The 'quiet Beatle', George Harrison died of lung cancer on this day in 2001.  His passing came almost 31 years to the day after the release of All Things Must Pass, his third  solo album.

 

While the Lennon/McCartney writing team produced the vast majority of songs on most Beatles albums, Harrison  was credited on several of the band's best, including While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Taxman, I Want to Tell You, If I Needed Someone, Something and Here Comes the Sun.

George also had a major hand in the group's embrace of of the new musical influences that helped craft the ground breaking sounds of the Rubber Soul and Revolver albums. He released a dozen albums on his own and in his later years teamed with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison in the Traveling Wilburys, a group Harrison and Lynne cooked-up the idea of forming when the Electric Light Orchestra veteran was producing George's 1987 Cloud Nine.

 

Harrison's 1971 Concert for Bangladesh in New York's Madison Square Garden to awareness and raise relief funds for those facing war related genocide was one of the first major benefit concerts. The two shows featured a lineup of artists that included Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Badfinger and Ravi Shankar raised $250,000 for UNICEF.

 

Despite the fact Clapton had vied for and won Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd (the inspiration for If I Needed Someone and Something by Harrison and Layla and Wonderful Tonight by Eric), the two guitarists remained friends.

 

A year after George's death, Eric participated in an all-star tribute to Harrison at Royal Albert Hall . The Concert for George as it was billed also included Paul McCartney, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jeff Lynne, Ringo Starr, Ravi Shanker, and George's son, Dhani.

 

The 2011 Martin Scorsese documentary Living in the Material World provides a good look at Harrison's quiet but remarkable life and career.

 

Other Noteworthy November 29 Classic Rock events include...

1933 John Mayall born.

1943 Rascals Felix Cavaliere born.

1947 Ronnie Montrose born.

1951 Boston guitarist Barry Godreau born.

1969 Bob Dylan photo appears on the 2nd Anniversary edition cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.

1976  ZZ Top releases Tejas.

1980 Supertramp records songs for the Paris live album at the Pavillon de Paris.

1982 Foreigner releases Records.

1982 Metallica does its first headlining concert.

1992 U2 Zoo TV special airs on FOX.

1995 Sammy Hagar marries Kari Karte in San Francisco.

1997 Bruce Hornsby does National Anthem before Bulls/Wizards NBA game in Washington.

Bruce Springsteen closes 1999 tour in Minneapolis doing Santa Claus Is Coming To Town with a Santa on stage.

2003 Queen, Peter Gabriel, Eurthymics, Jimmy Cliff and more do AIDS benefit concert in Cape Town, South Africa.

2006 Ten paintings by Syd Barrett bring more than $100,000 in auction of the late Pink Floyd member. 

2006 Original artwork for Rolling Stones lips & tongue logo sells for $470,000 in London auction…