George Harrison initially refused to show up for The Beatles' 1988 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. George should have been the least likely member of The Beatles to attend (apart from John Lennon, who passed away in 1980).
He was not interested in praise simply because he was modest; there were other factors as well. George never thought of himself as one of the greatest rock stars in music history and wasn't the biggest admirer of fame either. But he understood he would have regretted staying home.
Guitarist for the Beatles come to terms with being in the group.
George claimed to have "never" considered returning to The Beatles nine years after their breakup in an interview with Rolling Stone. "Neither in this life nor in any other. While it was often amazing, when it really entered the craze, it became clear that stopping was the only option.
We nearly lost our lives in a variety of incidents, including planes catching fire, individuals attempting to shoot the plane down, and rioting everywhere we visited. It made me look older.
Being a Beatle was like having a former life to George. He probably thought Beatle George was someone else because of this. George allegedly reportedly claimed, "The Beatles exist apart from myself," as quoted by Rolling Stone. I'm not truly George the Beatle.
"Beatle George is like a suit or shirt I once occasionally wore; till the rest of my life, people may see that clothing and think it's me. I write a few songs, play a little guitar, and produce a few videos, but none of that is truly me. What I really am is different.
George, meanwhile, only accepted his Beatlehood in the 1980s, long after Beatlemania had subsided. George said to Creem Magazine in a 1987 interview, "Well, I've got a lot of years. Everyone had seen the tight and unpleasant film "Let It Be" around that time, and it was terrible about 1969. We were all rather shell-shocked from the 1960s, so the years that followed were difficult.
But as things have calmed down, I've accepted it and it has faded into obscurity. We've aged and new generations have emerged, so I avoided interviews and TV appearances for years before I was able to go outside, stroll down the street, enter a store, and just carry out daily activities that average people carry out.
"Everything is cool, and I'm really enjoying it. And so, it's lovely if someone approaches you and says, "Alright, George," congratulating you and thanking you for all the songs you've done in the past and what you've been up to. Anyone could become insane due to the focused mania.
George and his wife Olivia cracked a joke about how he should earn some respect since The Beatles weren't going anywhere. So perhaps that explains why George attended The Beatles' induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Prior to attending, George Harrison claimed that attending The Beatles' Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction meant nothing to him.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction of The Beatles initially didn't interest George. He almost skipped it since he didn't think it mattered. But when he got to the wedding, his viewpoints changed.
As George admitted to MuchMusic, "I must confess, it didn't mean much to me until I got there because, you know, it's just some notion somebody had and it hasn't really meant that lot to me for the past two or three years." However, someone once remarked, "It might not seem like much now, but it's history, and you'll enjoy it. I followed suit, and I'm pleased I did.
It was a little chaotic, but we had a terrific night once everyone had gone to bed. Even just seeing Little Richard and the other guys there was amazing. It was great fun for me. But now that I have my small statue bearing the inscriptions "The Beatles" and "The Hall of Fame," I know it will become something I'll be glad I didn't miss out on as time goes on.
George felt at ease going to The Beatles' Hall of Fame induction because he had made peace with the band. He would have regretted not going, too. Even so, it's astonishing that George showed up at all.
George wouldn't have been at ease accepting his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
George never adapted to his celebrity. He was uncomfortable being continually pursued by throngs of screamin' girls who wanted a piece of him and The Beatles. George quickly lost interest in praise. He was both bored and his nerves were frayed. Thank goodness, George discovered spirituality, which purified his soul. He discovered who he truly was and set out on a spiritual, God-aware path.
So it was understandable why he objected to receiving praise for his efforts. To him, it was all a lie. God would be the only person who could possibly appreciate him. In any case, he just played music to get closer to his creator. George disliked it when people regarded him as a god. It was defamatory.
But to top it all off, he didn't give a damn. Nothing in his life restrained him. His ego had already been overextended. Olivia said in Martin Scorsese's 2011 film, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, that George didn't give accolades and honours much thought.
She remarked, "George had the most variety in life. I used to tell him, "Oh, they want to give you this award thing," as he neared the end of his life. 'I don't want it,' he declared. Get another monkey for them, please. Yes, but it's a really nice one, I'd reply. You need to have this.
And he would respond by saying, "Well, if you want it that badly, go get it. I won't be going. I've stopped doing it. mainly because it's a major detour... I greatly admired him for drawing the line where he did.
Receiving recognition, or even being admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, would have been a distraction from the main objective of discovering God and developing a relationship with him. Awards weren't necessary in George's world because he didn't live in one. The next realm of existence was what he most yearned to enter.
Therefore, it's unexpected that George even showed up for The Beatles' induction. Contrary to Paul McCartney, he didn't regret not going.
