It is regarded as one of the greatest love songs ever written. “Something” with its grace, beautiful melody, and sublime guitar solo is a masterpiece and has been recorded by 150 artists.
That alone deserves recognition. But the writer of the work which received the Ivor Novello Award for “Best Song Musically and Lyrically” of 1969 was also a Beatle. George Harrison is believed to have penned the lyrics for his first wife, Patti Boyd.
The song was said by John Lennon to be the best on the Beatles’ Abbey Road album. Among those who recorded it were Joe Cocker, Shirely Bassey, and Frank Sinatra.
Along with “Here Comes The Sun” it was a the moment Harrison emerged from the shadow of Lennon and Paul McCartney as a songwriter. His ability was confirmed when he released the epic triple solo album in 1970, All Things Must Pass – which included “My Sweet Lord” “If Not For You” and “What Is Life”.
Today, tribute was paid to the Fab Four’s “quiet one”- a music icon and humanitarian – with the unveiling of a blue plaque at his birthplace – 12 Arnold Grove, Wavertree in Liverpool. It was being unveiled by Harrison’s widow, Olivia, who he married in 1978. She described the ceremony as “a source of family pride”.
Harrison was born on February 25th 1943 at the two-up/two-down terraced house near Wavertree’s High Street and lived there until he was nearly seven years old. George later wrote of the house: “To look at, it is just like Coronation Street. No garden, door straight on to the street…it was OK that house, very pleasant being little and it was always sunny in summer.”
The youngest of four children, George grew up part of a tight-knit family. Music was an early interest, encouraged by his parents, although George did not actively start learning guitar until the age of 12 or 13. The family had strong connections to Wavertree. George’s parents were born and grew up in the area and his maternal grandparents lived in the adjacent road, Albert Grove.
George’s family left Arnold Grove in early 1950, when he was nearly seven, as they had finally reached the top of the housing list they’d been on for nearly 20 years.
The youngest member of the Beatles, Harrison was just 17 when the band embarked on their now-famed trip to Hamburg in 1960 and just 27 when they broke up in 1970. Known as the ‘quiet Beatle’, he was their lead guitarist and a talented songwriter.
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