"If you don't know where you're going,
any road will take you there"

George Harrison, the quiet Beatle



George Harrison

George Harrison was born on February 25, 1943, in Liverpool, England. The youngest of Harold and Louise French Harrison's four children, Harrison played lead guitar and sometimes sang lead vocals for the Beatles. Harrison was not born into wealth. Louise was largely a stay-at-home mom (who also taught ballroom dancing), while her husband Harold drove a school bus for the Liverpool Institute, an acclaimed grammar school that Harrison attended and where he first met Paul McCartney. By his own admission, Harrison was not much of a student, and what little interest he did have in his studies washed away with his discovery of the guitar and American rock and roll.


Largely referred to as the "quiet Beatle" Harrison took a backseat to McCartney, Lennon and, to a certain extent, Starr. Still, he could be quick-witted, even edgy. In 1965, while on the set of the Beatles' second film, Help! Harrison took an interest in some of the Eastern instruments and their musical arrangements that were being used in the movie, and he soon developed a deep interest in Indian music. Harrison taught himself the sitar, introducing the instrument to many Western ears on Lennon's song, "Norwegian Wood."


By far George Harrison’s most successful single of his solo career is the song, “My Sweet Lord.” The song was released in 1970 and was one of the featured tracks on his album, “All Things Must Pass.” The song was unique for the sound as well as the message, written as a tribute to the Hindu god Krishna, Harrison seemed to indicate that all religions are equal as he blended the words “hallelujah” with “hare Krishna.” The song has remained consistently popular over the past forty years, and still gets a lot of radio airplay. You can listen to "My Sweet Lord" here 🎵