George Harrison Felt it Was ‘Hard’ to Represent The Beatles at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
George Harrison had the honor of giving an acceptance speech when The Beatles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. However, he revealed it was “hard” for him to represent The Beatles at that time. Here’s what he had to say about John Lennon and Paul McCartney in his speech.
George Harrison gave a memorable speech at The Beatles’ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction
The Beatles’ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction was notable both for who was there and for who was not there. George, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and John Lennon’s sons, Julian and Sean, were present for the ceremony. Mick Jagger inducted the band with his trademark wit. However, John was not there because he had died, and Rolling Stone reports Paul McCartney wasn’t there because his relationships with Ringo, George and Yoko were strained over a royalty dispute.
Ringo came on the stage to give a speech which was very casual. George, on the other hand, gave a speech which was more serious. “I don’t have to say much because I’m the Quiet Beatle,” George began. “It’s unfortunate Paul’s not here because he’s the one who had the speech in his pocket.”
Then he discussed the two Beatles who were absent from the ceremony. “Anyway, we all know why John can’t be here, and I’m d*mn sure he would be,” he added. “It’s hard to stand here supposedly representing the Beatles. It’s what’s left I’m afraid. But we all loved him so much and we all love Paul very much.”
George explained the origin of The Beatles
George then explained why The Beatles came into existence in the first place. “I supposed basically the reason we became a band was [because] of all the other people in the Hall of Fame already, including Leadbelly, because they stole his tunes and turned it into skiffle and we all became skifflers when we were 13.” He added “We just wanted to get guitars, get in a band, because we didn’t really have proper jobs at the time.” George said he was thrilled to be at the Hall of Fame and thanked rock ‘n’ roll singers like Little Richard for inspiring the Fab Four.
Dhani Harrison explains how his father felt at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
George was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a solo artist after his death. His son, Dhani, and his widow, Olivia, accepted the award on his behalf. In his speech, Dhani revealed his father told him many fun stories about the night The Beatles got into the Hall of Fame. He didn’t elaborate on what those stories were. While George had a hard time representing The Beatles at the Hall of Fame, he seemed to enjoy the night overall.
