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George Harrison

George Harrison

George Harrison [nb 1] MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer-songwriter, and music and film producer who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. 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 included “Taxman”, “Within You Without You”, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something”.

Harrison’s earliest musical influences included George Formby and Django Reinhardt; Carl Perkins, Chet Atkins, and Chuck Berry were subsequent influences. By 1965, he had begun to lead the Beatles into folk rock through his interest in Bob Dylan and the Byrds, and towards Indian classical music through his use of the sitar on “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”.

Having initiated the band’s embracing of Transcendental Meditation in 1967, he subsequently developed an association with the Hare Krishna movement. 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. 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 and co-founding HandMade Films in 1978.

Biographies on George Harrison

I ME MINE : The Autobiography

Cherished by fans and collectors, I Me Mine is the closest we will ever come to George Harrison’s autobiography. Featuring George Harrison in conversation with Derek Taylor, I Me Mine delves into everything from Harrison’s upbringing in Liverpool and the growth of early Beatlemania, to his love of India, gardening and racing cars.I Me Mine: The Extended Edition presents for the first time a complete compendium of Harrison’s musical career and his writing.

Behind The Locked Door : Biography

Behind The Locked Door is Graeme Thomson’s rich, insightful account of George Harrison’s extraordinary life and career. This book offers a full analysis of Harrison’s music, from his earliest songs for the Beatles to his landmark solo album All Things Must Pass, his work with The Traveling Wilburys and the posthumous Brainwashed. Behind The Locked Door provides the definitive account of a compelling, contradictory and enlightening life.

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