George Harrison

Artist Image: George Harrison
Attribution
Image Credit: David Hume Kennerly (Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum - A2428-14A as displayed at Media Photo Kit - The White House Years Page 1 of 3 (Photos 1-17 of 45)), Public domain

Biography

George Harrison, 25 February 1943 - 29 November 2001, was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes 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. Following the band's break-up he was a successful solo artist, and later a founding member of the Traveling Wilburys. Among his other accomplishments 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 "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Although most of the Beatles' songs were written by Lennon and McCartney, Beatle albums generally included one or two of Harrison's own songs, from With The Beatles onwards. His later compositions with the Beatles include "Here Comes the Sun", "Something" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". By the time of 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 he formed in 1988 with Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison. Harrison embraced 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 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. He was married twice, to model Pattie Boyd from 1966 to 1977, and for 23 years to record company secretary 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 in 1980. Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed
Number of Albums 15
Record Label
Website www.georgeharrison.com
Wikipedia George Harrison on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What was Harrison's father's occupation?

steward in the merchant navy

... of four children in a workingclass family. His father was a steward in the merchant navy before becoming a bus conductor, and his mother was a clerk ...
When did Harrison begin playing guitar?

secondary school

...r was a clerk in a grocery store. Harrison began playing guitar in secondary school . He later met Paul McCartney, who invited Harrison to join the Qua...
Who invited Harrison to join the Quarrymen?

Paul McCartney

...re. Harrison began playing guitar in secondary school. He later met Paul McCartney , who invited Harrison to join the Quarrymen, the rock band he and J...
What was the name of the rock band he and John Lennon formed?

Quarrymen

... school. He later met Paul McCartney, who invited Harrison to join the Quarrymen , the rock band he and John Lennon had formed. The group underwent sev...
Which drummer was hired as the Beatles' drummer?

Ringo Starr

...on as vocalist and rhythm guitar, McCartney as vocalist and bass, and Ringo Starr as drummer. Although Lennon and McCartney wrote and sang most of the...
What year was Dont Bother Me released?

1963

...Harrison also contributed original works, beginning with Dont Bother Me ( 1963 ). A few of his later songs came to be regarded as some of the Beatles fi...
In what year did Harrison study the sitar with Ravi Shankar?

1965

...Gently Weeps (1968), Here Comes the Sun (1969), and Something (1969). In 1965 Harrison studied the sitar with Ravi Shankar and first featured his skil...
What was the name of the song that Harrison first featured his sitar skills in?

Norwegian Wood

...mes the Sun (1969), and Something (1969). In 1965 Harrison studied the sitar with Ravi Shankar and first featured his skills in Norwegian Wood (1965)....
How many other children did Harrison have?

three

...ents were Harold and Louise Harrison, who had roots in Ireland. They had three other children: Louise, Harry and Peter, all of whom were older than Ge...
What was the name of the skiffle group that Harrison formed in 1959?

The Rebels

... without any qualifications. In 1959 Harrison formed a skiffle group, The Rebels , with his brother Peter and a friend, Arthur Kelly. Harrisons mother ...
What was George's brother's name?

Peter

...o had roots in Ireland. They had three other children: Louise, Harry and Peter , all of whom were older than George. Not an especially gifted child aca...
How much did Harrison earn from his first gig at the British Legion club in Speke?

10 shillings

...the groups debut gig at the British Legion club in Speke earned them 10 shillings . Harrison considered becoming an apprentice engineer after leaving s...
Where did Harrison perform with a number of fledgling groups?

Liverpool

...ted his passions and he performed with a number of fledgling groups in Liverpool . Although Harrison was considered too young to join the group, he did...
Who was the founder and leader of the Quarrymen?

John Lennon

...member, despite the reservations of the Quarrymen founder and leader, John Lennon . Paul introduced me to George and I had to make the decision whether...
What was George Harrison's nationality?

