113-509: The Lost Gonzo Band was an American country rock and progressive country band that was founded in 1972. The band toured and recorded with other musicians in Texas , including Jerry Jeff Walker , Michael Martin Murphey , and Ray Wylie Hubbard . They were the musicians on such albums as Murphey's Geronimo's Cadillac , Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir , and Jerry Jeff's Viva Terlingua . The original members of
226-528: A country music feel to many of the Beatles' recordings. He identified Chuck Berry as another early influence. In 1961, the Beatles recorded " Cry for a Shadow ", a blues-inspired instrumental co-written by Lennon and Harrison, who is credited with composing the song's lead guitar part, building on unusual chord voicings and imitating the style of other English groups such as the Shadows . Harrison's liberal use of
339-528: A Bob Dylan tribute concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City, playing alongside Dylan, Clapton, McGuinn, Petty and Neil Young . In 1994, Harrison began a collaboration with McCartney, Starr and producer Jeff Lynne for the Beatles Anthology project. This included the recording of two new Beatles songs built around solo vocal and piano tapes recorded by Lennon as well as lengthy interviews about
452-559: A Cloud ", which Leng describes as "a uniquely candid reaction to illness and mortality", achieved number 27 on Billboard ' s Adult Contemporary chart. The single " Any Road ", released in May 2003, peaked at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart . " Marwa Blues " went on to receive the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance , while "Any Road" was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance . Harrison's guitar work with
565-508: A band, and assemble a cross-country tour, all within three weeks". The album reached number 4 on the Billboard chart and the single " Dark Horse " reached number 15, but they failed to make an impact in the UK. The music critic Mikal Gilmore described Dark Horse as "one of Harrison's most fascinating works – a record about change and loss". Harrison's final studio album for EMI and Apple Records,
678-471: A brief tour of Europe with the American group Delaney & Bonnie and Friends . During the tour, which included Clapton, Bobby Whitlock , drummer Jim Gordon and band leaders Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett , Harrison began to play slide guitar, and also began to write " My Sweet Lord ", which became his first single as a solo artist. For many years, Harrison was restricted in his songwriting contributions to
791-620: A charity event, the Concert for Bangladesh, which took place on 1 August 1971. The event drew over 40,000 people to two shows in New York's Madison Square Garden . The goal of the event was to raise money to aid starving refugees during the Bangladesh Liberation War . Shankar opened the show, which featured popular musicians such as Dylan, Clapton, Leon Russell , Badfinger, Preston and Starr. A triple album, The Concert for Bangladesh ,
904-530: A critically acclaimed work that produced his most successful hit single, " My Sweet Lord ", and introduced his signature sound as a solo artist, the slide guitar . He also organised the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh with Indian musician Ravi Shankar , a precursor to later benefit concerts such as Live Aid . In his role as a music and film producer, Harrison produced acts signed to the Beatles' Apple record label before founding Dark Horse Records in 1974. He co-founded HandMade Films in 1978, initially to produce
1017-491: A guitarist, writing parts that featured the use of nonresolving tones, as with the ending chord arpeggios on " A Hard Day's Night ". On this and other songs from the period, he used a Rickenbacker 360/12 – an electric guitar with twelve strings, the low eight of which are tuned in pairs, one octave apart, with the higher four being pairs tuned in unison. His use of the Rickenbacker on A Hard Day's Night helped to popularise
1130-633: A knife attack by an intruder at his home, Friar Park . His remains were cremated, and the ashes were scattered according to Hindu tradition in a private ceremony in the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in India. He left an estate of almost £100 million. Harrison was born at 12 Arnold Grove in Wavertree , Liverpool, on 25 February 1943. He was the youngest of four children of Harold Hargreaves (or Hargrove) Harrison (1909–1978) and Louise (née French; 1911–1970). Harold
1243-557: A local department store. During the group's first tour of Scotland, in 1960, Harrison used the pseudonym "Carl Harrison", in reference to Carl Perkins. In 1960, promoter Allan Williams arranged for the band, now calling themselves the Beatles, to play at the Indra and Kaiserkeller clubs in Hamburg , both owned by Bruno Koschmider . Their first residency in Hamburg ended prematurely when Harrison
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#17328373896531356-416: A lung and causing head injuries before he was incapacitated by Harrison's wife, who struck him repeatedly with a fireplace poker and a lamp. Harrison later commented, "I felt exhausted and could feel the strength draining from me. I vividly remember a deliberate thrust to my chest. I could hear my lung exhaling and had blood in my mouth. I believed I had been fatally stabbed." Following the attack, Harrison
1469-436: A nearby house, and the song piqued his interest in rock and roll . He often sat at the back of the class drawing guitars in his schoolbooks, and later commented, "I was totally into guitars." Harrison cited Slim Whitman as another early influence: "The first person I ever saw playing a guitar was Slim Whitman, either a photo of him in a magazine or live on television. Guitars were definitely coming in." When George Harrison
1582-581: A part in the development of Southern rock . Rock and roll has usually been seen as a combination of rhythm and blues and country music, a fusion particularly evident in 1950s rockabilly . There has also been cross-pollination throughout the history of both genres; however, the term "country-rock" is used generally to refer to the wave of rock musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s who began recording rock songs with country themes, vocal styles, and additional instrumentation, most characteristically pedal steel guitars . John Einarson states that, "[f]rom
