George Harrison is one of those musicians who needs no introduction. The most silent and reserved member of the Fab Four from Liverpool who conquered the entire planet with their creativity, he also managed to build a successful solo career. A vocalist, guitarist, and artist—this talented man’s music evoked the strongest emotional reactions and had a way of touching the deepest strings of the soul. Read about the life of the most modest member of the popular “Beatles” on the website iliverpool.info.
The Beginning
Harrison was born on 25 February 1943, in the city of Liverpool, England. His parents were ordinary people—his father was a bus driver, and his mother was a homemaker who occasionally gave dance lessons.
From early childhood, George was passionate about music, and in his teenage years, he became captivated by Elvis Presley and his rock and roll. He later immersed himself in the work of other prominent musicians in a similar style.
At the age of 14, George began to enthusiastically learn chords, having managed to earn the money for his first guitar himself. It was during this time that his dream of forming his own band and performing in famous clubs was born.
How a Legend Was Born
Harrison’s school friend, Paul McCartney, who was also passionate about music, was already playing with his friend John Lennon in their skiffle group. George expressed a desire to play with them but was initially turned down. Paul and John were already over 16 and considered themselves adults, while George seemed like a child to them.
With great difficulty, Harrison managed to persuade them to listen to him play. And his performance made a huge impression on his friends—they had never heard such proficient and technical playing! Without further discussion, the guitarist was accepted into the group, which would later be named The Beatles.
In 1962, drummer Ringo Starr joined the team, and the promising group was taken under the wing of British music entrepreneur Brian Epstein.
That same year, the single “Love Me Do” was recorded, which almost immediately secured a place in the top twenty most popular hits in England. In early 1963, the next song, “Please Please Me”, was released, followed by an album of the same name. And it was a true triumph—Beatlemania swept through Great Britain, and within a few months, the group was known throughout the world.
Personal Qualities
Harrison was often called “the quiet Beatle” as he always seemed to be in a supporting role. All organisational and other important matters concerning the group were decided exclusively by McCartney and Lennon, and the modest George always agreed with them. However, fans could sometimes witness his fiery temper—on one occasion, in response to an impertinent question from a reporter about the guitarist’s long hair, Harrison became enraged and pretended to shoot the journalist.
Almost all the songs were written by Paul and John; George was rarely given a voice in the collective. Yet, the rare Harrison hits that the band did record turned out to be true musical gems, enthusiastically received by listeners. Among them are the legendary “Something” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. “Something” was even re-recorded by more than a hundred other singers, including Frank Sinatra.
By the end of the 1960s, Harrison had developed a serious interest in the East, primarily in Indian music, and even learned to play the sitar. His teacher was Ravi Shankar himself—a widely renowned sitarist—and George maintained a friendship with him for decades. In addition, Harrison was drawn to Eastern spiritual practices, to the study of which he dedicated all his free time.
The End of The Beatles
As the years went by, George Harrison matured spiritually and musically, and he hoped that his material would be more actively included in the Beatles’ albums. He grew dissatisfied with the dominance of McCartney and Lennon and began issuing ultimatums. During the recording of the “Let It Be” album, George even left the group altogether, only returning after much persuasion.
The atmosphere in the band continued to deteriorate, with McCartney and Lennon constantly arguing, eventually ceasing to work together at all. Strangely, the last track the great Beatles ever recorded together was George Harrison’s song “I Me Mine”. A few months after this, Paul McCartney left the band, after which The Beatles officially ceased to exist.
Solo Career
It might have seemed that the breakup of the group would be a blow to Harrison, but the event actually worked to his advantage. The musician managed to assemble a new collective, which included guitarist Eric Clapton, keyboardist Billy Preston, his Beatles colleague Ringo Starr on drums, and other session musicians. Harrison decided to fulfil his dream—to release all his songs that had been rejected by Lennon and McCartney over the years. The result of the musician’s hard work was a three-part album known as “All Things Must Pass”, which remains George Harrison’s most famous release to this day.
Later, Harrison developed an original project in which he was able to combine his love for the East with philanthropy. George organised and held a series of charity concerts in the United States, the recordings of which were released as a separate album. The money raised from the project—a huge sum of $15 million—Harrison donated to benefit refugees from Bangladesh. With these performances, he set an example and laid the foundation for future charity concerts.
Personal Life
Harrison’s first true love was the model Pattie Boyd. The feelings were mutual, and the young couple married. They were an exceptionally beautiful and happy pair.
Everything changed from the moment the musician began collaborating with Eric Clapton, who fell in love with Pattie at first sight, a fact that could not go unnoticed. The relationship between George and Pattie gradually deteriorated, tension between the spouses grew, and eventually, it all led to a scandalous divorce. Immediately after, Pattie Boyd married Clapton.
George Harrison claimed not to be upset by these events and held no grudge against Eric, but his music from this period suggests the opposite. Two of his albums, released one after the other, did not meet audience expectations, and some called them failures. Disappointed, George gave up music altogether for several years. In 1978, he married Olivia Arias, and she became his muse—he took up music again and released several new records.
Final Years
The musician was a heavy smoker, and perhaps it was this habit that led to a terrible diagnosis in 1998—throat cancer. Harrison managed to beat the disease, but a new misfortune awaited him. A deranged fan broke into the Harrisons’ home and attacked the couple with a knife. Olivia received only minor cuts, but the guitarist suffered serious wounds to his chest. Fortunately, he managed to survive.
In 2001, the cancer returned. The musician underwent surgery on his lungs, but a positive result could not be achieved, and George, along with his family, went to the United States for treatment. Unfortunately, this time the disease won. On 29 November 2001, George Harrison passed away.
Decades have passed, but the legacy of the legendary musician lives on—his works continue to stir the hearts of millions of fans. As for his story—in his time, Harrison played a unique role in the destiny of the unparalleled Liverpool foursome, giving rock and roll character, individuality, and a special meaning.