Artist · EveryDisc catalogue

George Harrison

George Harrison (English: George Harrison; February 25, 1943, Liverpool — November 29, 2001, Los Angeles) was a British rock musician, singer, composer, author, producer, sitarist and guitarist, who gained the most fame as the lead guitarist of The Beatles. In the 1960s, Harrison adopted Hinduism, which significantly influenced his subsequent creative and social activities. Harrison played a key role in sparking interest in the West in Indian culture, Hinduism, and the Hare Krishna movement. Although the authors of most of The Beatles' songs were John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Harrison also wrote and performed several songs on each of the group's albums. From the band's late period, Harrison's authorship includes such hits as "Here Comes the Sun", "Something", and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". After the band's breakup, Harrison began a successful solo career, releasing the first "triple" album in music history, All Things Must Pass, which became the first solo album by one of the ex-Beatles to reach the top position on the charts. The song "My Sweet Lord" was released as a separate single and also reached the tops of the hit parades. This composition, dedicated to Krishna, became not only the biggest hit of Harrison's solo career but also the subject of a multi-year lawsuit because Harrison was accused of plagiarism. In 1971, Harrison became the first rock star to organize a major charity concert — the "Concert for Bangladesh". In addition to his solo work, Harrison co-authored several songs for another ex-Beatle, Ringo Starr, and was also a songwriter for the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, which he founded in 1988 together with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison. George Harrison is the only one of the Beatles to publish an autobiography ("I, Me, Mine", 1980). Harrison also gained fame as a film producer: in 1978, he founded the film company HandMade Films, which released such well-known films as "Monty Python's Life of Brian", "Time Bandits", "Withnail and I", and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". Harrison was married twice, first to fashion model Pattie Boyd, and then to record company secretary Olivia Trinidad Arias, who bore him a son, Dhani. Harrison died on November 29, 2001, in Los Angeles from lung and brain cancer. In 1965, Harrison, along with the other Beatles, was awarded the Order of the British Empire. Another award Harrison received with The Beatles was an "Oscar", which the Beatles received in 1970 for "best original song score" for the film "Let It Be". In 1990, a minor planet, 4149, discovered on March 9, 1984, was named in honor of Harrison. On March 15, 2004, Harrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. As a member of The Beatles and The Traveling Wilburys, as well as for his solo career, George Harrison received a total of 13 Grammy Awards.