Remembrance of George Harrison | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

George will always be my biggest inspiration both musically and spiritually. Because of the impact he has had in my life, it opened many doors for me including Hinduism, Yoga and the Sitar. Indian music is a part of my life and between him and Ravi Shankar were instrumental in popularizing many forms of world music including New Age which I love very much.

Thanks George for being my inspiration to play the guitar and for all the great music that you have given us to treasure forever.

well, I was inspired by Ali's idea of writing a letter to George. I started it last night and finished this morning in first period study hall. It was a little awkward at first, and I didn't quite know what to say, but at some point everything just started to come out of my mind, almost faster than I could write it down. Wow, I just realized how long this ended up being. Anyway, this is my letter to George.

Dear George:

This might be a little rambling, I’m not quite sure how to get it all out, but I’m pretty certain you, having written “I Want To Tell You ,” could understand where I’m coming from on this.

So, what I Want To Tell You is basically a list of the many things I love about you. Bear with me here.

John, Paul and Ringo were all men when you four became famous. Young men, yes, but still adults. I feel like I watched you grow up, from a skinny, adorably large-eared 19-year-old boy to a beautiful man who never quite lost that slight endearing awkwardness, while at the same time becoming so much more confident in yourself.  You evolved more than any of the others over those years, and you really grew into your talent so much. You realized you could not only write songs, but masterpieces, and your songs on Abbey Road , and on All Things Must Pass , once the Beatles had splintered and you were on your own, are some of the best I’ve ever heard.

I really appreciate your ability to “keep quiet at the back” and play your amazing guitar solos without trying to hog the spotlight, for always seeming like you were in your own little world of music onstage. It’s rare to find a lead guitarist who isn’t a showy person. I feel like you tried to be a musician instead of a celebrity.  Yet, you still managed to organize and lead the Concert for Bangladesh, which must have been hard for you, as you weren’t used to leading a concert like that. You had to step out of the background-guitarist comfort zone you’d been in before. It was very brave of you.

You really strived to be a peaceful person, and you were a genuinely sweet and loving friend…Getting in between Paul and another boy to break up a fight back in your Quarrymen days, even though you were much smaller than them, calming John down in Hamburg after Stu died, decorating the studio with flowers to welcome Ringo back after he rejoined during the White Album session. You were almost protective of John when he was in a more fragile state, and you were very much a diplomat between his and Paul’s often conflicting personalities, particularly early on.

And you were also really quirky, which I appreciate. You always did the most random offbeat things, like how you painted Kinfauns. You weren’t a stereotypical anything. Your food obsessions, NASCAR fandom, the gnomes on the cover of All Things Must Pass , the way you could just put everything on hold and spend hour after hour in your gardens …you were a real individual. No-one else is ever going to be quite like you.

You had an amazing sense of humor. We wouldn’t have Monty Python without you. You could be so silly, and you really tried not to take yourself too seriously. You might very well be the only famous musician ever to do something like Crackerbox Palace, and the video for that continues to put a smile on my face every time I think of it. Your amazing wit, in interviews, songs, or the Anthology is guaranteed to make me laugh. You were absolutely hilarious.

But you could be serious too.  Your spirituality has really inspired me. Our religions might seem completely different, but I believe that everyone’s prayers reach the same God , and your faith and passion encourage me to be similarly strong in my beliefs.  Knowing about you has increased my understanding for other people’s religions. I don’t think it matters if we chant mantras or recite Hail Mary’s or just talk to God like a friend. I’m glad that your religion, your form of prayers and beliefs, inspired and stirred you so much.

You also drew so much power from your music. The intensity of your commitment to it, how much you pushed yourself to create beauty, really moves me. Yesterday , when I was watching a video of you singing Beware Of Darkness at the Concert for Bangladesh, I saw the raw emotion on your face, the way the music twisted your features slightly, the way you closed your eyes as you sang and swayed slightly. You were almost not a performer, but a conduit for your music. The way it flowed out of you—your talent was like a force of nature. And you were so inventive, too. Your willingness to try new things, your love of Indian music that was in no way ingrained in your culture, how innovative you were on the guitar, and above all how much you loved your music was unbelievable.

 I think what I feel the most about you was that you were so brave. You had a certain dignity, that’s the only word I know to describe it.  You were always yourself, and you didn’t let anyone tell you who you should be or what you should do.  Though you must have despaired at times, you always had the most amazing strong spirit. After you were first diagnosed with cancer, when you held the press conference outside the gates of Friar Park, and you told a reporter that you weren’t going, that you weren’t dead yet, that was so brave of you.  You fought the cancer, and you were winning, and then you were stabbed, a horrific unfair thing that makes me shake with anger. But you survived. You kept your spirit even as terrible things were happening. You protected Olivia as she protected you, and your sense of humor still showed even when it must have seemed like the world was ending. You got sick again, of course, and it was downhill from there, but you kept your dignity, I think. You kept your strength, even when your body was very weak, and your hope, even when there didn’t seem any cause for it. And when it was finally all over, you left us with your final words, to Olivia: “love one another.”

 So, in the end, what you gave me, and the people you knew, and all of us, was love.

We love you too, and we miss you. Wherever you are now, I know you’re happy. You were an incredible person when you were with us, and you have inspired so many, including me. I’ve written your last words on my hand today, ten years after you left us, and if anyone asks me, I will explain what they mean. I will try to draw not only from your words, but from your music, and from your life. If I could have any ability in this world, it would be to live with dignity as you did. Thank you for being who you were.

Hare Krishna, George. We love you.

Julia

mr. Sun king coming together said:  

How’s The Food in Heaven?

Okay, THAT made me laugh. Thanks for cheering me up.

you're right, mith. it's all too much. today's been bittersweet. I'm trying to remember, not mourn, which is why writing the letter helped.