapton and included performances by many of Harrison's musical friends, including Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. The profits from the concert went to Harrison's charity, the Material World Charitable Foundation, which he established in 1973 “to sponsor diverse forms of artistic expression and to encourage the exploration of alternative life views and philosophies.”Commemorative booklet presented to each concertgoer upon entering the Royal Albert Hall on 29 November 2002, p. 12, London: Oops Publishing Ltd., 2002 (based on firsthand account of concert attendee; booklet in private collection).

Legacy

Honours

Harrison's first official honour came as The Beatles were appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire ( Order of the British Empire|MBE ) in 1965 and received their insignia from Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|the Queen at an investiture at Buckingham Palace on 26 October., p. 172, Barry Miles, Chris Charlesworth, Omnibus Press, 1998, ISBN 0-7119-6315-0 Another award with The Beatles came in 1970 when they won an Academy Award for the best Original Song Score for Let It Be (film)| Let It Be .

A significant music award as a solo artist was in December 1992, when he became the first recipient of the Billboard Century Award – presented to music artists for significant bodies of work. The minor planet 4149 Harrison|4149 , discovered on 9 March 1984 by B. A. Skiff at the Anderson Mesa Station of the Lowell Observatory, was named after Harrison. Harrison is listed at number 11 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

Harrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist on 15 March 2004 by his Traveling Wilburys friends Lynne and Petty. He was inducted into the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame on 1 August 2006 for the The Concert for Bangladesh|Concert for Bangladesh .

Harrison featured twice on the cover of Time magazine, initially with The Beatles in 1967, then on his own, shortly after his death in 2001. In June 2007, portraits of Harrison and John Lennon were unveiled at The Mirage Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip , where they will be on permanent display.

On 14 April 2009, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce awarded Harrison a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame|Walk of Fame in front of the Capitol Records Building . (The Beatles also have a group star on the Walk of Fame.) Musicians Paul McCartney, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty were among those in attendance when the star was unveiled. Harrison's widow Olivia, actor Tom Hanks and comedian Eric Idle made speeches at the ceremony; Harrison's son Dhani uttered the Hare Krishna mantra. After the ceremony, Capitol/ EMI Records announced that a new career-spanning CD entitled Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison would be released in mid-June 2009.

In October 2011 a documentary titled Living in the Material World: George Harrison directed by Martin Scorsese was released.

Guitars

As a Beatle

Egmond (guitar) : Classic Guitar

Hofner President Acoustic

Hofner Club 40 model 244

Resonet Futurama

Gretsch 6128 Duo Jet

Gibson J-160E

Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman

Gretsch 6119-62 Tennessee Rose

Rickenbacker 425 Fire-glo

Rickenbacker 360-12 Fire-glo

Fender Stratocaster 'Rocky'

Epiphone Casino

Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson SG Standard

Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson Les Paul "Lucy"

Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson Jumbo J-200

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender Rosewood Telecaster

Solo discography

Year	Album	Label	Notes	Peak chart positions						Certifications
Year	Album	Label	Notes	US cite web	UK cite web	NO cite web	JP cite web	AT cite web	SE cite web	US cite web	UK BPI certified awards were introduced in April 1973.
1968	Wonderwall Music	Apple Records	Soundtrack	49	–	–	–	–	–
1969	Electronic Sound	Zapple Records	style="text-align:center;"	191	–	–	–	–	–
1970	All Things Must Pass	Apple/ EMI	Triple	1	1	1	4	–	–	6x Platinum
1971	Bangladesh (album)>The Concert for Bangladesh	Apple/ EMI (US) Epic Records	Live	2	1	1	2	–	–	Gold
1973	Living in the Material World	Apple/ EMI	style="text-align:center;"	1	2	4	9	–	–	Gold
1974	Dark Horse	Apple/ EMI	style="text-align:center;"	4	–	7	18	10	–	Gold
1975	Extra Texture (Read All About It)	Apple/ EMI	style="text-align:center;"	8	16	8	9	–	–	Gold
1976	Thirty Three & 1/ 3	Dark Horse Records	style="text-align:center;"	11	35	17	23	–	–	Gold
1976	The Best of George Harrison	Parlophone Records	Compilation	31	100	–	51	–	–	Gold
1979	George Harrison	Dark Horse	style="text-align:center;"	14	39	21	38	–	–	Gold
1981	Somewhere in England	Dark Horse	style="text-align:center;"	11	13	2	31	15	13
1982	Gone Troppo	Dark Horse	style="text-align:center;"	108	–	31	–	–	–
1987	Cloud Nine	Dark Horse	style="text-align:center;"	8	10	8	28	26	5	Platinum
1989	Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989	Dark Horse	Compilation	132	–	–	51	–	–
1992	Dark Horse/ Warner Bros. Records	Live	126	–	–	15	–	–	style="text-align:center;"
2002	Brainwashed	Dark Horse	Posthumous	18	29	9	21	62	18	Gold
2009	Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison	Capitol Records	Compilation	24	4	style="text-align:center;"	40	style="text-align:center;"	style="text-align:center;"	style="text-align:center;"	style="text-align:center;"
2012	Early Takes: Volume 1	UMe Records	Compilation	20	-	-	-	-	-

Notes

Copyright Citations

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