George Harrison
page 14
George Harrison, lead guitarist of The Beatles, was born in Liverpool, and left school to become an apprentice electrician. "But I had to stop trying to be an electrician," he says, "becasue I kept blowing everything up."
In 1956, he met John Lennon and Paul McCarthy [sic] and in the next couple of years they played with a variety of rock 'n roll groups. "We experimented with washboard and banjo sounds." Then after they found their own sound, the three boys together with Ringo Starr formed The Beatles. "We were different," George says, "and because the public was ready for a change, we've succeded.
"Of course, apart from the music, the way we look and act has helped us. The way we have our hair cut, for example."
George is actually the one who invented the eatle-cut, and quite by accident. "I went to the swimming pool while we were in Hamburg, and by the time my hair dried out, without the benefit of brush or comb, it looked like it does now."
The Beatles attach great importance to their hair now. It is one of their gimmicks, used to great advantage when shaking the head in the frantic fashion of their performances, and it makes them instantly recognizable. They have also started a craze for their special boots with thick Cuban-style high heels. The boots were designed as a joke by a craftsman with a firm which specializes in theatrical footwear. Then the Beatles bought a pair each, and now they are the rage among teenagers.
Although John and Paul do most of the song-writing for the group, George has demonstrated his ability too. "I did actually write one number," he says. "The result was that we liked it and used it in the act. Now it's on one of our records. Though I haven't bothered about it in the same way as John and Paul, I'd like to take a full stab at it sooner or later."
Songwriting isn't George's only interest. "I like parties and a bit of fun like anybody else," he says, "but there's nothing better for me than a little bit of peace and quiet. Sitting around a big fire with your slippers on and watching the television. That's life!"
George's ideal is a far cry from his real life. LIke the rest of the Beatles, his home is surrounded by dozens of female fans. "They don't worry me," says George, "in fact, I like it. I'd be dead worried if the girls weren't around and if the screams died away. In any case, we aren't home much these days."
George did have one chance to go home this past year. It was during a two-week vacation last summer, but instead he took off for the United States to "see the ordinary side of America," he says, "the shops, the airports, the trains, the garages, the way people live in general."
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