George Harrison 1943-2001 |
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"He
left this world as he lived in it, conscious
of God, fearless of death, and at peace,
surrounded by family and friends. He
often said, 'Everything else can wait
but the search for God cannot wait,
and love one another.'" -- The
Harrison Family
"George was a true friend, intensely
loyal, caring deeply for those he loved,
and he inspired much love in return.
Now I believe, as he did, that he has
entered a higher state. God give him
peace."
-- Beatles producer George Martin
"He was a lovely guy and a very
brave man and had a wonderful sense
of humor... His music will live on forever."
-- Paul McCartney
"George was a best friend of mine.
I loved him very much and I will miss
him greatly. Both Barbara and I will
miss George for his sense of love, his
sense of music and his sense of laughter."
-- Ringo Starr
"George
has given so much to us in his lifetime
and continues to do so even after his
passing, with his music, his wit and
his wisdom. Thank you, George, it was
grand knowing you." --
Yoko Ono
"A friend, disciple and son to
me. George was a brave and beautiful
soul, full of love, child-like humor
and a deep spirituality." -- Ravi
Shankar, the sitar master who introduced
Harrison to Indian music
"George Harrison was not only a musical
force in my lifetime, but a spiritual
force. One of the things that was so
inspiring was his lifelong search to
know his God. And if God exists, I don't
doubt that George has a place near him."
-- Mia Farrow, actress and fellow student
of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the
'60s
"He died as he lived, with dignity,
with bravery and with comedy... I loved
him from the first moment I met him
and I shall miss his eyes, his laughter,
his honesty and his wonderful guitar
playing. The world has lost a very fine
man but we are all the richer for his
life." -- Monty Python's Eric Idle
"Death held no terrors for George
at all. He'd got that all worked out.
He had spirituality. He said he was
going on somewhere else. He didn't want
people to greive and feel this was the
end." -- Michal Palin of Monty
Python's Flying Circus
"There was a certain mysterious
and unknowable quality about his music
which made him a very attractive figure.
It gave a whole other dimension to the
Beatles." -- Bono, U2
"As a guitarist, he invented many
classic lines that were much copied
by others, and he wrote several very
beautiful songs that we will always
remember. He was a very complex character,
both quiet and funny with a very sweet
nature, but he also could be rather
combative at times. He was the first
musician I knew who developed a truly
spiritual side, and he was generous
with his time to both charity and to
friends." -- Mick Jagger
"To me, George was, always will
be, above all, a real gentleman, in
the full meaning of the word. We both
felt we held similar positions in our
respective bands, which formed a special
knowing bond between us. Let's hope
he's jamming with John." -- Keith
Richards
"He wasn't a reluctant Beatle.
He knew that his place in popular culture
was absolutely secure. He was very curmudgeonly
about the fame thing. But he was very
gentle. I remember him with a profound
sense of gratitude." -- Bob Geldof,
whose Live Aid benefit concert in the
'80s followed in the footsteps of Harrison's
Concert for Bangladesh
"He wrote some of the greatest
Beatles' songs, but more than that,
he had a gentleness and spirituality
that made spending time with him a great
pleasure" -- Paul Simon
"He was a very loveable person. I would
say he was the major cog in the Beatles
at that time. He kept them together,
probably because of the calming effect
he had. He proved that he was a very
talented songwriter. I have such fond
memories of him and know he will be
happy wherever he is." -- first Beatles
Manager Alan Williams
"It was my
privilege to have been a friend of such
a very special man." --
Neil Aspinall of Apple Records
"As
someone who shaped our musical and cultural
history, his influence cannot be over-estimated.
As a musician and a humanitarian, he
helped change our world. We are proud
to have known him." -- Statement From
Apple Records/EMI, the Beatles' record
label
"George was not only an exceptionally
talented recording artist, but a remarkable
and spiritual human being. He touched
the world not just through his music,
but also through his many generous humanitarian
contributions and desire for peace around
the world." -- RIAA President & CEO
Hilary Rosen
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George Harrison was born on February 25,
1943 and passed away from cancer on November
30, 2001 in Los Angeles at age 58 with his
wife Olivia and son Dhani at his side.
"We are deeply touched by the outpouring
of love and compassion from people around
the world. The profound beauty of the moment
of George's passing -- of his awakening
from this dream -- was no surprise to those
of us who knew how he longed to be with
God. In that pursuit, he was relentless."
-- wife Olivia Harrison and son Dhani
The youngest member of the world's most
famous pop group will be remembered for
his invaluable contribution to music as
well as his devotion to humanitarian causes
and spirituality.
His interest in using rock music as a vehicle
to explore mysticism was a first, opening
the door for future musical journeymen.
Harrison also was a world music pioneer
by introducing Eastern rhythms, instrumentation
and philosophy to a generation of Westerners.
And by putting what he learned into practice,
he was the first to demonstrate on a mass
scale how rock culture can become a vehicle
for raising an entire culture's social conscience.
A long-time devotee of Hare Krishna, Harrison
was always in search of spiritual meaning
in his life:
"For every human there is a quest to
find the answer to why I am here, who am
I, where did I come from, where am I going.
For me that became the most important thing
in my life. Everything else is secondary."
George avoided the spotlight, even one time
sitting at the back of a press conference
so that he wouldn't be noticed. His attitude
was perfectly summed up in the title of
the first Beatles song he wrote, "Don't
Bother Me."
"The nicest thing is to open the newspapers
and not to find yourself in them."
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"George was a giant, a great great
soul with all of the humanity, all of the
wit and humor, all of the wisdom, the spirituality,
the common sense of a man and compassion
for people. He inspired love and had the
strength of a hundred men. He was like the
sun, the flowers and the moon and we will
miss him enormously. The world is a profoundly
emptier place without him." -- Bob
Dylan
"He believed that death was part of life
and that illness was part of health and
the cause of death is birth. Therefore,
he didn't fear death." -- Gil Lederman,
Harrison's doctor
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We were talking
about the love we all could share
When we find it
to try our best to hold it there
With our love, with our love
we could save the world
if they only knew
When you've seen
beyond yourself
then you may find
peace of mind is waiting there
And the time will come
when you see we're all one
and life flows on
within you and without you
Lyrics excerpted from "Within You Without You"
by George Harrison
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"I think people who truly can
live a life in music are telling the world, ‘You can
have my love, you can have my smiles. Forget the bad
parts, you don't need them. Just take the music, the
goodness, because it's the very best, and it's the
part I give most willingly."
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