1695-545: A private ceremony in the Ganges and Yamuna rivers near Varanasi , India. He left almost £100 million in his will. Harrison's final studio album, Brainwashed (2002), was released posthumously after it was completed by his son Dhani and Jeff Lynne. A quotation from the Bhagavad Gita is included in the album's liner notes: "There never was a time when you or I did not exist. Nor will there be any future when we shall cease to be." A media-only single, " Stuck Inside
1808-461: A psychiatric institution in 2002, Abram said: "If I could turn back the clock, I would give anything not to have done what I did in attacking George Harrison, but looking back on it now, I have come to understand that I was at the time not in control of my actions. I can only hope the Harrison family might somehow find it in their hearts to accept my apologies." The injuries inflicted on Harrison during
1921-452: A song for a Harrison European single release. Harrison's record company decided the track, " Handle with Care ", was too good for its original purpose as a B-side and asked for a full album. The LP, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 , was released in October 1988 and recorded under pseudonyms as half-brothers, supposed sons of Charles Truscott Wilbury Sr. It reached number 16 in the UK and number 3 in
2034-595: A surprise appearance during the finale of the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert , an event organised to raise money for the Birmingham Children's Hospital . The following year, he appeared at The Prince's Trust concert at London's Wembley Arena , performing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun". In February 1987 he joined Dylan, John Fogerty and Jesse Ed Davis on stage for
2147-486: A terrible time because I think there was a lot of cocaine going around, and that's when I got out of the picture ... I didn't like his frame of mind". He released two singles from the LP: " You ", which reached the Billboard top 20, and " This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying) ", Apple's final original single release. Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976), Harrison's first album release on his own Dark Horse Records label, produced
2260-490: A two-hour performance with the blues musician Taj Mahal . Harrison recalled: "Bob rang me up and asked if I wanted to come out for the evening and see Taj Mahal ... So we went there and had a few of these Mexican beers – and had a few more ... Bob says, 'Hey, why don't we all get up and play, and you can sing?' But every time I got near the microphone, Dylan comes up and just starts singing this rubbish in my ear, trying to throw me." In November 1987, Harrison released
2373-588: A variety of perspectives and motivations, these musicians either played country with a rock & roll attitude, or added a country feel to rock, or folk, or bluegrass. There was no formula". The term country-rock had rarely been heard until the critic Richard Goldstein used it the June 6, 1968 issue of The Village Voice . In his piece, titled "Country Rock: Can Y'All Dig It?", Goldstein counted several artists as moving towards country-friendly material – including Moby Grape , Stone Poneys , Buffy Sainte-Marie ,
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#17328373896532486-436: Is a music genre that fuses rock and country . It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal styles, and additional instrumentation, most characteristically pedal steel guitars . Country rock began with artists like Buffalo Springfield , Michael Nesmith , Bob Dylan , Nitty Gritty Dirt Band ,
2599-418: Is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee – as a member of the Beatles in 1988, and posthumously for his solo career in 2004. Harrison's first marriage to model Pattie Boyd in 1966 ended in divorce in 1977. In the following year he married Olivia Arias , with whom he had a son, Dhani . A lifelong cigarette smoker, Harrison died of numerous cancers in 2001 at the age of 58, two years after surviving
2712-502: Is an experimental album that prominently features a Moog synthesizer . Released in November 1968, Wonderwall Music was the first solo album by a Beatle and the first LP released by Apple Records . Indian musicians Aashish Khan and Shivkumar Sharma performed on the album, which contains the experimental sound collage " Dream Scene ", recorded several months before Lennon's " Revolution 9 ". In December 1969, Harrison participated in
2825-582: Is usually considered some of their finest work; John Fogerty , who left Creedence Clearwater Revival behind for the country sounds of the Blue Ridge Rangers (1972); Mike Nesmith , who had experimented with country sounds while with the Monkees , formed the First National Band ; and Neil Young who moved in and out of the genre throughout his career. One of the few acts to successfully move from
2938-622: The Bhagavad Gita . His final message to the world, as relayed in a statement by Olivia and Dhani, was: "Everything else can wait, but the search for God cannot wait, and love one another." He was cremated at Hollywood Forever Cemetery , and his funeral was held at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades, California . His close family scattered his ashes according to Hindu tradition in
3051-646: The Lethal Weapon 2 film soundtrack. Following Orbison's death in December 1988, the Wilburys recorded as a four-piece. Their second album, issued in October 1990, was mischievously titled Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 . According to Lynne, "That was George's idea. He said, 'Let's confuse the buggers. ' " It peaked at number 14 in the UK and number 11 in the US, where it was certified platinum. The Wilburys never performed live, and
3164-620: The Billboard top 20. The album marked the beginning of Harrison's gradual retreat from the music business, with several of the songs having been written in the tranquil setting of Maui in the Hawaiian archipelago . Leng described George Harrison as "melodic and lush ... peaceful ... the work of a man who had lived the rock and roll dream twice over and was now embracing domestic as well as spiritual bliss". The murder of John Lennon on 8 December 1980 disturbed Harrison and reinforced his decades-long concern about stalkers . The tragedy
