GEORGE HARRISON DIES IN LOS ANGELES

ITN ^ | November 30, 2001 | ITN

[MadIvan]

Just announced on British news. Nothing follows.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for the comments. I enjoyed the Beach Boys too.

[MadIvan]

In Dec. 1999, Harrison and his wife were woken when a man wielding a knife stabbed Harrison in the chest at his home.

I think George was permanently weakened by this attack. It probably made him less able to fight off the cancer when it returned.

Best Regards, Ivan

[JohnHuang2]

I suspect you're right, Ivan. So sad.

[Brian Allen]

Prayers for Mr. Harrison's family.

Amen.

And a huge:

Thank you George Harrison, for your life!"

[Aeronaut]

I love the Beatles. It feels like a brother has died. My prayers go up for George.

[MeekOneGOP]

BIG Bump for George - may he rest in peace. . .

[Joe_October]

.... George and Paul took the same bus to school, and soon found they had music and guitars in common. They spent many hours together at each other's homes practicing guitar. In 1956, Paul introduced the skinny and pimple-faced George to the Quarrymen, who was only 14 at the time. Not old enough to join the group, George hung around with the boys, and came to idolize John, doing everything he could to emulate him. George stood in the back of the room at all their shows with his guitar. A few times he filled in for the regular guitarist who didn't show up, and the boys were also welcomed in George's house by his mother to practice and for an occasional "jam buttie", encouragement which infuriated John's Aunt Mimi. Gradually, George became a member of the group, which by then had come to be called Johnny and the Moondogs. ....

When he goes to heaven and looks back on his life, wouldn't you have to believe that these were the best moments of his life? Not, all the adulation as a rock star and moments of greatness that he couldn't control competing with his childhood heroes (John and Paul). Or, trying to re-find the faith he had instinctively as a child.

Think about that as you choose how to live your life today.

God Speed George. RIP

[Flashlight]

if someone said 'I hate ABBA' I'd shrug and go on. Its called 'preference'...

I know and understand perfectly well what "preference" is. I prefer to listen to Nsync instead of Beethoven. When people say, "I hate Nsync", I shrug and go on also.

But, despite my "preference", I just can't imagine posting something ridiculous like "I don't think Beethoven is all that. I like Nsync better" on a Beethoven-tribute thread. Anyone who posted something like that would, of course, have to have no understanding at all of Beethoven.

If I told you I hated Abba and prefered another pop group you thought was similar but vastly inferior, instead of just shrugging it off, I'd hope that you at least would suggest to me that I give Abba another chance.

I happen to think Abba is great (I don't like to spell it in all capitals, though), but comparing them to the Beatles??

Anyway, all us Beatles fans are pretty sad over this. Hope you'll forgive a little defending of the Beatles; didn't mean to be out of line. You've certainly got a right to your own opinions about what good music is. Peace...

[GeronL]

geez... its sad Harrison died. He was great. He was a genius. He was a hero worker. All will mourn his passing.

better?

[MadIvan]

From the BBC

Tributes flood in for Harrison

Public figures, friends and colleagues of George Harrison have been paying tribute to the former, who has died at the age of 58 after a long illness.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "People of my generation grew up with the Beatles, and they were the background to our lives.

"He wasn't just a great musician, an artist, but did a lot of work for charity as well.

"He'll be greatly missed around the world."

One of Harrison's best friends, his neighbour, the comedian Kenny Lynch, sobbed: "It is not fair. I'm so upset about it. I was only talking to him a few weeks ago.

"Why should someone like George die when Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden are still on this earth?"

Writer Carla Lane said: "I hope Liverpool pays homage to him.

"He had a wonderful, dry sense of humour. "He was a very nice, warm full-of-fun guy in a very droll way."

Former Monty Python comedian Michael Palin said: "I was amazed and delighted he was such a Python fan.

'Spirituality'

"He enabled us to make Life of Brian and other films like A Private Function - none of these would have happened without his enthusiasm.

"Death had no terrors for George at all, he had his spirituality, he was going on somewhere else.

"Also he was very funny - George had a great sense of humour, some of the best laughs I've had have been with George.

"I saw him in August. His mood was optimistic as usual. He wasn't very well, but we ended up sitting up with him listening to Hoagy Carmichael - it was the same old George."

Bob Geldof said he was "shocked and stunned" to hear of Harrison's death.

