During his time with The Beatles, Harrison would assume the name of the quiet one due to his serious and reserved persona onstage. While bandmates John Lennon and Paul McCartney relished in the limelight, Harrison remained relatively aloof, it was not until the triumphant All Things Must Pass was released in 1970, that all of his pent-up talent really came to a head. Harrison embarked on an extraordinary solo career, producing some of the most prized work in music history that continues to transcend his death and inspire many generations.
While many Beatles tunes can be accredited to the iconic Lennon/McCartney pairing, George Harrison also helped to frame and shape much of the Beatles’ sound. On Revolver he would unapologetically take a stab at the British government with ‘Taxman’, before broadening the band’s catalogue with ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ that incorporated much of the Indian culture that Harrison relentlessly consumed. Harrison was also responsible for crafting "the greatest love song of the past 50 years", as deemed by Frank Sinatra, a yearnful love ballad for his then-wife Pattie Boyd.
In his lifetime, Harrison became incredibly fixated on spirituality and the world of Hinduism. He befriended Indian composer Ravi Shankar and indulged in the culture, becoming a figurehead of the Hare Krishna movement in 1960s India. While Harrison failed in mastering the classical South Asian instrument, the sitar, he nonetheless broadened the scope of The Beatles sound. His album All Things Must Pass has staunch overtones of classical Indian music and culture, including the beautiful ‘Hear Me Lord’ and ‘My Sweet Lord’ which embraced the most commercial success.
During the recent Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary show, Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel reflected on a cherished moment he shared with George Harrison in 1976. In season 2 of SNL, George Harrison and Paul Simon took to the stage together to deliver one of the most notable performances, a rendition of Simon’s ‘Homeward Bound’ and Harrison’s ‘Here Comes The Sun’. The intimate performance was a perfect blend of two of the most treasured voices in the music industry, an emotional yet nostalgic duet.
Despite his passing in November 2001, Harrison’s work and poetry lives on. He will be remembered fondly as the youngest and shyest Beatle, yet his work will continue to be celebrated for its originality and profound inspiration.