3277-682: The Monty Python troupe's comedy film The Life of Brian (1979). Harrison released several best-selling singles and albums as a solo performer. In 1988, he co-founded the platinum-selling supergroup the Traveling Wilburys . A prolific recording artist, he was featured as a guest guitarist on tracks by Badfinger , Ronnie Wood , and Billy Preston , and collaborated on songs and music with Dylan, Eric Clapton , Ringo Starr , and Tom Petty . Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 31 in their 2023 list of greatest guitarists of all time. He
3390-622: The PBS program Austin City Limits in 1976, 1978, and 1986. In the 1990s, the band recorded two CDs for Vireo Records: Rendezvous in 1992 and Hands of Time in 1995. Demon Records , a company based in England , released a compilation CD of the first two MCA records entitled, Dead Armadillos in 1998. Reviewing The Lost Gonzo Band in 1975, Village Voice critic Robert Christgau wrote: "Jerry Jeff Walker's backup band transcends its own roots to offer
3503-468: The diatonic scale in his guitar playing reveals the influence of Buddy Holly , and his interest in Berry inspired him to compose songs based on the blues scale while incorporating a rockabilly feel in the style of Perkins. Another of Harrison's musical techniques was the use of guitar lines written in octaves , as on " I'll Be on My Way ". By 1964, he had begun to develop a distinctive personal style as
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3616-530: The sitar , which he had become acquainted with on the set of the film Help! He played sitar on numerous Beatles songs, starting with " Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) ". Having initiated the band's embrace of Transcendental Meditation in 1967, he subsequently developed an association with the Hare Krishna movement . After the Beatles disbanded , Harrison released the triple album All Things Must Pass ,
3729-402: The soul music -inspired Extra Texture (Read All About It) (1975), peaked at number 8 on the Billboard chart and number 16 in the UK. Harrison considered it the least satisfactory of the three albums he had recorded since All Things Must Pass . Leng identified "bitterness and dismay" in many of the tracks; his long-time friend Klaus Voormann commented: "He wasn't up for it ... It was
3842-493: The "queen of country-rock", creating a highly successful pop-oriented brand of the genre. Pure Prairie League , formed in Ohio in 1970 by Craig Fuller , had both critical and commercial success with five straight Top 40 LP releases, including Bustin' Out (1972), acclaimed by AllMusic critic Richard Foss as "an album that is unequaled in country-rock", and Two Lane Highway , described by Rolling Stone as "a worthy companion to
3955-435: The 1970s Frank Sinatra recorded "Something" twice (1970 and 1979) and later dubbed it "the greatest love song of the past fifty years". Lennon considered it the best song on Abbey Road , and it became the Beatles' second most covered song after " Yesterday ". In May 1970, Harrison's song " For You Blue " was coupled on a US single with McCartney's " The Long and Winding Road " and became Harrison's second chart-topper when
4068-588: The 21st century. Japan even took influence in the 70s with country rock mainly in the kayokyoku genre. Artists such as Takuro Yoshida , Lily and Saori Minami have often dabbled with country rock in their music. Country rock has survived as a cult force in Texas, where acts including the Flatlanders , Joe Ely , Butch Hancock , Jimmie Dale Gilmore , and California-based Richard Brooker have collaborated and recorded. Other performers have produced occasional recordings in
4181-481: The Beatles was on 4 January 1970, when he, McCartney and Starr recorded overdubs to the song " Let It Be " for the soundtrack album of the same name . Before the Beatles' break-up, Harrison had already recorded and released two solo albums: Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound , both of which contain mainly instrumental compositions. Wonderwall Music , a soundtrack to the 1968 film Wonderwall , blends Indian and Western instrumentation, while Electronic Sound
4294-475: The Beatles was varied and flexible. Although not fast or flashy, his lead guitar playing was solid and typified the more subdued lead guitar style of the early 1960s. His rhythm guitar playing was innovative, for example when he used a capo to shorten the strings on an acoustic guitar, as on the Rubber Soul (1965) album and " Here Comes the Sun ", to create a bright, sweet sound. Eric Clapton felt that Harrison
4407-521: The Beatles' albums, but he released All Things Must Pass , a triple album with two discs of his songs and the third of recordings of Harrison jamming with friends. The album was regarded by many as his best work, and it topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. The number-one hit single "My Sweet Lord" and the top-ten single " What Is Life " were taken from the album, which was co-produced by Phil Spector using his " Wall of Sound " approach;
4520-444: The Beatles' career. Released in December 1995, " Free as a Bird " was the first new Beatles single since 1970. In March 1996, they released a second single, " Real Love ". They also attempted to finish a third single, " Now and Then ", but did not finish it because the audio quality of the cassette was, according to Harrison, "fucking rubbish." The song was later finished by McCartney and Starr and released in 2023. He later commented on
4633-496: The Beatles. Tensions among the group surfaced again in January 1969, at Twickenham Studios , during the filmed rehearsals that became the 1970 documentary Let It Be . Frustrated by the cold and sterile film studio, by Lennon's creative disengagement from the Beatles, and by what he perceived as a domineering attitude from McCartney, Harrison quit the group on 10 January. He returned 12 days later, after his bandmates had agreed to move
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4746-485: The Beatles. While on a visit to Woodstock in late 1968, he established a friendship with Dylan and found himself drawn to the Band's sense of communal music-making and to the creative equality among the band members, which contrasted with Lennon and McCartney's domination of the Beatles' songwriting and creative direction. This coincided with a prolific period in his songwriting and a growing desire to assert his independence from
