Life Remembering George Harrison: 10 Years Later

He was the quiet Beatle only in that he was standing alongside two louder-than-life characters and in front of a guy playing drums. He held many strong opinions - on Beatlemania, on global want, on his right to privacy, on his God - and gave firm voice to most of them. But George Harrison was certainly the most reluctant Beatle, wanting out almost as soon as he was in. He often said that his luckiest break was joining the band and his second luckiest was leaving it. The standard line is that George Harrison was an enigma, but perhaps he was transparent: a terrific guitarist, a fine songwriter, a wonderer, a seeker and, overriding all, a celebrity who hated and feared celebrity. George Harrison died at a friend's home in Los Angeles ten years ago, in late 2001, at age 58, losing his last battle with cancer. He was beloved, and had been for a long time. He had thrived in the aftermath of the band's breakup, becoming a recording artist on the level of his former mates McCartney and Lennon. As would be expected from LIFE, it is all here in pictures - the Hamburg days, the Cavern Club, the craze that was Beatlemania, the fun movies, the psychedelic period and the solo years. This is an intimate look back, with many visual surprises. See more