The ridiculously star-studded lineup at the George Harrison tribute concert is a testament to how highly regarded the former Beatle was among the all-time greats. The Concert for George was held on the first anniversary of his passing, and one of the finest cuts from the night was his Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr playing “My Sweet Lord” with Beatles session players Eric Clapton and Billy Preston.
Preston, who some have called the fifth Beatle, sang lead and played the Hammond organ. The American keyboardist was a close collaborator with Harrison many times over the years. You can really hear the emotion in his voice as he sings Harrison’s yearning song “My Sweet Lord” at the tribute concert for his dear friend. The performance is by far the most popular video on George Harrison’s YouTube channel, having clocked up 137 million views.
As for the other stars onstage, Clapton was upfront and center playing a 12-string guitar, while McCartney provided the piano and Starr played the drums. It’s also really beautiful to see George’s son, Dhani Harrison, up there playing the guitar and singing backup vocals, and oh boy, does he look like his papa. Harrison’s collaborators, Jeff Lynne and Marc Mann, were also onstage, providing acoustic guitar and the iconic slide guitar lead breaks on the song respectively.
The Concert for George songs were a real hit on Harrison’s YouTube channel, with the Clapton-led “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” being the second most popular upload on his channel. Clapton and McCartney played much more prominent roles in this number, both singing lead vocals and taking solos on electric guitar and piano respectively. It was especially nice to see Clapton reprise his famous lead breaks on the Beatles song, the recording of which is a famous part of rock ‘n’ roll lore.
Fans online really felt the power of Preston singing for his lost friend on “My Sweet Lord”, and added comments below the video like “Billy Preston was born to sing this song. He absolutely killed this vocal” and “Billy really poured all his talent, heart, and soul into this rendition of George’s song, in order to pay tribute to his friend. RIP to both.”
The Concert for George took place on November 29, 2002, at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Harrison’s widow and son, Olivia and Dhani, organized the event, while Clapton acted as the musical director for the concert. The proceeds from the Concert for George were donated to the charity founded by Harrison, the Material World Charitable Foundation.
If you wish to delve deeper into the musical world of George Harrison, consider subscribing to his YouTube Channel. To learn more about this iconic figure, visit his official website for updates, concert videos and more details about his illustrious career.