English

...eorge Harrison nb 1 MBE (25 February 1943 29 November 2001) nb 2 was an English musician and singersongwriter who achieved international fame as the l...
George Harrison achieved international fame as what?

the lead guitarist of the Beatles

...an and singersongwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles . Sometimes called the quiet Beatle, Harrison embraced Ind...
Who wrote the majority of the Beatles songs?

John Lennon and Paul McCartney

.... Although the majority of the band's songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney , most Beatles albums from 1965 onwards contained at least t...
How many Harrison compositions did most Beatles albums contain?

at least two

... and Paul McCartney, most Beatles albums from 1965 onwards contained at least two Harrison compositions. His songs for the group include Taxman, Withi...
What are some of Harrison's earliest musical influences?

George Formby and Django Reinhardt

...omething. Harrison's earliest musical influences included George Formby and Django Reinhardt ; Carl Perkins, Chet Atkins and Chuck Berry were subsequen...
What was Harrison's most successful hit single?

My Sweet Lord

...tically acclaimed work that produced his most successful hit single, My Sweet Lord , and introduced his signature sound as a solo artist, the slide gui...
What instrument did Harrison introduce as a solo artist?

slide guitar

...Sweet Lord, and introduced his signature sound as a solo artist, the slide guitar . In his role as a music and film producer, Harrison produced acts si...
In what year did Harrison start Dark Horse Records?

1974

...er, Harrison produced acts signed to the Beatles' Apple record label before founding Dark Horse Records in 1974 and cofounding HandMade Films in 1978....
What did the boy scribble with his pencil as if taking down every word?

As his teacher lectured

...classroom, head down, intense brown eyes fixed on his notebook. As his teacher lectured , the boy scribbled with his pencil, as if taking down every wo...
What was the name of the guitar instrumental Harrison played on a doubledecker bus?

Raunchy

...hes good. Harrison passed his audition, playing the guitar instrumental Raunchy on the top half of a doubledecker bus one night and with that, he was ...
Who said Harrison never shut up?

Tom Petty

...s a Beatle, or at least a Quarryman. He never shut up, said his friend Tom Petty . He was fond of repeating a phrase he attributed to Mahatma Gandhi Cr...
Who was Petty fond of repeating a phrase attributed to?

Mahatma Gandhi

...riend Tom Petty. He was fond of repeating a phrase he attributed to Mahatma Gandhi Create and preserve the image of your choice which is odd, because ...
Who became the biggest rock band in the world?

The Beatles

...h schoolmates to play clubs around Liverpool and in Hamburg, Germany. The Beatles became the biggest rock band in the world, and Harrison's diverse mu...
When did Harrison die?

November 2001

... records and started a film production company. He died of cancer in November 2001 . The youngest of Harold and Louise French Harrison's four children,...
Who drove a school bus for Liverpool Institute?

Harold

... a stayathome mom (who also taught ballroom dancing), while her husband Harold drove a school bus for the Liverpool Institute, an acclaimed grammar sc...
Where did Harrison first meet Paul McCartney?

Liverpool Institute

...oom dancing), while her husband Harold drove a school bus for the Liverpool Institute , an acclaimed grammar school that Harrison attended and where he...
What instrument did Harrison discover at the age of 14?

electric guitar

...st he did have in his studies washed away with his discovery of the electric guitar and American rock and roll. By the age of 14, Harrison, whose earl...
At what age did Harrison purchase his first guitar?

14

...iscovery of the electric guitar and American rock and roll. By the age of 14 , Harrison, whose early rock heroes included Carl Perkins, Little Richard ...
Along with Little Richard, Little Richard and Buddy Holly, who was Harrison's early rock heroes?

Carl Perkins

...d roll. By the age of 14, Harrison, whose early rock heroes included Carl Perkins , Little Richard and Buddy Holly, had purchased his first guitar and ...
Who was George's mother?

