Known as "The Dark Horse" or "The Quiet Beatle," George Harrison was born on February 25, 1943, in Liverpool, England. Harrison attended the English grammar school, The Institute for Boys, where he was regarded as a poor student. He did, however, excel in music, and was encouraged in his guitar pursuits by his school mate Paul McCartney. After working as an apprentice electrician, sixteen-year-old Harrison joined Paul McCartney and John Lennon and began playing with the Liverpool band known as The Quarrymen, later renamed The Beatles.

The Beatles’ rise to fame started in the early 60s, and swept up the rest of the decade in "Beatlemania" with their innumerable hits. The late 60s was a prolific period for Harrison with the band, contributing songs such as "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something." Harrison also met first wife, Pattie Boyd in 1964, on the set of A Hard Day's Night, and the couple was married two years later. By the 70s, The Beatles were no longer performing in public and had begun pursuing solo projects.

In 1971, Harrison made music history by becoming the first rock star to organize a major charity concert. Concert for Bangladesh was held on August 1, 1971, drawing an audience of over 40,000 to New York's Madison Square Garden. Featuring artists such as Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr, the concert raised funds for Bangladesh refugees.

In 1974, Harrison became the first Beatle to embark on a solo North American tour. At this time, Harrison’s marriage was in crisis, as his wife was now in love with Eric Clapton, who had penned his hit song, "Layla" after her. Also at this time, Harrison had met his next wife-to-be, Olivia Trinidad Arias, an employee at A&M Records.

Harrison released a series of solo albums throughout the 70s, but switched his focus for the most part to producing films in the 80s through his production company, Handmade Films. In 1986, Handmade Films released the critically-panned film, Shanghai Surprise, starring then-newlyweds Madonna and Sean Penn. The following year, Harrison made a comeback with the album Cloud Nine, which featured the hit song, "Got My Mind Set on You." The following year, he joined Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison to form the all-star group, the Traveling Wilburys.

The 90s saw Harrison retreating from the public eye to spend time with his family. He also focused his time on charitable endeavors such as the Romanian Angel Appeal, which he founded with his second wife, Olivia, to aid Romanian orphans.

Harrison reemerged in the spotlight in 1999, after being stabbed in the chest multiple times by a deranged fan who broke into his Oxfordshire mansion. Fortunately, Harrison and his wife managed to detain the assailant until the police arrived. Harrison recovered, and embarked on the new millennium with a new spin on his classic album, All Things Must Pass in 2000.

In 2001, it was revealed that Harrison was battling an inoperable form of brain cancer. He passed away on November 29, 2001, in his Hollywood Hills mansion, which was once leased by Paul McCartney and previously owned by Courtney Love. Harrison’s family released the following statement after his passing: "He left this world as he lived in it: conscious of God, fearless of death and at peace, surrounded by family and friends."

YUDDY