George Harrison Was the Youngest Beatle —But Didn’t ‘Feel’ That Way
George Harrison was the youngest Beatles member, performing with Paul McCartney and John Lennon at only 14 years old. During a self-interview, this guitarist commented on his role in the rock band — and why his age didn’t make “the slightest difference.”
Who was the youngest Beatles member?
The Beatles are the behind “Love Me Do,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” They first started writing and performing music as teenagers, with guitarist and songwriter Harrison as the youngest band member.
Harrison was only 14 years old when he started performing with the then-Quarrymen. According to Biography, it was McCartney that pushed for Harrison to join the band, despite the guitarist’s age. Eventually, the band changed their name to the Beatles, swapping their drummer for Ringo Starr. The rest is history.
George Harrison commented on the Beatles’ age difference
The Beatles continued releasing music until their official split in 1970. As time passed, these artists matured together. During a 1964 “self” interview, Harrison commented on his role as the youngest band member.
“It is important to remember that we’ve been close friends since school days,” Harrison said (via Beatles Interviews). “A year or two, either way, doesn’t make the slightest difference in our age group.”
The guitarist elaborated on “feeling” like the youngest Beatles member, saying the performers often shared music and life experiences.
“It would if you were talking about a George age eight and a John age eleven, but as a group we’ve all had just about the same amount of experience and,” he added, “of course, we’ve shared all the same adventures.”
When is the Beatles’ George Harrison’s birthday? When did he die?
Harrison was born on Feb. 25, 1943. That made him the youngest member of the Beatles — with Pisces as his zodiac sign. The birthdates of the other Beatles are Lennon on Oct. 9, 1940, McCartney on June 18, 1942, and Starr on July 7, 1940.
On Nov. 29, 2001, Harrison died at the age of 58 following a battle with lung cancer. The remaining Beatles shared their thoughts on the songwriter, with Ringo Starr mentioning his “sense of love, his sense of music and his sense of laughter.”
“He left this world as he lived in it, conscious of God, fearless of death, and at peace, surrounded by family and friends,” the Harrison family said in a statement. “He often said, ‘Everything else can wait but the search for God cannot wait,’ and `love one another.’”
Before his death, the songwriter branched out as a solo musician, releasing “My Sweet Lord,” “Wah-Wah,” “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth),” and other tracks. Now, music by Harrison (and the Beatles) is available on most major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.
