The Misunderstood Beatle

Beatle Mania is timeless. It’s been over six decades since the astonishing marvel of John, Paul, George and Ringo first shot onto the scene, and we are still being gifted by their talents and contributions.

Right on the heels of the release of a new Beatles song Now and Then, which was made possible through AI technology and the discovery of old and forgotten cassettes, George Harrison releases his biography, “The Reluctant Beatle” written by Philip Norman, who also authored New York Times bestseller, John Lennon: The Life and the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation.

Harrison’s story has a somewhat ironic-theme throughout as it highlights a vast difference between his public perception and who he actually was in life. Known to the public as the “Quiet Beatle”, it turns out that Harrison was actually very outspoken in his private life and with band mates, including being more critical towards the group than is generally acknowledged, and quite complex with his life choices.

• According to the memoir, without Harrison, the Beatles never would have happened.
  During their initial meeting in 1962, it was Harrison who broke the tension and anxiety with producer George Martin by cracking a joke about Martin’s necktie. Martin went on to work with the Beatles and have such a huge influence, that he was known as the “Fifth Beatle.”
• Harrison was an amazing song writer in his own rights, and yet, that wasn’t publicly known. in a way it’s understandable, as almost aanyone would be left in the shadows when standing next to the two massive Suns, Lennon and McCartney; who will go down in history as two of the best song writers of all time.
• Harrison criticize the material world, and yet wrote the first pop song that complained about income tax.
• Harrison spent working to lovingly restoring his Friar Park estate as a spiritual refuge but decided to mortgage the property to help rescue a film project that would be widely banned as sacrilegious, Monty Python’s Life of Brian.
• Another ironic twist is that despite being known as one of the best guitarists in a generation, it turns out that Harrison struggled with an inferiority complex. This feeling of lacking spurred him to seek out spiritual answers, which clearly influenced the Beatles’ artistic direction, specifically The White Album.
• According to musician Malcolm Wild, the Fab Four’s trip to India to study transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mehesh Yogi was driven from Harrison. Wild, now 68, and pastor of Calvary Chapel on Merritt Island, discussed how engaged they all were listening to Harrison talk about wanting to attain spiritual enlightenment through studying Eastern mysticism in a 2015 interview, “We did talk with George … and we were searching for answers. George gave us a leaflet on transcendental meditation.”

The Reluctant Beatle is a fascinating story about a man who felt rejected and excluded and yet used that loneliness to drive a quest to find where he belongs and stand up for what he believes in. It’s a surprising tale that adds depth and engaging contrast to a decade-long public narrative.

George Harrison, the quiet Beatle? Rubbish.-Ty Burr