01of 08A ‘Spiritual Person’George Harrison.The Estate of Barry FeinsteinHere, Harrison peers out a window at his home in Friar Park, England in 1970, thirty-one years before his death.“They used to call him the quiet Beatle, which is kind of ridiculous,” Murray tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “He wasn’t as talked about as John and Paul perhaps, but there’s a huge group of people out there in the world who really love this guy. These are some of the reasons why: He was a spiritual person. And these days we need spirituality. We need hope, we need love, we need community. George really expressed all those qualities.”
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A ‘Spiritual Person’
George Harrison.The Estate of Barry Feinstein
Here, Harrison peers out a window at his home in Friar Park, England in 1970, thirty-one years before his death.
“They used to call him the quiet Beatle, which is kind of ridiculous,” Murray tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “He wasn’t as talked about as John and Paul perhaps, but there’s a huge group of people out there in the world who really love this guy. These are some of the reasons why: He was a spiritual person. And these days we need spirituality. We need hope, we need love, we need community. George really expressed all those qualities.”
02of 08At Friar ParkThe Estate of Barry FeinsteinHarrison, who believed in meditation and connected with the Hare Krishna movement, often found solace at his Victorian mansion, Friar Park, near Henley-on-Thames in England. (Here, the rocker gardens at his home with his then-wife Pattie Boyd in 1970.)Murray visited Harrison there 10 years later, after Harrison became a fan of his book,Illuminations From the Bhagavad-Gita.“George took great pleasure in gardening,” says Murray. “It made a lot of sense to me, because when people were having higher consciousness and spiritual realizations at that time through meditation, or psychedelics, or whatever, nature became such an important thing.”
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At Friar Park
The Estate of Barry Feinstein
Harrison, who believed in meditation and connected with the Hare Krishna movement, often found solace at his Victorian mansion, Friar Park, near Henley-on-Thames in England. (Here, the rocker gardens at his home with his then-wife Pattie Boyd in 1970.)
Murray visited Harrison there 10 years later, after Harrison became a fan of his book,Illuminations From the Bhagavad-Gita.
“George took great pleasure in gardening,” says Murray. “It made a lot of sense to me, because when people were having higher consciousness and spiritual realizations at that time through meditation, or psychedelics, or whatever, nature became such an important thing.”
03of 08The RehearsalThe Estate of Barry FeinsteinWhen Harrison organized the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1971, he created one of the most memorable rock performances of all time. But Bob Dylan’s attendance wasn’t definite.“Not many people know there was a rehearsal a few days before the show. Bob came to that rehearsal. They weren’t even sure if he’d come to that, but he did,” Murray remembers. (Right, Harrison and Dylan rehearse for the concert.) “His appearance was the heart of the show because they’re George and Bob, they love each other, and New York loved Bob.”
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The Rehearsal
When Harrison organized the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1971, he created one of the most memorable rock performances of all time. But Bob Dylan’s attendance wasn’t definite.
“Not many people know there was a rehearsal a few days before the show. Bob came to that rehearsal. They weren’t even sure if he’d come to that, but he did,” Murray remembers. (Right, Harrison and Dylan rehearse for the concert.) “His appearance was the heart of the show because they’re George and Bob, they love each other, and New York loved Bob.”
04of 08The Concert for BangladeshThe Estate of Barry FeinsteinThe band that took the stage featured a dazzling array of musicians like Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner, Leon Russell and Jim Horn — and Feinstein was there to capture it all.“Leon Russell was crazy about Bob. And there’s Ringo playing drums,” says Murray. “There’s Eric Clapton, who was a dear friend of George’s. And so the chemistry of everybody on stage for Bangladesh was amazing.”
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The Concert for Bangladesh
The band that took the stage featured a dazzling array of musicians like Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner, Leon Russell and Jim Horn — and Feinstein was there to capture it all.
“Leon Russell was crazy about Bob. And there’s Ringo playing drums,” says Murray. “There’s Eric Clapton, who was a dear friend of George’s. And so the chemistry of everybody on stage for Bangladesh was amazing.”
05of 08Living In the Material WorldThe Estate of Barry FeinsteinFeinstein was also one of the photographers there for theLiving In the Material Worldphoto session in Los Angeles in 1973. Harrison had created a “surreal” feast outside, says Murray.“All the people sitting at that table were the musicians who were playing with him: Jim Keltner, Ringo, Nicky Hopkins,” he continues. “George created this surreal kind of feast, sort of [a play] on success, and fame, and what people think it means.”
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Living In the Material World
Feinstein was also one of the photographers there for theLiving In the Material Worldphoto session in Los Angeles in 1973. Harrison had created a “surreal” feast outside, says Murray.
“All the people sitting at that table were the musicians who were playing with him: Jim Keltner, Ringo, Nicky Hopkins,” he continues. “George created this surreal kind of feast, sort of [a play] on success, and fame, and what people think it means.”
06of 08A ‘Mad Hatter Tea Party’The Estate of Barry FeinsteinIn actuality, Harrison was “pulling everybody’s leg,” Murray explains.“The incredible songs on that album are deeply spiritual poems that he put to music,” he continues, “about becoming self-realized and about Krishna consciousness.”
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A ‘Mad Hatter Tea Party’
In actuality, Harrison was “pulling everybody’s leg,” Murray explains.
“The incredible songs on that album are deeply spiritual poems that he put to music,” he continues, “about becoming self-realized and about Krishna consciousness.”
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George Harrison: Be Here Now
Rizzoli
“This was the first solo album. The Beatles had just broken up. The Vietnam war was going on. Civil rights. Everything was happening,” says Murray. “And here comes this first [solo] Beatles’ album, and it’s calledAll Things Must Pass. And there’s George with four garden gnomes, in this natural state landscape, and the cover mesmerized me.”
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Carlotta Hester
Murray, who founded Govinda Gallery in 1975, had a similar reaction to another Beatles portrait years before, which started his obsession with rock photography. Before photographer Annie Leibovitz was famous, Murray hosted her first exhibition in 1984. That was when he purchased her iconic portrait of a naked John Lennon holding on to Yoko Ono.
“It was just me and Annie and I said, ‘Annie, I’m going to buy my first photo of yours. I love John. I’m going to get the one of John and Yoko.’ And she turned to me and said, ‘You know, Chris, John was murdered the day I took that photo.’ "
Murray didn’t say anything in response, but he made a vow to himself.
“When Annie told me that, hand to God, I didn’t say it to her, I just said it to myself, ‘Not only is this a great photo, it’s an important photo,’ " he remembers. “At that very moment I said to myself, ‘I’m going to find more photos like this.’ "
source: people.com
