During the peak of Beatlemania, The Beatles took over the world with their popularity. In the late 1970s, Star Wars did the same, as the original trilogy captivated audiences worldwide. Beatles’ guitarist George Harrison was a major Star Wars fan, and that passion extended to his son, Dhani, who said his father was like the wise Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Alec Guinness first portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy, and Ewan McGregor later played the character in the prequels. He was a wise and noble Jedi who relied upon the Force for guidance and strength. George Harrison was a spiritual person who often meditated and lived by the Hare Krishna mantra.
In an interview with Starwars.com, his son, Dhani, George reportedly spent much time in his garden. Dhani would have friends over, and his friends would go to the garden and listen to George’s words of wisdom, similar to a Jedi training his padawan.
“Sooner or later, it would turn into, like, five teenagers sitting there, listening to him lay things down in a very Obi-Wan kind of way,” Dhani said. “He had that kind of gravity to him. You know, you didn’t mess with him. He was tough, but he also was like a father to everyone that I knew. It came with his life experience of having years and years of just the weirdest life that anyone could imagine, and with that came great wisdom. He would sit there, and before long, it would be like some sort of Jedi Master class.”
George Harrison was a massive fan of ‘Star Wars’
Star Wars premiered in 1977, seven years after The Beatles broke up. Dhani Harrison was born in 1978, so Star Wars was an important part of his childhood and something he and his father bonded over. According to Dhani, George was a massive Star Wars fan, and his favorite movie was The Empire Strikes Back. The “Something” singer also appreciated how the Force connected to spirituality.
“My dad loved Star Wars. We were always very into Empire, obviously,” My dad had a way of explaining things. He used to say things like, “If you talk about God, you can watch people’s toes curl.” You know what I mean? Like, people don’t like to use the word ‘God.’ But if you use the term ‘the Force,’ essentially to mean exactly the same thing, or the universe, it’s a way more palatable thing that people with no spiritual or religious affiliations can get behind.”
A ‘Star Wars’ legend had a fanboy moment when meeting Harrison
In an interview with SiriusXM, Mark Hamill, who portrayed Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, recalled the time when he met George Harrison on a flight. Hamill saw Harrison and sent him a note, thanking him for the “soundtrack of a lifetime.” Harrison invited him over, and the two exchanged compliments.
“I remember managing to say, ‘Gosh, Mr. Harrison, I just want to tell you that your music is so meaningful to me in my life, and I don’t know what my life would’ve been without your music.’ So I got my compliment out,” Hamill shared. “Very cooly, he looked up, he said, ‘You’re not so bad yourself.’ I could die and go to heaven right now!”
While Luke Skywalker is a legendary hero, even he was awestruck to meet a member of The Beatles. Star Wars might be the biggest franchise in the world, but The Beatles were four real-life musicians whose music touched the hearts of audiences worldwide.
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