4859-792: The Byrds , the Flying Burrito Brothers , The International Submarine Band and others, reaching its greatest popularity in the 1970s with artists such as Emmylou Harris , the Eagles , New Riders of the Purple Sage , Linda Ronstadt , Little Feat , Poco , Charlie Daniels Band , and Pure Prairie League . Country rock also influenced artists in other genres, including The Band , the Grateful Dead , Creedence Clearwater Revival , The Rolling Stones , and George Harrison 's solo work, as well as playing
4972-593: The Byrds into the genre, among them the Beau Brummels and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band . A number of performers also enjoyed a renaissance by adopting country sounds, including: the Beatles, who re-explored elements of country in songs such as "Rocky Raccoon" and "Don't Pass Me By" from their 1968 self-titled double album (often referred to as the "White Album"), and "Octopus's Garden" from Abbey Road (1969); The Everly Brothers , whose Roots album (1968)
5085-510: The Country Rock sound as the frontman for his Stone Canyon Band and recorded the 1966 album "Bright Lights & Country Music" and the 1967 album "Country Fever". Bassist Randy Meisner joined briefly in 1970 after leaving Poco and before joining Eagles . In 1966, as many rock artists moved increasingly towards expansive and experimental psychedelia , Bob Dylan spearheaded the back-to-basics roots revival when he went to Nashville to record
5198-471: The Dark Horse tour might be considered a noble failure, there were a number of fans who were tuned-in to what was being attempted. They went away ecstatic, conscious that they had just witnessed something so uplifting that it could never be repeated." Simon Leng called the tour "groundbreaking" and "revolutionary in its presentation of Indian Music". On 16 November 1974, Harrison and several others involved in
5311-589: The International Submarine Band and Bob Dylan – but he expected the Byrds ' forthcoming album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo , to represent the new genre. Before the Byrds' album was released in August 1968, Goldstein considered the Band 's debut album, Music From Big Pink , as the "first major album" of the country-rock movement when he reviewed it for The New York Times on August 4. Key to
5424-646: The Natives' country rock cover of John Lennon's " Tight A$ " was included on the Lennon Bermuda album. A revival of country music blended with rock features in the 2020s was titled "ronky tonk" in the music press, with acts such as Zach Bryan , Jackson Dean , and Bailey Zimmerman identified by Billboard . Jelly Roll is another crossover artist that blends a unique fashion of country and rock, sometimes with hip hop influences. George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001)
5537-605: The Old Guys with two American members, drummer Andy Newmark and acoustic guitarist Bob Rafkin . Rafkin had written "Lazy Waters" for The Byrds from the 1971 album Farther Along , and Andy Newmark had played on the 1973 Gene Parsons album Kindling . Canadian country rock band Blue Rodeo has found considerable success in Canada, selling multi-platinum albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and continues to receive frequent radio airplay on Canadian radio stations. Later in 2013 Rocky and
5650-631: The Rolling Stones "High and Dry" (1966), as well as Buffalo Springfield 's "Go and Say Goodbye" (1966) and "Kind Woman" (1968). According to The Encyclopedia of Country Music , the Beatles' "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", their cover of the Buck Owens country hit " Act Naturally " and their 1965 album Rubber Soul can all be seen "with hindsight" as examples of country rock. Former TV teen idol and rockabilly recording artist Ricky Nelson pioneered
5763-423: The Rolling Stones , and George Harrison 's solo work. It also played a part in the development of Southern rock , which, although largely derived from blues rock , had a distinct southern lilt, and it paved the way for parts of the alternative country movement. The genre declined in popularity in the late-1970s, but some established artists, including Neil Young, have continued to record country-tinged rock into
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#17328373896535876-465: The US charts. The single was included on the album Somewhere in England in 1981. Harrison did not release any new albums for five years after 1982's Gone Troppo received little notice from critics or the public. During this period he made several guest appearances, including a 1985 performance at a tribute to Carl Perkins titled Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session . In March 1986 he made
5989-432: The US since All Things Must Pass . The album peaked just outside the top ten there, but outsold his previous two LPs. As part of his promotion for the release, Harrison performed on Saturday Night Live with Paul Simon . In 1979, Harrison released George Harrison , which followed his second marriage and the birth of his son Dhani . Co-produced by Russ Titelman , the album and the single " Blow Away " both made
6102-495: The US, where it was certified triple platinum . Harrison's pseudonym on the album was "Nelson Wilbury"; he used the name "Spike Wilbury" for their second album. In 1989, Harrison and Starr appeared in the music video for Petty's song " I Won't Back Down ". In October that year, Harrison assembled and released Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989 , a compilation of his later solo work. The album included three new songs, including " Cheer Down ", which Harrison had recently contributed to
6215-611: The US. In the UK, the LP peaked at number two and the single reached number 8. The album was lavishly produced and packaged, and its dominant message was Harrison's Hindu beliefs. In Greene's opinion it "contained many of the strongest compositions of his career". Stephen Holden , writing in Rolling Stone , felt the album was "vastly appealing" and "profoundly seductive", and that it stood "alone as an article of faith, miraculous in its radiance". Other reviewers were less enthusiastic, describing
6328-556: The album Blonde on Blonde , playing with notable local musicians like Charlie McCoy . This, and the subsequent more clearly country-influenced albums, John Wesley Harding (1967) and Nashville Skyline (1969), have been seen as creating the genre of country folk , a route pursued by a number of, largely acoustic, folk musicians. Dylan's lead was also followed by the Byrds, who were joined by Gram Parsons in 1968. Parsons had mixed country with rock , blues and folk to create what he called "Cosmic American Music". Earlier in
