A man of few words, but many actions, George Harrison will forever go down in history as the affectionately named 'Quiet Beatle'. He was the lead guitarist for the Beatles, but after they broke up, he followed his own path of enlightenment, religion (in a tweaked sense), and, of course, music and art. Even while in the Beatles, he was always more of a individual, a solo artist of sorts; he recorded and released two solo instrumental albums,
Wonderwall Music and
Electronic Sound while still in the band. From then on, he pursed music, art, film, charity, and even fatherhood, and George Harrison will always be remembered for his musical abilities, as well as his heart full of love and hope.
When Harrison was still a Beatle, in about 1965, he became interested in Indian music, sitar, and later Hinduism, which helped broaden the Beatles musical horizons (this can be heard in albums like
Rubber Soul,
Revolver and
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band). It was around this time that more and more of George's songs began to show up on the Beatles albums. By the time
Abbey Road was recorded, George was ready to unleash his own songs to the world, and strike out as a musician in his own right, no longer overshadowed by the powerful Lennon-McCartney duo.
All Things Must Pass (1970) came as a result of this breakthrough. Three discs full of music, and two of those discs full of mostly original Harrison songs (the third disc was George and friends, jamming), led to
All Things Must Pass being Harrison's most critically acclaimed album, as well as his best known and most loved (it was six times certified platinum). George came storming out of the gates, as a solo artist, strong.
On
All Things Must Pass, there were several singles that are, even today, played on the radio, and are probably some of the career-making singles Harrison will forever be known for- 'My Sweet Lord', 'Isn't It A Pity?', 'What Is Life', 'Wah-Wah', 'I Dig Love', 'Beware Of Darkness', and 'Apple Scruffs'. Sadly, Harrison encountered copyright problems with 'My Sweet Lord', having a lawsuit because the song sounded too much like the Chiffons song 'He's So Fine'. This was later settled, but not without grief (not sobering grief, just tiring grief) from Harrison, which would bring him to later record a song called 'This Song', which poked fun at the court case, as well as the ruling.
After ATMP, Harrison became aware, from friend and mentor Ravi Shankar, of the disastrous situation in Bangladesh, where political turmoil and a cyclone had brought about serious hardships to the area, and people, especially children, were without basic needs. George recorded a song called 'Bangla Desh' to raise awareness, and set up
The Concert for Bangladesh. On August 1, 1971, two concerts were held in Madison Square Garden. Over 40,000 people attended, making it the largest benefit concert at that point in history. Many famous musicians like Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, and the members of Badfinger played along with George and Ravi. The concert raised $243,418.50, which was given to UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) to distribute. Sales from the album and DVD continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.
His next album,
Living In the Material World (1973) would not be as successful as ATMP (none of his albums would), but the single 'Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)' proved to be quite the single. This particular album also had deep Indian influences.
Dark Horse (1974) would not go as well with the critics. During this album, Harrison had broken up with his wife of eight years, Pattie Boyd, and was suffering from laryngitis.
His final album for EMI and Apple Records (which was founded by the Beatles themselves) was
Extra Texture (Read All About It) in 1975. It created two singles, including 'Yes' and 'This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)'. The latter was Apple's last original single. Apple would also go on to release a album of Harrison's Beatle and solo work called
The Best Of George Harrison.
In 1976, George started recording under the label 'Dark Horse'. The first record to come out was
Thirty Three and 1/3, which became his most successful late 1970s album. This album included songs like 'This Song' and 'Crackerbox Palace', which reflected Harrison's growing friendship with Monty Python's Eric Idle.
On Sept. 2, 1978, George married Dark Horse assistant Olivia Arias, whom he had met in 1974. A month before the wedding they welcomed Dhani (pro. Dhaa-Knee) Harrison, the couple's only child, and George Harrison's only son. Soon after, he recorded a self titled album, called
George Harrison, which made the Billboard Top 20. Throughout the 70s, Harrison wrote songs for many other musicians, including former Beatles John Lennon and Ringo Starr, worked with artists like Billy Preston and Cheech & Chong, and preformed on
Saturday Night Live with Paul Simon.
After John Lennon was murdered in 1980, George revised the lyrics of a song originally for Ringo Starr, and recorded it as 'All Those Years Ago' as a tribute song for John. The three remaining Beatles played on it. It was featured on his album
Somewhere In England, which was supposed to be released in 1980, but was released in 1981 instead, due to some difficulties Harrison was having with the music industry.
After the release of his twelfth album
Gone Troppo, Harrison didn't release music for five years, and rarely appeared in public. This gave time for Harrison to explore his other interests and duties, like tending to his wife and son, gardening, racing cars, and practicing Hinduism and mediation.
In 1987, Harrison returned to the music industry with the album
Cloud Nine, which proved to be one of his best and most acclaimed. Songs like 'When We Was Fab' and "This Is Love' hit the charts, and the album did pretty well. By this time, a new generation of listeners were tuning in to the musings of the legends of the past, and MTV helped introduce George to a new group of music fans.
For the rest of his career, George slowed down significantly, but was always involved in the world of music, art, and charity. He released another album,
Best Of Dark Horse 1976-1989. He played concerts with others, appeared on TV, played at Carl Perkins funeral, attended Linda McCartney's memorial service, played with Electric Light Orchestra, and co-wrote a song called 'Horse To The Water' with his son Dhani.
He was also invested in his charity, The Material World Foundation, which supported all artists, regardless of circumstances or special needs.
In 1988, George helped form a group of musicians called the Traveling Wilburys, which included Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty. They released two albums, and the song 'Handle With Care' became well known. George also helped with the making of
The Beatles Anthology, in which he gave lengthy interviews and played in the first Beatles single in decades, 'Free As A Bird'. Harrison also spent time working in his film production and distribution company HandMade Films.
In 1997, throat cancer was discovered in Harrison. He began treatment, and it was successfully removed with radiation. Then, in 1999, Harrison and his wife were attacked in their home by crazed fan. Both survived the attack, but were badly shaken. Harrison had been limiting his public appearances since Lennon had died, and continued to do so. In May of 2001, George underwent surgery for a cancerous tumor found in his lung. Despite this, the cancer made its way to his brain, and he sought treatment.
On November 29, 2001, George Harrison died at a Hollywood Hills mansion once leased by Paul McCartney. He was cremated, and his ashes were spread in the Ganges River, abiding by the Hindu tradition. The year after his death, Dhani and Olivia Harrison organized 'The Concert For George', which featured many of George's friends (Clapton, Starr, McCartney) and benefited his charity, The Material World Foundation. Also in 2002, Dhani and Jeff Lynne released Harrison's final album,
Brainwashed. It received generally positive reviews, and reached 18 on the charts. Singles from that albums include 'Any Road' and 'Stuck Inside A Cloud'.
In March 2004, George was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame as a solo artist. Recently, director Martin Scorsese announced that he was going to be making a documentary about George called
Living In The Material World: George Harrison.
George Harrison was a sweet, thoughtful, and considerate rock guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor, film producer, and philanthropist who was not only concerned with his own problems, but those of the world. He was deeply invested in spiritual learning and generosity, and his family continues to spread that message today. He was a man who set out from the Beatles wanting to make a difference, and that, and more, is exactly what he did.
-Raivynn
P.S- Find out more information about George Harrison, his music, and The Material World Foundation at
www.georgeharrison.com.
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