Louise Harrison

...was also the youngest of four children, born to Harold Harrison and Louise Harrison . Louise was largely a stayathome mom while her husband Harold drov...
Where was George born?

Liverpool, Merseyside, England

...The Beatles, George Harrison was born February 25, 1943, in Liverpool, Merseyside, England . He was also the youngest of four children, born to Harold ...
What did Harrison and Lennon have in common?

they both attended Dovedale Primary School

...non had a few things in common, such as the fact that they both attended Dovedale Primary School but didn't know each other. Their paths finally cross...
What school did Harrison attend but didn't know each other?

Dovedale Primary School

... few things in common, such as the fact that they both attended Dovedale Primary School but didn't know each other. Their paths finally crossed in ear...
In what year did Lenon and Harrison's paths cross?

1958

... School but didn't know each other. Their paths finally crossed in early 1958 . Lennon had renamed the band The Beatles and the young group began cutti...
Who was the manager of The Beatles?

Brian Epstein

... two years, the group had a new drummer, Ringo Starr, and a manager, Brian Epstein , a young record store owner who eventually landed the group a recor...
Who eventually landed the group a record contract with?

EMI's Parlophone label

...re owner who eventually landed the group a record contract with EMI's Parlophone label . Before the end of 1962, Harrison and The Beatles recorded a so...
What was the name of the song that Harrison and The Beatles recorded before the end of 1962?

Love Me Do

...ntract with EMI's Parlophone label. Before the end of 1962, Harrison and The Beatles recorded a song, Love Me Do , that landed in the UK Top 20 charts....
What band did George Harrison play with?

The Quarryman

...on and George was gradually invited to play with the preBeatles band The Quarryman . I think people who can truly live a life in music are telling the ...
Where did he travel with the Beatles to work?

Germany

... in 1960, he jumped at the chance to travel with the Beatles to work in Germany . On their return to the UK in 1963, the Beatles shot to national and t...
What term was used to describe the public interest in the Beatles?

Beatlemania

...erywhere the Beatles went, they created huge public interest The term Beatlemania was introduced to explain the cultural and musical phenomenon. Thoug...
George Harrison was very popular among whom?

girls

...atle), George Harrison was nevertheless very popular, especially amongst girls . Most of the music recorded by the Beatles was written by McCartney or ...
Who wrote most of the music for the Beatles?

McCartney or Lennon

...George Harrison was nevertheless very popular, especially amongst girls. Most of the music recorded by the Beatles was written by McCartney or Lennon ....
What was George Harrison nicknamed at the height of Beatlemania?

the Quiet Beatle

...Nicknamed the Quiet Beatle at the height of Beatlemania, George Harrison did indeed seem somewhat reserved compared to the other members of the Fab Fo...
What did George Harrison prefer to largerthanlife bravado?

sly provocations

...served compared to the other members of the Fab Four. He preferred sly provocations to largerthanlife bravado. Harrison's measured, considered persona...
George Harrison's measured, considered persona was reflected in what?

his music

...life bravado. Harrison's measured, considered persona was reflected in his music , particularly his clean, composed lead guitar parts but also in his e...
What song did Frank Sinatra call the greatest love song of the past 50 years?

Something

...ned some of his strongest work, with the latter including the standard Something , a song Frank Sinatra called the greatest love song of the past 50 ye...
When was All Things Must Pass released?

1970

... the greatest love song of the past 50 years. Still, it wasn't until the 1970 release of All Things Must Pass, the post Beatles triple album that was ...
What was the name of the post Beatles triple album that was released in 1970?

All Things Must Pass

...of the past 50 years. Still, it wasn't until the 1970 release of All Things Must Pass , the post Beatles triple album that was effectively his solo deb...
How many children did Harold and Louise Harrison have?

four

...bing to lung cancer in 2001. George Harrison was born in Liverpool on February 25, 1943, the last of the four children Harold and Louise Harrison had....