![]() ![]() “The world we inhabit now - the really noxious world of constant, terrifying news that’s built around fame and gossip - he lived in that world long before anyone else,” Dhani Harrison said. “My dad was ahead of his time,” musician Dhani Harrison told me recently of the man who introduced mainstream America to the sitar, meditation and Hari Krishna, Formula One racing and slide guitar - and arguably invented the all-star rock charity concert in 1971 with his Concert for Bangladesh. Then, in 1994, Lynne got the call of a lifetime when he was tapped to produce “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” the first new music recorded by The Beatles since 1970, for the band’s "Anthology" project. They recorded Harrison’s comeback album, the global chart-topper "Cloud 9," featuring the streaming perennials “Got My Mind Set On You” and “When We Was Fab,” founded the Traveling Wilburys with Dylan, Petty and Orbison, and also found time to work on multi-platinum records by both Petty and Orbison, among others. Indeed the work the pair did together helped put Harrison back on the map as a solo artist after a rocky 1970s and 80s, and set the stage for his enduring popularity.įor 10 years Lynne and Harrison became almost inseparable. ![]() The greatest opportunity I could have wished for.” ![]() “Working with George was the greatest opportunity of my life, really. “He wrote brilliantly original songs and played the greatest slide guitar,” ELO’s Jeff Lynne, another Traveling Wilbury bandmate who also worked with Harrison as a producer, told me. ![]() Larry Ellis / Express Newspapers via AP Imagesįor those who knew and loved him, though, the timelessness of Harrison’s music, including the work he did in the last 15 years of his life, makes him a natural fit for the next generation of fans. George Harrison celebrates his 21st birthday on Feb. With Lennon a long gone, if adored and iconic historical figure, and living legends McCartney and Starr catering to a decidedly older audience, Harrison - always the "dark horse," as he once sang - has become the enigmatic favorite of listeners new to The Beatles’ and respective solo canons. Meanwhile Harrison’s solo tracks, from the mega-hit “My Sweet Lord” to lesser known gems like “What Is Life” and “Handle With Care” - the signature song of Harrison’s band with Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne - regularly outpace songs like John Lennon’s “Imagine,” “Instant Karma” and “Jealous Guy.” He also tops Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” and “Band On the Run” as well as Ringo Starr’s “It Don’t Come Easy” on Spotify and Apple Music’s charts.Īnd while listenership of The Beatles’-themed channel on SiriusXM has (not surprisingly) been driven by older, baby boomer fans, if callers to the channel’s talk shows and request lines are any indication, the chart rankings of Harrison have most assuredly been driven by the generations who have flocked to online music, namely millennials and their Generation X and Y counterparts. And yet, “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something” have regularly outpaced “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be” and “Yesterday,” songs long-considered to be staples of the band’s storied catalog. This is likely a surprise to everyone but Harrison’s most diehard fans. If you want to measure the true power and timeless nature of George Harrison’s music, you need only to look at the music charts. ![]()
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