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There are places I'll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all
"In My Life" - Beatles (1965)
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As lead
guitarist for the Beatles, George Harrison provided the band
with a lyrical style of playing in which every note
mattered. Harrison was one of millions of young Britons
inspired to take up the guitar by British skiffle king
Lonnie Donegan's recording of "Rock Island Line." But he had
more dedication than most, and with the encouragement of a
slightly older school friend - Paul McCartney - he advanced
quickly in his technique and command of the instrument.
Harrison developed his style and technique slowly and
painstakingly over the several years, learning everything he
could from the records of Carl Perkins, Duane Eddy, Chet
Atkins, Buddy Holly, and Eddie Cochran. By age 15, he was
allowed to sit in with the Quarry Men, the Liverpool group
founded by John Lennon, of which McCartney was a member; by
16 he was a full-fledged member of the group.
The Beatles finally coalesced around Lennon, McCartney,
Harrison, and drummer Ringo Starr in 1962, with Harrison
established on lead guitar. The Beatlemania years, from 1963
through 1966, were a mixed blessing for Harrison. The
Beatles' studio sound was generally characterized by very
prominent rhythm guitar parts, and on many of the Beatles'
early songs, Harrison's lead guitar was buried beneath the
chiming chords of Lennon's instrument. Additionally, he was
thwarted as a songwriter by the presence of Lennon and
McCartney — the quality and prolificacy of their output left
very little room on the group's albums for songs by anyone
else. Despite these problems, Harrison grew markedly as a
musician between 1963 and 1966, writing a handful of good
songs and one classic ("If I Needed Someone"), and also
making his first acquaintance of the sitar, an Indian
instrument whose sound fascinated him.
In 1966, Harrison finally seemed to find his voice, with two
of his songs on the Revolver album, "Taxman" and "Love You
Too." In the wake of the group's decision to stop touring,
Harrison's playing and songwriting grew
exponentially. The period from 1968 onward was Harrison's
richest with the Beatles. He displayed a smooth, elegant
slide guitar technique that showed up on their last three
albums, and contributed two classic songs, "While My Guitar
Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun," along with
"Something," which became the first Harrison song on the
A-side of a Beatles single.
Although never known as a strong singer, Harrison's vocals
were always distinctive, especially when placed in the right
setting — for his first solo record following the group's
1970 break-up, All Things Must Pass, Harrison collaborated
with producer Phil Spector, whose so-called "wall of sound"
technique adapted well to Harrison's voice. All Things Must
Pass and the accompanying single "My Sweet Lord" had the
distinction of being the first solo recordings by any of the
Beatles to top the charts following their breakup.
Unfortunately, Harrison was later successfully sued by the
publisher of the 1962 Chiffons hit "He's So Fine," which
bore a striking resemblance to "My Sweet Lord."
Harrison followed All Things Must Pass with rock's first
major charity event, The Concert for Bangladesh, which was
staged as two shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in
1971 to help raise money for aid to that famine-ravaged
nation. The second of the two all-star shows was released as
a movie and a live triple album. Harrison's next studio
album, Living in the Material World, initially sold well,
but its leaner, less opulent production lacked the majestic
force of All Things Must Pass, and it lacked the earlier
album's mass appeal. Subsequent Harrison albums from the
1970s into the '80s always had an audience, but except for
Somewhere in England (1981), released in the wake of the
murder of John Lennon with the memorial song "All Those
Years Ago," none seemed terribly well-crafted or executed.
During this same period, Harrison embarked on a successful
career as a movie producer with the founding of Handmade
Films.
In 1987, Harrison made a return to the top of the charts
with his album Cloud Nine, which featured his most inspired
work in years, most notably a cover of an old Rudy Clark
gospel number called "Got My Mind Set on You," which reached
number one on the charts. In 1988, Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom
Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison formed the Traveling
Wilburys, who have since released two very successful
albums.
In 1992 perhaps still smarting from 1974 concert reviews,
would make his return to the stage in Japan with Claptons
and his band backing him up.
In 1997 Harrison was diagnosed with cancer and had throat
surgery. He
considered his cancer to be caused by his 30+ years of
smoking so he quit in 1998. In 1999 He was brutally attacked
by a deranged fan whom thought he was a devil worshipper.
In 2001 he re-released All Things Must Pass which included
never before heard bonus tracks. He also was working on a
new album and released the first single in October called a
Horse To Water co-written with his son Dhani.
Throughout 2000 and 2001 Harrison would be treated for his
cancer in various countries until November 29th 2001. George
Harrison died of cancer at a friends home in Los Angeles
around 1:30PM. George Harrison was 58.
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