6441-683: The album was the Indian-inspired " Within You Without You ", to which no other Beatle contributed. He played sitar and tambura on the track, backed by musicians from the London Asian Music Circle on dilruba , swarmandal and tabla. He later commented on the Sgt. Pepper album: "It was a millstone and a milestone in the music industry ... There's about half the songs I like and the other half I can't stand." In January 1968, he recorded
6554-528: The album's recording, Harrison asserted more creative control than before, rejecting suggestions for changes to his music, particularly from McCartney. "Something" became his first A-side when issued on a double A-side single with " Come Together "; the song was number one in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and West Germany, and the combined sides topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. In
6667-632: The album, which included several of his long-time musical collaborators, including Clapton, Jim Keltner and Jim Horn . Cloud Nine reached number eight and number ten on the US and UK charts respectively, and several tracks from the album achieved placement on Billboard ' s Mainstream Rock chart – " Devil's Radio ", " This Is Love " and " Cloud 9 ". In 1988, Harrison formed the Traveling Wilburys with Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison , Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. The band had gathered in Dylan's garage to record
6780-470: The baby in the womb." Harrison lived at 12 Arnold Grove until 1 January 1950. A terraced house on a cul-de-sac , it had an outdoor toilet, and its only heat came from a single coal fire. In the autumn of 1949, the family was offered a council house and moved to 25 Upton Green, Speke . In 1948, Harrison enrolled at Dovedale Primary School . He passed the eleven-plus exam and attended Liverpool Institute High School for Boys from 1954 to 1959. Though
6893-473: The band at the Star-Club in Hamburg. The following year, he was the most active of the former Beatles in promoting the reissue of their 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine . On 30 December 1999, Harrison and his wife Olivia were attacked at their home, Friar Park . The perpetrator was 34-year-old paranoid schizophrenic man Michael Abram, who broke in and attacked Harrison with a kitchen knife, puncturing
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#17328373896537006-485: The band were Bob Livingston , Gary P. Nunn , John Inmon, Kelly Dunn, Tomas Ramirez and Donny Dolan. Over the years, the band has also included Paul Pearcy, Craig D. Hillis, Herbert Steiner, Mike Holleman, Michael McGeary, Bobby Smith, Lloyd Maines , Radoslav Lorković , and Riley Osbourn. The Lost Gonzo Band released three albums in the 1970s: Lost Gonzo Band (1975) and Thrills (1976) on MCA Records , and Signs of Life (1977) on Capitol Records . The band appeared on
7119-463: The band's ongoing exploration of non-Western instruments, while the sitar- and tabla -based "Love You To" represented the Beatles' first genuine foray into Indian music. According to the ethnomusicologist David Reck, the latter song set a precedent in popular music as an example of Asian culture being represented by Westerners respectfully and without parody. Author Nicholas Schaffner wrote in 1978 that following Harrison's increased association with
7232-422: The band, Harrison was known as "the quiet Beatle". That moniker arose when the Beatles arrived in the United States in early 1964, and Harrison was ill with a case of Strep throat and a fever and was medically advised to limit speaking as much as possible until he performed on The Ed Sullivan Show as scheduled. As such, the press noticed Harrison's apparent laconic nature in public appearances on that tour and
7345-625: The basic track for his song " The Inner Light " at EMI's studio in Bombay , using a group of local musicians playing traditional Indian instruments. Released as the B-side to McCartney's " Lady Madonna ", it was the first Harrison composition to appear on a Beatles single. Derived from a quotation from the Tao Te Ching , the song's lyric reflected Harrison's deepening interest in Hinduism and meditation . During
7458-423: The best evidence to date for Austin 's rep as the last refuge of the hippie visionary. The record will probably stand as the best by a new group this year; side one is virtually unflawed; and Gary Nunn's 'Money' reminds me of Peter Townshend 's ' Tattoo ' in its understated rock and roll eloquence." All of the members of the original band still have active music careers and occasionally reunite for concerts. Under
7571-586: The bus to school, Harrison met Paul McCartney , who also attended the Liverpool Institute, and the pair bonded over their shared love of music. McCartney and his friend John Lennon were in a skiffle group called the Quarrymen . In March 1958, at McCartney's urging, Harrison auditioned for the Quarrymen at Rory Storm 's Morgue Skiffle Club, playing Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith 's " Guitar Boogie Shuffle ", but Lennon felt that Harrison, having just turned 15,
7684-402: The consensus reaction to the tour was negative. Some fans found Shankar's significant presence to be a bizarre disappointment, and many were affronted by what Inglis described as Harrison's "sermonizing". Further, he reworked the lyrics to several Beatles songs, and his laryngitis -affected vocals led to some critics calling the tour "dark hoarse". The author Robert Rodriguez commented: "While
7797-543: The country side towards rock were the bluegrass band the Dillards . Doug Dillard left the band to form the group Dillard & Clark with ex- Byrds member Gene Clark and Bernie Leadon . The greatest commercial success for country rock came in the 1970s, with the Doobie Brothers mixing in elements of R&B, Emmylou Harris (the former singer with Parsons) becoming a star on country radio, and Linda Ronstadt ,
7910-437: The direction of manager, D Foster, The Lost Gonzo Band returned to the stage for the first time in nine years for a sold out show at Gruene Hall October 22, 2021. The lineup included original members Gary P Nunn on guitar, Bob Livingston on bass, John Inmon on lead guitar and Steady Freddie Krc on drums. Texas musicians Steve Layne on guitar and David Webb on keyboards rounded out the group. Country rock Country rock