"I doubt there's a person listening to this show that can't remember each one of his guitar lines," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Geldof said Harrison had given him advice when he was organising the Live Aid concert in 1985, adding: "I remember him with a profound sense of gratitude.

"All the way back he measured up. Maybe because of the necessary competition between the other two, his standard of song-writing was incomparably better than lots of their contemporaries.

Former EMI publicist Max Clifford said: "There was never any arrogance about George Harrison.

"He was always very pleasant to all of us at EMI - he'd always stop and pass the time of day.

"The success of My Sweet Lord was wonderful for anybody that knew George, because he always been in the shadow of John and Paul.

'Shy'

"People realised he was a talented songwriter in his own right.

"He always seemed quite shy, he always appeared quite baffled by what was going on.

"He was always very good natured and very pleasant to everyone.

"He was very calm and rational, right from the very start, and those qualities emerged right through his life.

"Anyone who knew Goorge had nothing but nice things to say about him."

'Overshadowed'

Philip Norman, who wrote the Beatles biography Shout, said: the news had come as an "awful shock".

"The group were an entity in peoples lives.

"He was overshadowed by Lennon and McCartney, and he was never really happy about that.

"There was a certain bitterness about him, but later in life he realised what good fortune he had enjoyed.

"He had a happy marriage and a son and realised there was more to life than being a Beatle."

[JohnHuang2]

Re: #111 - Thanks for posting, Ivan.

George Harrison was DEARLY LOVED, indeed. And for good reason.

[New Horizon]

I grew up with the absolute hugest beatle fan, when John died I felt like a part of my child hood died along with him. Now with George I know another part of it died. When my brother and I played Beatles I was George!! As far as being the underrated Beatle, George would not have wanted it any other way! He was by far the most insperational and soulfull Beatle! MY FAVORITE!!!!No matter who you are the Beatles have had some sort impact in your life and one of them had to be your fav. When ever I think back about my childhood, I can still hear our old record player belting out Hard Days night, 8 days a week and moving on to the White Album. I called my brother tonight on my way home from work I didn't want him to hear it on the radio! I knew George was sick but this took me by complete shock! The Beatles have brought back so many wonderful memories regarding my childhood. My brother has 4 boys and they all have a favorite Beatle and they play Beatles also, my nephew shane's favorite is George! It amazes me how the fab 4 can overcome the generation Gap! My son who is 16 is a die hard Beatle Fan and this is something that we share... Its more than just the music for me, it is the end of a era! Here comes the sun! Here comes the sun! Its alright! With all loving memories of George!

[snopercod]

The Beatles brought a lot of happiness to the world.

[capitan_refugio]

For the last hour I have been listening to the re-mastered "All Things Must Pass" CD I bought a few months ago. I slipped on the headphones so I wouldn't wake anyone up and sat quietly in the dark listening to the words and music of this fine man. I also read a few more of the posts on this thread too.

It is true George wasn't a Christian anymore. He had a strong Eastern mysticism to him. But he wasn't anti-Christian either. I think he was able to reconcile his Eastern faith with his Christian upbringing. In his song, "Awaiting on You All," he penned these lyrics:

"You don't need no passport
You don't need no visas
You don't need to designate or to emigrate
Before you can see Jesus.
If you open up your heart
Then you'll see he's right there
He always was and will be
He'll relieve you of all your cares.
By chanting the names of the Lord
And you'll be free
The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see."

I think George expressed a very "Christian" idea in this song. Maybe I would change the word "chanting" to "praising," but that is a minor difference. I don't know if George Harrison believed in the concept of Heaven and Hell, or if he believed in the Eastern concept of reincarnation. He is at peace now, and out of pain.

[jennyp]

My Sweet Lord was my absolute favorite!

Mine too. Funny, I never liked the Beatles all THAT much, but those songs mentioned here that turned out to be written by George, I really do like. Subtle, intelligent, with depth.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

You said it. I will miss him. Some amazing things I didn't know about him (or knew and forgot), was that he was one of the Executive Producers of the movies "Life of Brian" and "Time Bandits". He even had an uncredited on screen bit part in "Life of Brian".
Click here for the Internet Movie Database listing for George Harrison.

I don't remember if he hosted SNL, although he was on at least a couple times, plus his involvement with the SNL associated TV Beatles parody movie "The Rutles". I'll look it up and post it here.

RIP

[JohnHuang2]

Outstanding analysis, my friend. Nothing I can add to that. Thanks.