Video: 'George Harrison Biography Documentary'
(Thursday, February 25, 1943) — George Harrison, an English musician, and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of The Beatles, was born today at 12 Arnold Grove in Wavertree, Liverpool, England.
Harrison was the fourth and last member of the legendary band’s classic line-up to be born, following, in chronological order, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney.
Sometimes called “the quiet Beatle,” Harrison embraced Indian culture and helped broaden the scope of popular music through his incorporation of Indian instrumentation and Hindu-aligned spirituality in The Beatles’ work.
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 two Harrison compositions.
His songs for the group include “Taxman,” “Within You Without You,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something.”
After the band’s break-up in 1970, Harrison released the triple album All Things Must Pass, a critically acclaimed work that produced his most successful hit single, “My Sweet Lord”, and introduced his signature sound as a solo artist, the slide guitar.
He also organized the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh with Indian musician Ravi Shankar, a precursor to later benefit concerts such as Live Aid.
Video: 'George Harrison: All Things Pass (FULL MOVIE)'
In his role as a music and film producer, Harrison produced acts signed to the Beatles’ Apple record label before founding Dark Horse Records in 1974; he co-founded HandMade Films in 1978, initially to produce the Monty Python troupe’s comedy film The Life of Brian (1979).
Harrison released several best-selling singles and albums as a solo performer.
In 1988, he co-founded the platinum-selling supergroup the Traveling Wilburys.
A prolific recording artist, he was featured as a guest guitarist on tracks by Badfinger, Ronnie Wood, and Billy Preston, and collaborated on songs and music with Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, and Tom Petty, among others.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 11 in their list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
He is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee – as a member of the Beatles in 1988, and posthumously for his solo career in 2004.
Harrison died from lung cancer in 2001 at the age of 58, two years after surviving a knife attack by an intruder at his English home, Friar Park.
His remains were cremated, and the ashes were scattered according to Hindu tradition in a private ceremony in the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in India.
