Musician's Friend [Ed: And Coverbands.com.au] mourns the loss of one of the great musicians of the 20th century, George Harrison, who died last Thursday, November 29, of brain cancer. From the age of fifteen, when he first began playing with his older friends, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, Harrison was a deeply dedicated guitarist, songwriter, and singer. He penned many of the Beatles greatest hits, including "If I Needed Someone," "Love You Too," "Within You, Without You," "Blue Jay Way," "Here Comes the Sun," "Something," and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (about which he said, "It was my guitar that was gently weeping--Eric just happened to be playing it."). After the Beatles, Harrison's songwriting gift continued to flower on solo albums such as "All Things Must Pass," "Living in the Material World," and "Cloud 9," among others. He also engaged in very fruitful collaborations with such fellow luminaries as Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar, and the Traveling Wilburys--a supergroup with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynn. Harrison did not enjoy publicity and never let popular tastes determine his musical direction. For example, in 1968, while still with the Beatles, he traveled to Bombay to produce an extremely experimental score for an avant garde movie called Wonderwall. Harrison felt that the Beatles made too many compromises for the sake of popularity, and he openly resisted many of them. As a result of his purist convictions, not all of his later solo efforts were smashing successes. But overall he evinced a huge vision and musical prowess. While remaining true to his own muse, George Harrison created a body of music that still resonates in the hearts of millions.

Aside from his broader impact on rock music, Harrison's unique guitar style has inspired generations of young players. Deceptively simple and direct-sounding, his famous solos have left many advanced guitarists mystified and humbled when they've learned first-hand that simple and direct do not necessarily equal easy or simple-minded. Harrison was known for his genuine compassion and a deeply spiritual nature. He set the precedent for charity-driven rock concerts by organizing the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, which provided significant relief to that famine-stricken country. His spiritual bent was generally of an Eastern flavor and first became apparent when he embraced Transcendental Meditation as taught by Hindu guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1966. He led the Beatles to India to meet the guru in September of that year. This trip, combined with the strong influence of virtuoso Ravi Shankar, under whom Harrison studied sitar, led to the incorporation of Eastern sounds into the Beatles' music. While the other Beatles soon lost interest in Hinduism, Harrison's faith remained strong throughout his life. He died reciting sacred Hindu chants. His son, Dhani, and wife, Olivia, reportedly scattered his ashes in the sacred rivers of India.

The world has lost a musical icon and a giant of popular music. But we have also lost a genuinely great man, a man who was dedicated to the higher things in all of us. He will be missed.