George Harrison

(1943 - 2001)

George Harrison was born on February 24, 1943 in the Wavertree area of Liverpool. His parents were Louise and Harold Harrison. George had two brothers, Peter and Harry, and a sister, Louise. His mother was a housewife, and his father was a bus driver. He attended Dovedale Primary School two forms behind John Lennon, and then the Liverpool Institute, one form behind Paul McCartney. He was the youngest of The Beatles and the only Beatle whose childhood was not marred by divorce or death.

George was keenly interested in music at an early age. His mother bought him his first guitar at the age of 13, and he formed a group of his own called "The Rebels." The life of the band was short lived. He and failed to join "Rory Storm & The Hurricanes," but he was able to find a spot in the "Les Stewart Quartet." He grew up in a public housing project, and was a mediocre student. George's early efforts at guitar playing were somewhat futile--he bought a guitar as a young adolescent, but found he couldn't understand the chording patterns. While he was experimenting with one of the screws, the instrument fell apart. In frustration George hid the guitar in the closet and turned his efforts to the trumpet, where he met with a similar lack of success. Eventually one of his older brothers repaired the guitar, and on his next attempts George managed to learn a few chords. After that he practiced diligently, listening to recordings of famed guitarists Chet Atkins and Duane Eddy in order to perfect his style.

George and Paul took the same bus to the Liverpool Institute, and they soon discovered that they had music and guitars in common. At the time, Paul was already a member of John's group, The Quarrymen, and he invited the 14 year old George to see the band. Eventually, with George always "hanging around," John asked George to join the band.

In 1960, the Quarrymen had a new name: The Beatles. The group set off for Hamburg in August to work at the Indra Club. When The Beatles worked at a rival club called the Top Ten Club, the owner of the Indra Club became furious and revealed to authorities that George was only 17, too young to have a work permit. George was forced to return to England.

George was always an integral part of what was happening to the group. At the time of their appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," polls showed Harrison to be the most popular Beatle with American audiences. Today, he continues to be one of the most popular Beatles among young and old alike.