8023-471: The film project to their own Apple Studio and to abandon McCartney's plan for making a return to public performance. Relations among the Beatles were more cordial, though still strained, when the band recorded their 1969 album Abbey Road . The LP included what Lavezzoli describes as "two classic contributions" from Harrison – " Here Comes the Sun " and " Something " – that saw him "finally achieve equal songwriting status" with Lennon and McCartney. During
8136-519: The genre, Goldstein wrote, was that the album had country music's "twang and ... tenacity", but it also "[made] you want to move" like rock music. Country influences can be heard on rock records through the 1960s, including the Beatles ' 1964 recordings " I'll Cry Instead ", " Baby's in Black ", " I Don't Want to Spoil the Party ", and their 1965 recording " I've Just Seen A Face ", the Byrds' 1965 cover version of Porter Wagoner 's "Satisfied Mind", or
8249-468: The genre, including Elvis Costello 's Almost Blue (1981) and the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss collaboration Raising Sand , which was one of the most commercially successful albums of 2007. Kid Rock , who broke through into mainstream success with a rap rock sound, gradually developed a country rock sound. In 2013, British country rock band Rocky and the Natives released Let's Hear It for
8362-441: The genre. The Byrds continued in the same vein, but Parsons left before the album was released to join another ex-Byrds member Chris Hillman in forming the Flying Burrito Brothers . The Byrds hired guitarist Clarence White and drummer Gene Parsons , both from the country band Nashville West . The Flying Burrito Brothers recorded the albums The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) and Burrito Deluxe (1970), which helped establish
8475-541: The group did not record together again following the release of their second album. In December 1991, Harrison joined Clapton for a tour of Japan. It was Harrison's first since 1974 and no others followed. On 6 April 1992, Harrison held a benefit concert for the Natural Law Party at the Royal Albert Hall , his first London performance since the Beatles' 1969 rooftop concert . In October 1992, he performed at
8588-544: The group include " Taxman ", " Within You Without You ", " While My Guitar Gently Weeps ", " Here Comes the Sun " and " Something ". Harrison's earliest musical influences included George Formby and Django Reinhardt ; subsequent influences were Carl Perkins , Chet Atkins and Chuck Berry . By 1965, he had begun to lead the Beatles into folk rock through his interest in Bob Dylan and the Byrds , and towards Indian classical music through his use of Indian instruments, such as
8701-488: The hit "Let Your Love Flow"(1976). In 1979, the Southern rock Charlie Daniels Band moved to a more country direction, released a song with strong bluegrass influence, " The Devil Went Down to Georgia ", and the song crossed over and became a hit on the pop chart. Outside its handful of stars, country rock's greatest significance was on artists in other genres, including the Band, Grateful Dead , Creedence Clearwater Revival ,
8814-468: The hit singles " This Song " and " Crackerbox Palace ", both of which reached the top 25 in the US. The surreal humour of "Crackerbox Palace" reflected Harrison's association with Monty Python 's Eric Idle , who directed a comical music video for the song. With an emphasis on melody and musicianship, and a more subtle subject matter than the pious message of his earlier works, Thirty Three & 1/3 earned Harrison his most favourable critical notices in
8927-464: The home invasion were downplayed by his family in their comments to the press. Having seen Harrison looking so healthy beforehand, those in his social circle believed that the attack brought about a change in him and was the cause for his cancer's return. In May 2001, it was revealed that Harrison had undergone an operation to remove a cancerous growth from one of his lungs, and in July, it was reported that he
9040-493: The institute did offer a music course, Harrison was disappointed with the absence of guitars, and felt that the school "moulded [students] into being frightened". Harrison's earliest musical influences included George Formby , Cab Calloway , Django Reinhardt and Hoagy Carmichael ; by the 1950s, Carl Perkins and Lonnie Donegan were significant influences. In early 1956, he had an epiphany: while riding his bicycle, he heard Elvis Presley 's " Heartbreak Hotel " playing from
9153-490: The likes of the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo and other gems of the genre". Former Poco and Buffalo Springfield member Jim Messina joined Kenny Loggins in a very successful duo, while former members of Ronstadt's backing band went on to form the Eagles (two members of which were from the Flying Burrito Brothers and Poco), who emerged as one of the most successful rock acts of all time, producing albums that included Desperado (1973) and Hotel California (1976). However,
9266-483: The lyrics of the album's title track "a recognition of the impermanence of human existence ... a simple and poignant conclusion" to Harrison's former band. In 1971, Bright Tunes sued Harrison for copyright infringement over "My Sweet Lord", owing to its similarity to the 1963 Chiffons hit " He's So Fine ". When the case was heard in the United States district court in 1976, he denied deliberately plagiarising
9379-443: The model, and the jangly sound became so prominent that Melody Maker termed it the Beatles' "secret weapon". In 1965, Harrison used an expression pedal to control his guitar's volume on " I Need You ", creating a syncopated flautando effect with the melody resolving its dissonance through tonal displacements. He used the same volume-swell technique on " Yes It Is ", applying what Everett described as "ghostly articulation" to
9492-507: The musicians included Starr, Clapton, Gary Wright , Billy Preston , Klaus Voormann , the whole of Delaney and Bonnie's Friends band, and the Apple group Badfinger . On its release, All Things Must Pass was received with critical acclaim; Ben Gerson of Rolling Stone described it as being "of classic Spectorian proportions, Wagnerian , Brucknerian , the music of mountain tops and vast horizons". Author and musicologist Ian Inglis considers
