George Harrison

25th February 1943 - 29th November 2001

Musician and Entertainer - Man of Peace
(L.I. 1954 - 1959)

 

I'm really quite simple. I don't want to be in the business full-time, because I'm a gardener. I plant flowers and watch them grow. I don't go out to clubs and partying. I stay at home and watch the river flow.

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."

Condolences Book

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Condolences Name Institute Years
Yes, George went to the same school, but the privilege was to often see him, with all the Beatles, performing live on stage - those memories will liveRoger Allman 1955-1960
During one of our many forays to the Cavern lunchtime sessions, I asked George what kind of guitar he favoured. "I play a Gretsch, but today it's sounding like a (beeeep) Höfner". R.I.P. GeorgeRay Bleasdale 1959-1964
Can only echo Lunty's sad sentiments Stuart Clark 1964-1970
Not just the quiet Beatle but often the underrated one as well - a great musician and songwriter in his own right. A sad day indeed. Richard Evans 1964-1970
I lived near his house in Henley and would think of him whenever I drove past - I still will. As Ringo said in "Honey Don't" - Rock on George!Paul Gallagher1961 - 1968
Thank?s George for the musical pleasure you gave me, the pride you put back in Liverpool for us all with your music, and the joy you gave me knowing we shared the same Liverpool Institute School for BoysNeville Hunter 1942-1947
Can't keep away from watching progs abut G.H. Thoughts go back to the fact that we were all at the same skool ..just seen a live interview with Ray McFall on BBC. He's getting on isn't he   ?   .. Although it is extremely sad he was a Liobian the same as us.I think it's a privilege to have gone to the same place of edification. Geoff Kneen 1956-1962
Like you and all fellow Liobians and Liverpudlians it was upsetting to hear the news of George Harrison. Geoff Kontzle1967-1974
I was born in the same year that George left the Institute, nevertheless, despite all of the great and famous names which had walked through those doors George and Paul were the first two you would boast of way back in 1970 (when I passed my scholarship) and are still the first two to boast of today. A great joke of the day was to write George's or Paul's name into the history log of a text book. God bless you George.Thom Lester1970-1975
A sad day for music, Liverpool and Liobians Stephen Lunt 1965-1971
Sadly my only school memory of George is sharing time in 'Smokers Corner' but, thankfully, my abiding memory is the sound of 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'. You were a huge talent, your influence is all around us and lives on. Graham Ride1953-1958
The weather in Toronto this morning isn't very typical for the end of November. The sky's overcast and grey, and despite a chill in the air, a light fog has developed, which has hung on well into the morning, and is still clinging around buildings, trees, and streetlamps. You can smell the dampness in the air. This combination of conditions always puts me in mind of autumn in Liverpool, and the September - December term at the Inny. It seems an appropriate kind of day to get this sad, but not unexpected, news about George Colin Ridgeway1959-1967
From a 'newt' to a young lad with a guitar - then fame, stardom, and the world's stage.Jim Lycett 1952-1957
... 26th December 2005 ...Thankyou George, Since you've been gone my guitar gently weeps! Gavin OughtonI'm just a fan in Australia
.... November the 30th will go down as a momentous and incredibly sad day in all our livess ... It was a pleasure for everyone to share the same planet as George Harrison. To have been at Liverpool Institute at the same time as him was a unique privilege. He started out an ordinary Scouser with a cheeky grin but eventually Monarchs and Presidents mourned his passing. George Sephton 1957-1962
Thanks George ... you went down a bomb John Snelson 1956-1963
The George Formby Appreciation Society (of which I am, unashamedly, a member) has issued a press releaseas a tribute to George Harrison, a long time member and known to own one of GF's ukeleles. The most memorable appearance of GH is recorded as being at the GFAS gathering in the autumn of 1991 in the Winter Gardens at Blackpool when GH arrived unannounced with his wife and son. He joined in a couple of ukelele "thrashes" and then rendered the GF classic 'Leaning on a Lamp Post' from the stage. Although an impromptu appearance it is claimed that this was one of his last public performances. Paul Spenley 1950-1956
Even though I did not overlap at school with George I feel as if I have lost a family member. There are not many people of whom you can say that it was an honour nearly to be at school with them.Dave Sparks1962-1969
My immediate flashback was to Dovedale Rd and making a paper mache model of a coral island (ever the young geographer!) with George in the last year - 4A was it? He was so pleased to have passed the scholarship and got to the Inny but that soon passed. If a memorial is to be erected at the school perhaps it should be in the former upper yard on the site of smokers' corner - may do for many! Iain Taylor 1954-1961
Speech Day 1963 and Malcolm Smith saying something like 'About this musical group - one doesn't know whether to claim the credit or disclaim responsibility!'. Great memories - 'The Concert For Bangla Desh' has been playing continually at my house since Thursday. No-one will forget. Alan Toft 1960-67
Great memories.Just been listening to Radio Merseyside in the car. A lot of tributes and a really moving recording of the Headmaster at Dovedale Primary addressing the pupils at this morning's assembly. All things must pass Ken Webster 1956-1962
Yes it is sad, even for me, you were all so much closer to George's time at the Institute than me.John Wilson1942-1945
 

John Snelson writes:

A lot is being said about the music that made him famous ... again WRONG .. that is the music they made after becoming famous. Here is a list of the songs sung by George Harrison that, along with others, made the Beatles famous:

"Chains", "Three Cool Cats", "Glad All Over", "Nothing Shaking but a Leaf on a Tree", "Sheila", "Everybody's Trying to be my Baby", "I Forgot to Remember to Forget", "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", "Picture of You", "The Sheik of Araby", "Please Don't Ever Change" and "Young Blood"

.... and of course, all played on that black, semi accoustic Gretch guitar, which I coveted, along with John's solid brown Rickenbacker, and Paul's left-handed Höfner Club semi acoustic base (the famous "fiddle").

John Snelson