George Harrison passed away on 29th November 2001. Even without the staggering contribution he made as a Beatle, Harrison’s work as a solo artist, guitarist and film producer made him one of the most import artists of the 20th Century. Here, friends and collaborators pay tribute to The Quiet One…
Olivia Arias Harrison
Something in the way she moves.
“My first impression of George was that he was smaller than life. Very humble, normal and thoughtful. And very focused. He had such a strong core of self. He didn’t seem to be a frivolous person, although he was that. From the first day I met him he was working on music. He said he didn’t practise the guitar or sitar enough. He was pretty tough on himself. He said he wouldn’t play unless he was recording or writing, but actually he played all the time. He really did push himself.”
Klaus Voorman
Revolver sleeve designer, Beatle Verbündeter since Hamburg.
“George was a bad boy, believe me. He had a go at my girlfriend, haha! He took what he liked. He was very cheeky. Later on, when he was ill, I went to Friar Park and he was sitting in front of the TV watching these shows with models walking across the stage. He loved all that! There was always this struggle between extremes. He was warm and spiritual and at the same time sarcastic and biting and very, very funny. For a long stretch he’d get up at five in the morning to meditate; the next, boom, he’d be doing cocaine and drinking and getting out of control. He didn’t want to do it but couldn’t help it. That was his personality: he could be very nosy and nasty but could be lovely. He cared so much for how I felt, he cared for Astrid Kirchherr. Aside from a few periods in his life, he kept old friends. He would make me presents at Christmas – an Indian carpet with animals on it, a Champ amplifier, a Fender Precision fretless bass, a T-shirt with Crazy Kraut written on it. I loved him. He was a great person. I miss him.”
Jim Keltner
Travelling Wilbury and drummer for John, Paul and George.
“I never had a brother, and George was how I felt a brother to be. He loved to make you happy, to see your expression when he showed you stuff that meant something to him, like walking in the garden and showing you a plant of which he knew the Latin name. Even in the garden, he was such an artist. It was so pretty, and he liked to share these things. He was so easy to be around, and he had this mischievous glint in his eye yet never harmful. Such a sense of humour. Once when Ringo, George and I were sitting in his garden, George said, ‘Let’s all grow old together and live in a great big house.’ I felt that’s what would happen. To wake up at Friar Park to a cup of tea and a slice of lemon cake, to play with George, was magic.”
‘Legs’ Larry Smith
Bonzo Do Doo-Dah Man
“The Beatles’ old friend Terry Doran was living over at [Harrison’s Henley-on-Thames] home and studio] Friar Park and he and I were hanging out so we were formally introduced halfway through mixing My Sweet Cyril Lord. George came out of the tiny control room at Trident Studios and banged his head on the door lintel and fell down the stairs into my arms. Whenever George popped round to see me, as he came up the stairs he’d say that line from The Producers: ‘We’re not aloo-oone!’ We would watch that film every night at Friar Park. We knew every line off by heart. He even named some of his companies after lines from The Producers.”
David Foster
Grammy-winning producer and close friend.
"We all know that stars are narcissistic, but he had none of that. He treated you as an equal: ‘David, what do you think if we went to this chord?’ He’s a Beatle and he’s asking me! He always seemed in a semi-meditative state, not to be confused with a drugged state. He was very Zen. He had an aura, and you could not help but be kinder when he was around.”
If you haven't done so already, you can still pick up a copy of last month’s issue of MOJOfeaturing our in-depth cover story on the making of Revolver, and also MOJO's deluxe Beatles bookazine, MOJO The Collectors’ Series: The Beatles, which features MOJO's world class team of writers guiding you thought the essential Beatles records, books and films.
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