9605-546: The news was made public, Harrison, who would die within the month, bemoaned his physician's breach of privacy, and his estate later claimed damages. On 29 November 2001, Harrison died at a property belonging to McCartney, on Heather Road in Beverly Hills, California . He was 58 years old. He died in the company of Olivia, Dhani, Shankar and the latter's wife Sukanya and daughter Anoushka , and Hare Krishna devotees Shyamasundar Das and Mukunda Goswami , who chanted verses from
9718-495: The other Beatles into folk rock through his interest in the Byrds and Bob Dylan , and towards Indian classical music through his use of the sitar on " Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) ". He later called Rubber Soul his "favourite [Beatles] album". Revolver (1966) included three of his compositions: " Taxman ", selected as the album's opening track, " Love You To " and " I Want to Tell You ". His drone-like tambura part on Lennon's " Tomorrow Never Knows " exemplified
9831-597: The platinum album Cloud Nine . Co-produced with Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), the album included Harrison's rendition of James Ray's " Got My Mind Set on You ", which went to number one in the US and number two in the UK. The accompanying music video received substantial airplay, and another single, " When We Was Fab ", a retrospective of the Beatles' career, earned two MTV Music Video Awards nominations in 1988. Recorded at his estate in Friar Park, Harrison's slide guitar playing featured prominently on
9944-577: The principal country rock influence in the Eagles came from Bernie Leadon , formerly of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and the Eagles are perceived as shifting towards hard rock after he left the band in late 1975. The Ozark Mountain Daredevils had hit singles "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" (1974) and "Jackie Blue" (1975), the latter of which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. The Bellamy Brothers had
10057-471: The project: "I hope somebody does this to all my crap demos when I'm dead, make them into hit songs." After the Anthology project, Harrison collaborated with Ravi Shankar on the latter's Chants of India . Harrison's final television appearance was a VH-1 special to promote the album, taped in May 1997. Soon afterwards, Harrison was diagnosed with throat cancer ; he was treated with radiotherapy , which
10170-414: The recording of The Beatles that same year, tensions within the group ran high, and drummer Ringo Starr quit briefly. Harrison's four songwriting contributions to the double album included " While My Guitar Gently Weeps ", which featured Eric Clapton on lead guitar, and the horn -driven " Savoy Truffle ". Dylan and the Band were a major musical influence on Harrison at the end of his career with
10283-399: The release as awkward, sanctimonious and overly sentimental. In November 1974, Harrison became the first ex-Beatle to tour North America when he began his 45-date Dark Horse Tour . The shows included guest spots by his band members Billy Preston and Tom Scott , and traditional and contemporary Indian music performed by "Ravi Shankar, Family and Friends". Despite numerous positive reviews,
10396-518: The respectability and parameters of the genre, before Parsons departed to pursue a solo career. Country rock was a particularly popular style in the California music scene of the late 1960s, and was adopted by bands including Hearts and Flowers, Poco (formed by Richie Furay and Jim Messina , formerly of the Buffalo Springfield) and New Riders of the Purple Sage . Some folk-rockers followed
10509-478: The sides were listed together at number one on the Hot 100. His increased productivity meant that by the time of their break-up he had amassed a stockpile of unreleased compositions. While Harrison grew as a songwriter, his compositional presence on Beatles albums remained limited to two or three songs, increasing his frustration, and significantly contributing to the band's break-up. Harrison's last recording session with
10622-473: The sitar after "Norwegian Wood", he became known as "the maharaja of raga-rock ". Harrison continued to develop his interest in non-Western instrumentation, playing swarmandal on " Strawberry Fields Forever ". By late 1966, Harrison's interests had moved away from the Beatles. This was reflected in his choice of Eastern gurus and religious leaders for inclusion on the album cover for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967. His sole composition on
10735-488: The song's natural harmonics . In 1966, Harrison contributed innovative musical ideas to Revolver . He played backwards guitar on Lennon's composition " I'm Only Sleeping " and a guitar counter-melody on " And Your Bird Can Sing " that moved in parallel octaves above McCartney's bass downbeats. His guitar playing on " I Want to Tell You " exemplified the pairing of altered chordal colours with descending chromatic lines and his guitar part for Sgt Pepper ' s " Lucy in
10848-420: The song, but lost the case, as the judge ruled that he had done so subconsciously. In 2000, Apple Records released a thirtieth-anniversary edition of the album, and Harrison actively participated in its promotion. In an interview, he reflected on the work: "It's just something that was like my continuation from the Beatles, really. It was me sort of getting out of the Beatles and just going my own way ... it
10961-543: The subsequent nickname stuck, much to Harrison's amusement. He had two lead vocal credits on the LP, including the Lennon–McCartney song " Do You Want to Know a Secret? ", and three on their second album, With the Beatles (1963). The latter included " Don't Bother Me ", Harrison's first solo writing credit. Harrison served as the Beatles' scout for new American releases, being especially knowledgeable about soul music . By 1965's Rubber Soul , he had begun to lead
11074-457: The tour visited the White House. They were invited by President Gerald Ford's son, Jack. In December, Harrison released Dark Horse , which was an album that earned him the least favourable reviews of his career. Rolling Stone called it "the chronicle of a performer out of his element, working to a deadline, enfeebling his overtaxed talents by a rush to deliver a new 'LP product', rehearse
11187-424: The year Parsons had released Safe at Home (although the principal recording for the album had taken place in mid-1967) with the International Submarine Band, which made extensive use of pedal steel and is seen by some as the first true country-rock album. The result of Parsons' brief tenure in the Byrds was Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968), generally considered one of the finest and most influential recordings in
