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Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about George Harrison

George Harrison was an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Harrison, who started playing guitar while in secondary school, was one of the four members of the most popular rock band in history. The lead guitarist for the Beatles, Harrison later achieved his own success as a performer and songwriter.

Born into a middle-class family on February 25, 1943, in Liverpool, Harrison was the youngest amongst his siblings. His mother was a grocery store clerk and his father was a merchant navy steward before becoming a bus conductor.

Harrison met Paul McCartney who invited him to join the rock band. The four band members were John Lennon as rhythm guitar and vocalist, Ringo Starr as the drummer, McCartney as vocalist and bass, and Harrison as lead guitar.

Despite Lennon and McCartney singing most of the Beatles’ songs, Harrison also contributed to some of the original works. His most notable songs include 1963 Don’t Bother Me, My Guitar Gently Weeps in 1968, and Here Comes the Sun in 1969.

Below are ten fantastic facts about George Harrison.

1. Harrison had been with the Beatles for 12 years before the rock band broke up

The Beatles wave to fans after arriving at Kennedy Airport. Photo by United States Library of Congress/

Harrison was part of the Beatles for about 12 years. Less than two months after Harrisons’ 27^th birthday, the Beatles broke up when Paul McCartney announced that he had no plans to work with the Beatles in the future.

2. Harrison organized a rock concert for Bangladeshi refugees

Ad for George Harrison’s single ‘Bangla Desh’. Photo by

When Bangladeshi refugees were facing starvation as victims of war and devastating cyclones, Harrison organized a concert that would help benefit them.

Acting on what his friend Ravi Shankar told him about the refugees, Harrison organized a concert in 1971 in Madison Square Garden. Playing alongside Bob Dylan, Badfinger, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, and Leon Russell in 1985, the two sold-out concerts helped raise about USD 12 million.

Proceeds from the sale of the soundtrack and movie continue to aid George Harrison’s Fund for UNICEF.

3. Harrison wrote a song about his 66-acre property in London

George Harrison’s Harptone L-6 guitar was used at the Concert for Bangladesh. Photo by Flickr/

Harrison owned a 66-acre property near London which had 120 rooms. Friar Park mansion nicknamed Crackerbox Palace by Harrison was previously owned by Sir Frank Crisp from 1889 to 1919.

After Harrison bought the mansion in 1970, he wrote The Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp and All Things Must Pass which appeared on Harrison’s first solo album.

4. Harrison enjoyed spending time with Bob Dylan and The Band

1967 billboard image of the Beatles. Photo

The Beatles first met Bob Dylan in 1964. Although they were all friends, Harrison felt a special bond and weeks at Dylan’s home in New York in 1968. While there Harrison and Dylan wrote I’d Have You Anytime.

The song appeared in All Things Must Pass’s 1970’s album. Dylan and Harrison became bandmates in the Traveling Wilburys and maintained a lifelong friendship.

5. Harrison may not have been a ‘Quiet Beatle’ after all

George Harrison, Shyamasundara Dasa, and Mukunda Goswami in Vrindavan in front of Jiva Goswami Samadhi. Photo by Gaura/

Although Harrison was often referred to as the quiet Beatle, his friend Tom Petty once referred to Harrison as talkative and ‘the best hang out.’

6. The Beatles shared a basement in a club in Hamburg, Germany

George Harrison at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam in February 1977. Photo by GaHetNa (Nationaal Archief NL/

When the Beatles first started out, they had little money, spent so many hours on stage, and slept in bunk beds in a basement in Germany.

The other band members were thus present as George’s deflowering when he was 17 years old. Although they couldn’t really see anything, Harrison said his bandmates cheers when he was done.

7. Harrison appeared in Monty Python’s Life of Brian comedy

George Harrison in the Oval Office during the Ford administration. Photo by David Hume Kennerly/

When EMI Films withdrew funding for the Monty Python comedy, Harrison set up Handmade Films to fund the project.

Not only did Harrison’s own production company salvage the comedy classic, but Harrison also starred in it, as Mr. Papadopoulos, the owner of the Mount. The show which was ranked the 10th best comedy film of all time in 2010 by The Guardian was a huge success in the USA and UK.

8. Harrison was the first Beatle to top the singles chart as well as the album charts

George Harrison star at the Hollywood Boulevard in LA California. Photo by

A few weeks after the Beatles break up, Harrison began recording songs to be included in the All Things Must Pass at Abbey Road album.

The songs which began recording on May 26, 1970, and were released in late November topped the Melody Maker and Billboard charts in early 1971. Also released along the triple album was My Sweet Lord, the first single from the album.

9. Harrison’s first song was inspired by the need to tell people to get lost

In 1963 while Harrison lay sick in Bournemouth bed at the Palace Court Hotel, he wrote the song titled Don’t Bother Me. Although Harrison didn’t feel the song was any good, it appeared in The Beatles’ second studio album.

10. Harrison was the first Beatles to visit as well as play in America

George Harrison and Ringo Starr played a show at the King’s Hall Belfast in November 1964. Photo by Flickr/

During an almost three-week trip to the US in the fall of 1963, Harrison became the first Beatle band member to play in the U.S. On the 18-day trip to visit his sister Louise and her husband George Caldwell, Harrison played at the VFW Hall in Eldorado.

Playing with The Four Vests band, Harrison took over lead guitar in the second set and sang Your Cheatin’ Heart and Roll Over Beethoven.

Harrison’s first solo work was the 1968 soundtrack to Wonderwall, a psychedelic film. He continued working on solo projects even after the Beatles broke up in 1970. Some of Harrison’s popular songs include the 1973 Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) song and 1987 Got My Mind Set on You, on Cloud Nine. After John Lennon’s murder in 1980, Harrison kept a low profile.

In 1999 he survived an intruder attack in his home that left him with multiple stab wounds.  In 1997, Harrison was treated for throat cancer, and later in 2001he was treated for a brain tumor and lung cancer.  He died in Los Angeles, California on November 29, 2001, aged 58 years.