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George Harrison was b. 25 February 1943, Liverpool, England. Harrison was raised by a large, close-knit clan of modest means in the Wavertree section of Liverpool, not far from John and Paul's homes.
Childhood conferred upon George a sweet-natured disposition that only partially gave way to ire and indifference in his preteen years. Harrison first expressed his hostility to his "chundering" schoolmasters by dressing in outlandish outfits and sleeping in class, but by the age of thirteen, he had discovered a far better way to channel his anger: playing guitar. George took a liking to skiffle music (a genre of folk-derived music played on acoustic guitars, string basses, and washboards), an appreciation he shared chum from the Liverpool Institute named Paul McCartney. The two also found they shared an interest in American rock-and-roll music. Paul McCartney had the good fortune to join up with a local band named the Quarrymen that included another schoolmate, John Lennon, and Harrison joined the group under McCartney's auspices the following year, in 1958. George was sufficiently inspired by the group's success to drop out of the Liverpool Institute to pursue his rock-and-roll dream more earnestly, working as an electrician's apprentice to pay his living expenses (he soon quit because he kept blowing things up). Considerably younger than the rest of the boys, George nevertheless overcame his insecurity and proved himself to be an adept and inventive guitarist. He continued to polish and inform his playing by listening to Duane Eddy, Chet Atkins, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, and eventually classical guitarist AndrTs Segovia, and in 1962, when the Quarrymen were re-named the Beatles, Harrison was mature enough in his style to act as lead guitarist.

Harrison picked up a sitar for the first time – while making the Beatles movie, Help!, Harrison accepted instruction on the sitar from famed Indian musician Ravi Shankar, and subsequently travelled to India to steep himself in Eastern philosophy. The trip and his association with Shankar and religious leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ignited a spiritual awakening in Harrison, and his ideas about life and his sense of his own humility would change forever. This period of enlightenment was also marked by the Beatles' first experiments with acid; L.S.D. became yet another inspirational tool in their collective exploration of mysticism that erupted in their culturally catalytic album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

When Paul McCartney announced that he was leaving the band, in 1970, Harrison had been pursuing other adulterous artistic relationships for two years, the most notable achievement being his composition and arrangement of the Indian instrumentals for the unreleased film Wonderwall (the resulting soundtrack, Wonderwall Music, provided inspiration for the British band Oasis's hit, "Wonderwall"). George had always been frustrated in the songwriting department by the prolific Lennon and McCartney (though Harrison did contribute such hits as "Something," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and "Here Comes the Sun," among others), and the end of the Beatles sparked in him something of a musical rebirth. He moved into record production (he formed Dark Horse Records in 1974) and collaborated with other artists (notably Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton). Harrison teamed with Phil Spector to produce his first post-Beatles solo effort, the appropriately titled All Things Must Pass (1970). The album confirmed Harrison's vast and theretofore unrealized talents as a lyricist, musician, composer, and producer.

As the youngest member of the Beatles, Harrison was constantly overshadowed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Although "Don't Bother Me" ( With The Beatles ), "I Need You" ( Help! ) and "If I Needed Someone" ( Rubber Soul ) revealed a considerable compositional talent, such contributions were swamped by his colleagues' prodigious output. Instead, Harrison honed a distinctive guitar style, modelled on rockabilly mentor Carl Perkins, and was responsible for adding the sitar into the pop lexicon through its complementary use on "Norwegian Wood". Harrison's infatuation with India was the first outward sign of his growing independence, while his three contributions to Revolver, noticeably "Taxman" and "I Want To Tell You", showed a newfound musical maturity. The Indian influence continued on the reflective "Within You, Without You". He flexed solo ambitions with the would-be film soundtrack, Wonderwall and the trite Electronic Sounds, but enhanced his stature as a skilled songwriter with the majestic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" ( The Beatles ) and "Something" ( Abbey Road ).

On December 30 1999, Harrison was stabbed when he attempted to accost a burglar in his home. The man was later charged with attempted murder, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

He supervised the magnificent reissue of All Things Must Pass in 2000, and rumours of a new album began to circulate. This was hampered in 2001 when it was confirmed that Harrison was being treated for cancer...

Harrison died on Thursday 29th November 2001, after losing his battle against cancer. According to his longtime friend Gavin De Becker. "He died with one thought in mind - love one another,"

Harrison was survived by his wife Olivia and son Dhani, 24,

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