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Solo forums => George Harrison => Topic started by: Normandie on April 07, 2022, 02:47:25 AM

Title: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Normandie on April 07, 2022, 02:47:25 AM
This popped up on the Beatles subreddit thread, and I'm thinking most people have already seen this, or seen the original obit when it was published: Philip Norman's obituary for George. It has—justifiably, in my opinion—been labeled obnoxious. I personally would add to that crass and immature. >:(

It's quite long, but here is the link in case anyone has not yet read it. (I hadn't.) https://pizzaandfairytales.tumblr.com/post/4662158418/philip-normans-obituary-for-george-harrison (https://pizzaandfairytales.tumblr.com/post/4662158418/philip-normans-obituary-for-george-harrison)

If I were the publisher, I would have killed this. (Editorial jargon.) It's not like it's a family-written obituary, which in the States are paid for and thus relatively free from editorial oversight.

From what I have read, Philip Norman has eased off on his anti-Paul harshness. One can only hope he does the same with George. I heard he's currently working on a bio of George.
Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Moogmodule on April 07, 2022, 03:41:29 AM
I heard he's currently working on a bio of George.

Seriously? After his about face mea culpa on Paul, he was asked straight out in an interview if he’d move on to George and he said no way. Didn’t consider him a worthy subject. It’ll be a bit much if he suddenly discovers how much he loves George as well.
Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Normandie on April 07, 2022, 03:57:38 AM
Seriously? After his about face mea culpa on Paul, he was asked straight out in an interview if he’d move on to George and he said no way. Didn’t consider him a worthy subject. It’ll be a bit much if he suddenly discovers how much he loves George as well.

Oh, I hadn't heard that. I have to say, I'm very leery of Norman. He purports to be a biographer and yet inserts his own opinion into his work, which is inappropriate. I don't have a lot of respect for Philip Norman for that reason. Someone who pens a memoir, such as Geoff Emerick, has more leeway.

A redditor directed me to a thread that indicated that he does indeed have a forthcoming book, through Scribners (good publisher), titled Dark Horse: In Search of George Harrison, to come off press in 2023 in hardcover.

Strangely enough, a Google search yielded nothing on this.

Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Loco Mo on April 07, 2022, 04:53:18 AM
Well, I read the eulogy(?) and I don't know what to make of it.  If he didn't like George, I ask why?  What did George do to offend him so much?  Or did he just give in to the temptation to be a troll?

George became famous as a Beatle when he was 20 years old.  Even if he was flawed, so what?  I don't know of any morally perfect selfless human being.

I have asked myself:  What would I have been like had I been rich and famous?  I can't imagine how big my ego would have been combined with a subsequent sense of superiority and entitlement.

I don't know.  I thought George was a humble Beatle.
Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Moogmodule on April 07, 2022, 07:27:37 AM


I don't know.  I thought George was a humble Beatle.
[/quote]

Not having known someone personally we can never know. But a common thread that comes through when you read about George from people who worked for him or recorded with him was what a nice person he was to work with. Which doesn’t mean he wasn’t a dick every so often like all of us.
Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: nimrod on April 08, 2022, 02:17:33 AM

I don't know.  I thought George was a humble Beatle.


Not having known someone personally we can never know. But a common thread that comes through when you read about George from people who worked for him or recorded with him was what a nice person he was to work with. Which doesn’t mean he wasn’t a dick every so often like all of us.

My overriding feelings about George was that he didn't suffer fools, he complained a lot about being a Beatle and he was pretty hypocritical with the religion thing.
I think his ego was smaller that John or Paul's though. :)
Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Moogmodule on April 08, 2022, 10:39:47 AM
I think his ego was smaller that John or Paul's though. :)

Not a high bar to clear  ha2ha
Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Normandie on April 09, 2022, 12:23:53 AM
Not having known someone personally we can never know. But a common thread that comes through when you read about George from people who worked for him or recorded with him was what a nice person he was to work with. Which doesn’t mean he wasn’t a dick every so often like all of us.

I shudder to think what someone would write about me if I were famous enough to write about. "Rhymes-with-witch" comes to mind.  ;)
Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Moogmodule on April 09, 2022, 12:38:11 AM
I shudder to think what someone would write about me if I were famous enough to write about. "Rhymes-with-witch" comes to mind.  ;)

Well there is the old Oscar Wilde saying that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Loco Mo on April 09, 2022, 12:48:22 AM
I'd like to read this, but it appears to be out of print.
Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Normandie on April 09, 2022, 01:24:48 AM
Well there is the old Oscar Wilde saying that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.

 ha2ha  Oh, wait. . .


I'd like to read this, but it appears to be out of print.

What are you referring to, Loco Mo?
Title: Re: Philip Norman's obituary for George
Post by: Loco Mo on April 09, 2022, 01:41:54 AM
Normandie:  Sorry.  I mis-posted.  I want to read "Pre-Fab" by Colin Hanton.

I re-posted this but to the correct thread.