11300-410: Was "clearly an innovator" as he was "taking certain elements of R&B and rock and rockabilly and creating something unique". Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner described Harrison as "a guitarist who was never showy but who had an innate, eloquent melodic sense. He played exquisitely in the service of the song". The guitar picking style of Chet Atkins and Carl Perkins influenced Harrison, giving
11413-569: Was a bus conductor who had worked as a ship's steward on the White Star Line , and Louise was a shop assistant of Irish Catholic descent. He had one sister, Louise (16 August 1931 – 29 January 2023), and two brothers, Harold (20 July 1934 - ?) and Peter (20 July 1940 – 1 June 2007). According to Boyd, Harrison's mother was particularly supportive: "All she wanted for her children is that they should be happy, and she recognised that nothing made George quite as happy as making music." Louise
11526-399: Was a very happy occasion." He commented on the production: "Well, in those days it was like the reverb was kind of used a bit more than what I would do now. In fact, I don't use reverb at all. I can't stand it ... You know, it's hard to go back to anything thirty years later and expect it to be how you would want it now." Harrison responded to a request from Ravi Shankar by organising
11639-455: Was about 14, a friend of Harrison, Raymond Hughes, offered to sell a guitar. Harrison's mother then paid for the guitar, which cost £3.10s.– (equivalent to £110 in 2024 ). One of his father's friends taught Harrison how to play " Whispering ", " Sweet Sue " and " Dinah ". Inspired by Donegan's music, Harrison formed a skiffle group, the Rebels, with his brother Peter and a friend, Arthur Kelly. On
11752-543: Was also a deep personal loss, although Harrison and Lennon had little contact in the years before Lennon was killed. Following the murder, Harrison commented: "After all we went through together I had and still have great love and respect for John Lennon. I am shocked and stunned." Harrison modified the lyrics of a song he had written for Starr to make the song a tribute to Lennon. " All Those Years Ago ", which included vocal contributions from Paul and Linda McCartney, as well as Starr's original drum part, peaked at number two in
11865-531: Was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles . Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian culture and helped broaden the scope of popular music through his incorporation of Indian instrumentation and Hindu -aligned spirituality in the Beatles' work. Although most of the band's songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney , most Beatles albums from 1965 onwards contained at least two Harrison compositions. His songs for
11978-487: Was an enthusiastic music fan, and she was known among friends for her loud singing voice, which at times startled visitors by rattling the Harrisons' windows. When Louise was pregnant with George, she often listened to the weekly broadcast Radio India . Harrison's biographer Joshua Greene wrote, "Every Sunday she tuned in to mystical sounds evoked by sitars and tablas , hoping that the exotic music would bring peace and calm to
12091-512: Was being treated for a brain tumour at a clinic in Switzerland. While in Switzerland, Starr visited him but had to cut short his stay to travel to Boston, where his daughter was undergoing emergency brain surgery. Harrison, who was very weak, quipped: "Do you want me to come with you?" In November 2001, he began radiotherapy at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City for non–small cell lung cancer that had spread to his brain. When
12204-511: Was deported for being too young to work in nightclubs. When Brian Epstein became their manager in December 1961, he polished up their image and later secured them a recording contract with EMI . The group's first single, " Love Me Do ", peaked at number 17 on the Record Retailer chart, and by the time their debut album, Please Please Me , was released in early 1963, Beatlemania had arrived. Often serious and focused while on stage with
12317-434: Was hospitalised with more than 40 stab wounds, and part of his punctured lung was removed. He released a statement soon afterwards regarding his assailant: "He wasn't a burglar, and he certainly wasn't auditioning for the Traveling Wilburys. Adi Shankara , an Indian historical, spiritual and groovy-type person, once said, 'Life is fragile like a raindrop on a lotus leaf.' And you'd better believe it." Upon being released from
12430-534: Was released by Apple in December, followed by a concert film in 1972. Credited to "George Harrison and Friends", the album topped the UK chart and peaked at number 2 in the US, and went on to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year . Tax troubles and questionable expenses later tied up many of the proceeds, but Harrison commented: "Mainly the concert was to attract attention to the situation ... The money we raised
12543-486: Was secondary, and although we had some money problems ... they still got plenty ... even though it was a drop in the ocean. The main thing was, we spread the word and helped get the war ended." Harrison's 1973 album Living in the Material World held the number one spot on the Billboard albums chart for five weeks, and the album's single, " Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) ", also reached number one in
12656-461: Was thought at the time to be successful. He publicly blamed years of smoking for the illness. In January 1998, Harrison attended Carl Perkins ' funeral in Jackson, Tennessee , where he performed a brief rendition of Perkins' song " Your True Love ". In May, he represented the Beatles at London's High Court in their successful bid to gain control of unauthorised recordings made of a 1962 performance by
12769-485: Was too young to join the band. McCartney arranged a second meeting, on the upper deck of a Liverpool bus, during which Harrison impressed Lennon by performing the lead guitar part for the instrumental " Raunchy ". He began socialising with the group, filling in on guitar as needed, and then became accepted as a member. Although his father wanted him to continue his education, Harrison left school at 16 and worked for several months as an apprentice electrician at Blacklers ,
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