George Harrison was born on February 25, 1943  and died on November 29, 2001. George was an English musician, singer, songwriter, and music and film producer and widely known as lead guitarist for the Beatles. In 1965, the Beatles were appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire.

After they broke up in 1970 George went on to do multiple solo efforts and collaborated with former band-mate John and his wife Yoko Ono with the Plastic Ono Band as well as helping out Tom Petty on his solo work. One of my favorite super-groups aside from the Beatles that George was in was when he teamed up with Jeff Lynn, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison to form the Traveling Wilburys.

Most people know that I’m a spiritual person so I do have my own opinions about there being something more after we die. George Harrison became interested in Hinduism and embraced the Hare Krishna tradition and would practice japa-yoga chanting with beads.

I think that George had a good handle on what to expect when he was preparing to die. For me personally, I’ve gone through several transitions regarding death and grief and I think that I have a better understanding of it now after reading so many how to deal with loss books. I was looking for a way of compressing it all and dealing with it all at once and I was doing it wrong because it was attached to trauma and since I’ve separated the two things have gotten easier for me to cope. I think for George it was his practice with Hinduism which helped guide him to where he needed to be.

There are many who will say that George was definitely one of the guitar greats and I know he did influence others and likely continues to do so. I love how he described his love of guitars and he definitely loved experimenting and I know that’s how we learn because that’s what he did and that’s how they made unique music. So I thought it was fitting to choose my favorite song that George Harrison wrote for the Beatles that he sang lead on which is, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.

I have also included a special version of the same song which was performed at the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when George Harrison was inducted posthumously for his solo work. In this performance it includes Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne and others.