Brief Career History: You simply cannot talk about George Harrison's life without recognizing the Beatle's contributions to music. George's life, however, was so much more than one fourth of the renowned band, also know as the Fab Four. His talents were so much bigger than his reputation as the "Quiet" Beatle. A spiritual and private man, his serious, brooding demeanor masked his inherent creativity. But when you look beyond to his lifetime achievements, you recognize the amazing contributions he has made as a solo artist. Harrison didn't look for fame, but rather quietly made his mark on the transformation of rock and roll for nearly 40 years.

At the tender age of 15, George's career launched as he teamed up with Lennon and McCartney in a local band called the Quarryman. The rest of the story between 1961 and 1969 is legendary Beatle's History. George wasn't simply a lead guitarist in the fab foursome, but also a contributing songwriter.

As time passed, the creative talents between Harrison, Lennon, and McCartney began to clash. George was the first Beatle to contribute solo work outside the Beatles when he composed and produced the soundtrack of Wonderwall in 1968. The struggles over whose songs would be developed and recorded by the band was the major factor that drove a wedge between the members of the Beatles. George's own compositions were being suppressed in the shadow of the more dynamic Lennon and McCartney personalities. In 1971, shortly after the Beatles demise, George organized the critically acclaimed megastar lineup for the Concert for Bangla Desh held at Madison Square Garden. The first of its kind, the concert was a critically acclaimed event for which Harrison won a Grammy award. The concert was aimed squarely at raising funds for famine relief in that impoverished country.

During the years 1970 through 1982, Harrison released six solo albums of which
"All Things Must Pass" and "33 and 1/3" were the only two highly successful efforts during this time period. Later in 1987,
"Cloud Nine" became his biggest commercial success. Musically, beyond the Beatle's spotlight, Harrison is best known for his work with the star studded Traveling Wilburys. Teaming with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Rob Orbison, and Jeff Lynne, the band released two platinum selling albums.

Although solo performances and album release were non-existent during the 1990s, George continued to work in corroboration with other well known artists and is heard on more than two dozen albums produced during the decade. While not as famous, George has the distinction of having produced and performed on more albums then his better known Beatle collegues.

In testament of George's life, his creative talents have been influential. The lifetime friendships he made and maintained tell of a multitalented, respected and well loved man. That is the biggest award any person on this earth can earn, the love and loyalty of friendship.



Birth Name: George Harrison

Nick Name: The Quiet Beatle

Born: February 24, 1943, Wavertree, Liverpool, England

Died: November 29, 2001, Los Angeles, California, from Cancer at the age 58

Parents: Harold Hargreaves Harrison; Louise French (Married May 20, 1930)

Siblings: Louise, Harold and Peter

Marriages:
• Patricia Anne Boyd – January 21st, 1966, Surrey, England; divorced June 9, 1977
• Olivia Trinidad Arias – September 2, 1978 (Surviving Spouse)

Children:
• Dhani Harrison – August 1, 1978

Talents: Gardener, musician, singer, composer, film producer, record producer, philanthropist, car racing enthusiast, spiritual seeker. Instruments George Played include: guitar, sitar, 4-string guitar, bass guitar, arp bass, violin, tamboura, dobro, swordmandel, tabla, organ, piano, moog synthesizer, harmonica, autoharp, glockenspiel, vibraphone, xylophone, claves, African drum, conga drum, tympani, ukulele, mandolin, marimba, Jal-Tarang

Awards:
• 1970 – Grammy for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture – "Let It Be"
• 1972 - Grammy Award for Album of the Year - "The Concert for Bangla Desh"
• 1988 - Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Beatles
• 1989 - Grammy for Best Rock Vocal, Duo or Group with Vocal - "The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1"
• 1996 – Grammy for Best Pop performance by a Duo or Group Vocal – "Free as a Bird"
• 1996 – Grammy for Best Music Video, Long Form – "The Beatles Anthology (Video)"
• 1996 – Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form – "Free As a Bird (Video)"
• George was also nominated for Grammy awards for "All Things Must Pass," "My Sweet Lord," the video for "When We Was Fab," and "The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1."
• 1992 - George received the first annual Billboard Magazine Century Award.
•

Quotes:
• "Dylan makes Shakespeare look like Billy Joel."
• June 12, 1997 – "For every human is a quest to find the answer to, Why are we here? Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? That to me became the only important thing in my life. Everything else is secondary."
• About Dark Horse: "the one who suddenly pulls out from behind the rest and barrels ahead to actually win the race. The one that nobody's bothered to put any money on. That's me, I guess. The very last one anyone would have ever expected to come out a winner."
• "Everything else can wait but the search for God cannot wait, and love one another."

Learn more about Harrison's life by reading his autobiography.
I, Me, Mine