George Harrison over the course of his run with The Beatles, and later as a solo artist, wrote a myriad of timeless hits that would boost his status as one of the most prolific rock stars of all time.
Having to compete with the power-writing duo of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Harrison was able to slip songs of his own onto almost every Beatles album during the group’s existence. Some of those songs included “Taxman” and “Love You To” (1966’s Revolver), “Within You Without You” (1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band), “Here Comes The Sun” and “Something” (both from 1969’s Abbey Road), and many more.
Even more impressive may have been his solo work, as the period following The Beatles proved Harrison to be a truly great songwriter and recording artist in his own right. 1968 would see him be the first Beatle to release a solo record, with Wonderwall Music, and the following year with Electronic Sounds, in which Harrison made use of experiments with the Moog synthesizer.
He would release his triple-album, All Things Must Pass, in 1970 to massive acclaim from both critics and fans alike, with the hits “My Sweet Lord” and “What Is Life”.
Having adopted Hindu mythology and Transcendental Meditation years earlier thanks to his friendship with Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar, Harrison would go on to put together 1971’s Concert for Bangladesh at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The major benefit concert raised awareness and funds for the refugee situation of East Pakistan—a tragic result of the mass genocide committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The show would feature a supergroup consisting of Harrison, ex-bandmate Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and many more.
In the late 1980’s, Harrison would co-found The Traveling Wilburys, a behemoth group made up of Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne of ELO, all of which had worked with one another in some capacity on past and future projects. The group’s first album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, would go multi-platinum, with support from the singles “End of the Line,” and “Handle with Care.” Orbison would pass before the group recorded their second and final album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3.
George had three #1 solo hits: “Got My Mind Set On You,” “Give Me Love – (Give Me Peace On Earth)” and “My Sweet Lord/Isn’t It A Pity.” He also had two solo #1 albums with 1970’s All Things Must Pass and 1973’s Living in the Material World.
George was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was inducted as a member of The Beatles in 1988 and posthumously inducted for his solo career in 2004, three years after his passing from lung cancer on November 29th, 2001. Truly one of rock’s greatest artists and ambassadors.
George Harrison lost his battle with lung cancer at the age of 58. He passed away in Beverly Hills, California, at a home owned by Paul McCartney.
George’s death came two years after surviving a knife attack by an intruder at his home Friar Park in England.
Harrison’s funeral was held at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades, California, and he was cremated at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. His family reportedly scattered his ashes in a private ceremony in the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in India.
