On August 1, 1971, George Harrison made history with The Concert for Bangladesh, a two-performance event that would set off a new wave of musical philanthropy for years to come. Harrison, in partnership with sitar player Ravi Shankar, organized the event to raise funds for East Pakistani refugees on the heels of the Bangladesh Liberation War and the 1970 Bhola cyclone.
While the entire process wasn’t totally hiccup-free, it was immensely successful, given its impressive size, lack of police presence, and the sheer number of stars Harrison managed to get onstage at once.
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George Harrison Made History in 1971
Just two short years after the Beatles officially split, George Harrison embarked on a massive solo project unlike anything the Fab Four had ever done previously. Harrison took the initial benefit concert plans of his friend and colleague, Ravi Shankar, and elevated them further. Shankar hoped to raise $25,000 for the people of Bangladesh, who were suffering in the aftermath of a deadly natural disaster and wartime genocide.
Even if he wasn’t a Beatle, Harrison still had access to Apple Corps resources, which he happily employed for the sake of his friend and his cause. The pair scheduled the two-concert event at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, and Harrison began making phone calls. Fortunately for Harrison, most of the people he called needed little convincing to hop on the bill. Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Badfinger, Eric Clapton, and Leon Russell were among the first to commit.
Other musicians were a bit harder to pin down. Neither John Lennon nor Paul McCartney participated in the concert, both for different reasons. Harrison wanted Bob Dylan on the bill, but the singer-songwriter was tentative about being part of such a gargantuan production. Harrison had to convince Dylan to stick around, sharing his own nerves and telling Dylan that at least he had the benefit of having experience playing solo. Eric Clapton was also a sticky wheel as he struggled through a relapse with h*****, although he ultimately made it onstage.
The Concert for Bangladesh Was a Massive Success
George Harrison placed a lot of pressure on himself to organize a successful benefit show. Coming off his tenure with the Beatles, this was a chance for Harrison to prove that he could make great things happen as an independent artist, too. Moreover, he cared deeply about his friend, Ravi Shankar, and the cause for which they were fundraising. Harrison’s concerns were short-lived, however, as the concert proved to be a massive success. Shankar’s initial goal of raising $25,000 seemed almost piddly compared to the $250,000 the crew received from ticket sales.
Harrison, Shankar, and Apple Corps raised even more money with the release of a live, three-vinyl box set of The Concert for Bangladesh. Although tax issues caused a significant delay in the distribution of funds to refugees via UNICEF, the final total amounts to around $12 million—not bad for the first event of its kind.
Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh was not only a major milestone in his career. It also marked a massive shift in the philanthropic efforts of musicians, sparking other benefit concerts even larger in scale, including Live Aid, Farm Aid, Live 8, and more. Harrison’s efforts grew into something far larger than himself, removed from ego and celebrity, which is all the more appropriate coming from a man who wrote anti-ego songs like “Within You Without You” and “I Me Mine.”
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images