George Harrison was never the world's greatest guitarist，vocalist or songwriter.But he was as essential to the Fab Four formula as John Lennon's rebellious smile or Paul McCartney's great cow eyes.He was“the quiet one”，the serious musician who held the beat together while John and Paul were skylarking1） at the mike.Beatles fans who screamed for George were a curious but dedicated minority.

　　Harrison's grievances2） began from the moment he joined the Quarrymen，the skiffle group that was to metamorphose3） into the Beatles，as15－year－old school friend of McCartney's in1958.The story goes that they let him in only because，unlike the others，he knew how to tune guitars and he happened to know how to play a then popular instrumental number.

　　Harrison was lead guitarist，traditionally a starring or costarring role.But in his case it would be neither.From the very first the band was dominated by Lennon and McCartney，by their energy，their rival sex appeal and their increasingly prolific and brilliant songwriting.Harrison's main role was painfully mastering the guitar riffs to the Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly numbers that padded out their early albums.Shy，self－conscious and undemonstrative，he found himself relegated to an inner“second division”with Starr.

　　Although Harrison，too，soon began writing songs they were always doomed to be eclipsed by Lennon and McCartney's torrential output.

　　His greatest influence within the Beatles came during their“Indian”period of 1966～1968.Harrison took up the sitar，became a pupil of the instrument's greatest living maestro4），Ravi Shankar，and brought a twangy Indian feel to Beatles tracks such as Within You Without You and Norwegian Wood.As Martin later remembered，it gave him an authority in the studio that he'd never had before.

　　The band's break－up，an unofficial fact by1969although not officially ratified until 1971，had little to do with Harrison，being predominantly a fight to the finish between Lennon and McCartney over money，leadership and their respective new wives，Yoko and Linda.

　　The band' s break－up seemed to plunge Harrison into depression. Ironically，in the immediate post－break－up period Harrison's solo career seemed to leap ahead of both Lennon's and McCartney's.His triple album，All Things Must Pass，released in late 1970，was a massive British and American hit.With it came an international number one single，the mantra－like My Sweet Lord.A year later he conceived the two charity Concerts for Bangladesh at New York's Madison Square Garden，persuading superstar friends such as Clapton，Bob Dylan and Leon Russell to perform gratis5） for the famine－stricken6） mill ions of former East Pakistan.

　　One tribute7） once called him“a great humanitarian”；if that was putting it rather strong，the Concert for Bangladesh undoubtedly gave rock its first inkling of social conscience，paving the way for Live Aid and similar events in the 1980s.

　　In the early 1980s a wholly unexpected new career beckoned thanks to Harrison's friendship with Michael Palin and other members of the Monty Python team.The Pythons were in the midst of making their hilariously8） sacrilegious9） Life of Brian film，but suddenly had the plug pulled on them by their backers.Harrison stepped in，mortgaging Friar Park to raise enough for the film to be completed.

　　It was the basis of a production company，HandMade，part－owned by Harrison，which led the British film renaissance of the 1980s with memorable productions such as Mona Lisa and The Long Good Friday.

　　With HandMade prospering，he also enjoyed a minor musical renaissance with a surprise hit single，Got My Mind Set on You.

　　Harrison's death is a tragedy for his family and many friends.He was no giant.But he was the indispensable limb of a giant――the most powerful engine for creating human happiness that the entertainment world has ever seen.

by Philip Norman