Musicians gather in Liverpool for the love of Beatle George Harrison
A CONCERT celebrating the life and career of George Harrison takes place next month.In the opulent surroundings of the small concert room in St George’s Hall, the tribute will take place on the anniversary of Harrison’s trailblazing Concerts for Bangladesh – the first large-scale musical event dedicated to charity awareness, which took place in 1971.
The Liverpool show, on August 1, takes place alongside an exhibition of photographs and memorabilia dedicated to the former Beatle.
Organiser Denise Theophilus said: “We are celebrating the fact we had someone like George on this earth.
“People think he was just the quiet Beatle, maybe a bit dull, but that’s so very far from the truth.
“He was a fantastic person who lived a fantastic life and was a great inspiration to many people.
“He came from nothing and went beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.”
Musicians from around the world will be appearing at the two concerts on August 1 – at 3pm and 7.30pm – to pay homage to the musical phases of Harrison’s life, reflecting everything from his love of George Formby to the Indian fusion style he pioneered.
Italian tribute band Sir Frankie Crisp and the Friars will perform a track from each of Harrison’s solo albums, and George Formby tribute artist Ray Bernard, who performed for the Beatle at his own home – will play his favourite songs.
George’s friend, and fellow disciple of Ravi Shankar, Gaurav Mazumdar, will play a special composition on sitar written especially for the concert, and musician Jeff Slate will perform a set.
Finally, Piggies, a band formed just for the occasion and featuring a variety of talented musicians, will close the show.”
Ms Theophilus added: “Everyone is doing it for the love of George, this really is being done from the heart.
“It is something very special and any profits we make will go to George’s charities.
“A lot of things are done for John Lennon and Paul McCartney so we have done this to mark the anniversary of the concerts for Bangladesh.”
Harrison’s concerts, staged in New York in 1971, raised Western awareness to the plight of the millions of refugees fleeing Bangladesh, and the millions more that had been tortured and killed.
Ms Theophilus said: “People didn’t know about the situation in Bangladesh, and George brought it to the eyes of the world.
“There had never been anything like it before.
“Live Aid came 14 years later. It was the first act of people giving so much to those who had so little.”
Waaa!! Wish I could go to Liverpool!!!!
George really deserves it, and I guess they should had done it before