20 years after his death, here is a compilation of some interesting facts that you probably did not know about the silent Beatle.
He Got His First Guitar At Age of 12
Harrison’s first approach to music was at the age of 12, due to the fact that he had nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys). During his convalescence, he bought his first guitar.
He Was An Electrician
Before turning to music, George was an electrician’s apprentice. Later, his knowledge in this area would help him experiment with new sounds.
Pattie Boyd And The Love Triangle
George Harrison and Eric Clapton fell in love with the same woman: Pattie Boyd. In fact, she was the wife of both and inspired the songs Something (The Beatles) and Layla (Clapton).
Handmade Films Company
Faced with his idea of giving more value to art than to business, he set up the film production company Handmade Films with the sole purpose of offering the Monty Phytons a place to develop their films. It appears in some takes of the life of Brian (1979), characterized as Mr. Papadopolous.
The Second Wife
His second wife, Olivia Arias, is of Mexican origin but was born in Los Angeles, California.
LSD Experimentation
He urged the Liverpool quartet to experiment with LSD, after “accidentally” trying it when his dentist put a few drops in George’s tea during a party. This influenced songs like Tomorrow Never Knows or Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
The Traveling Wilburys Supergroup
At the end of the 80s, the former Beatle was part of the group The Traveling Wilburys along with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison. They recorded some records under pseudonyms. George’s were Nelson Wilbury and Spike Wilbury.
The Release of His Autobiography
In 1980, the year John Lennon died, George published his autobiography called ‘I, Me, Mine,’ in which he highlights his taste for gardening and Formula 1.
He Never Knew How To Read Music
Although he did not know how to read music scores, he mastered more than 25 instruments, among which are: the guitar, piano, violin, ukulele, tabla indi, African tambos, xylophone, among others.
One of the Best Guitarists of all Time?
According to Rolling Stone magazine, he is ranked 11th for the best guitarists of all time.