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George Milo Harrison, MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English rock musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other Beatles, as well as those of their Western audience. Following the band's break-up, he had a successful career as a solo artist and later as part of the Traveling Wilburys, and also as a film and record producer. Harrison is listed at number 21 in Rolling Stone magazine 's list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

Although most of The Beatles' songs were written by John Lennon and Paul 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 acclaimed and successful triple album All Things Must Pass in 1970, from which came two singles: 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 Ringo Starr, another former Beatle, as well as songs for the Traveling Wilburys—the supergroup he formed in 1988 with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, 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 a major charity concert with the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh.

Besides being a musician, 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 1974, 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. He is the only Beatle to have published an autobiography, with I Me Mine in 1980. Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001.


Instrument(s)[]

  • Guitar
  • Sitar
  • Table
  • Drums
  • Bass

Musician Biography[]

Always known as the quiet Beatle, George Harrison had some solo successes, but wasn't quite as big as the other members of his former band, at least when it came to chart successes, but is often the most beloved (or, at least tying with John Lennon) when it comes to musicians. He didn't have as many solo records as the others, but many were considered artistic triumphs, at least after the fact. He's also known for bringing the Indian influence to the Beatles and playing the sitar in the band, albeit with a wrong technique, holding it like a guitar.

He died of cancer in 2001, before his final album, Brainwashed was released. He also had a great sense of humor, and bonded well with comedians like Monty Python, and humorous musicians like long-time Beatle friends, the Bonzo Dog Band, producing and appearing in The Rutles film All You Need Is Cash. (And probably in the terrible, cobbled-together-from-existing-footage-mainly-from-the-first-film-and-not-even-outtakes-for-chrissakes The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch.) His love of comedy led him to form Handmade Films, to release Monty Python's Life Of Brian, and later many other films, like How To Get Ahead In Advertising, f'rinstance.

Discography[]

Albums[]

  • Wonderwall Music
  • Electronic Sound
  • All Things Must Pass
  • Living In The Material World
  • Dark Horse
  • Extra Texture (Read All About It)
  • Thirty Three & 1/3
  • George Harrison
  • Somewhere In England
  • Gone Troppo
  • Cloud Nine
  • Brainwashed
  • The Concert For Bangla Desh
  • Live In Japan
  • The Best Of George Harrison
  • Best Of Dark Horse 1976-1989
  • The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992

EPs[]

Singles[]

Appears On[]

Compilations[]

Soundtracks[]

Mix CDs[]

  • Aila's Mp3 Of The Week
  • A Trip to the Library

Radio Shows[]

  • 50 Skidillion Watts Of Good Will Episode 4

Further Reading[]

External Links[]

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