Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison [Paperback]

Gary Tillery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 13, 2011

John Lennon called himself a working class hero. George Harrison was a working class mystic. Born in Liverpool as the son of a bus conductor and a shop assistant, for the first six years of his life he lived in a house with no indoor bathroom. This book gives an honest, in-depth view of his personal journey from his blue-collar childhood to his role as a world-famous spiritual icon.

Author Gary Tillery’s approach is warmly human, free of the fawning but insolent tone of most rock biographers. He frankly discusses the role of drugs in leading Harrison to mystical insight but emphasizes that he soon renounced psychedelics as a means to the spiritual path. It was with conscious commitment that Harrison journeyed to India, studied sitar with Ravi Shankar, practiced yoga, learned meditation from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and became a devotee of Hinduism. George worked hard to subdue his own ego and to understand the truth beyond appearances. He preferred to keep a low profile, but his empathy for suffering people led him to spearhead the first rock-and-roll super event for charity. And despite his wealth and fame, he was always delighted to slip on overalls and join in manual labor on his grounds. At ease with holy men discussing the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, he was ever the bloke from Liverpool whose father drove a bus, whose brothers were tradesmen, and who had worked himself as an apprentice electrician until the day destiny called.

Tillery’s engaging narrative depicts Harrison as a sincere seeker who acted out of genuine care for humanity and used his celebrity to be of service in the world. Fans of all generations will treasure this book for the inspiring portrayal it gives of their beloved “quiet” Beatle.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Having first known him back in the days when he was called only 'the quiet Beatle,' it thrills me no end that George's inner journey has now been so splendidly chronicled.
--Victor Spinetti

From the early days I noticed George had an inner talent he hadn’t seemed able to unlock. I actually encouraged him to begin writing again after he seemed blocked by the song-writing success of Lennon & McCartney. I saw how he became the member of the Beatles most stretched by his friends, his philosophy and his search for meaning....a meaning which he eventually discovered. Gary Tillery has captured George’s spiritual odyssey in his latest work, which enables us to take the journey with him to unlock the secrets, move aside the veil and gain a remarkable insight. It provides an invaluable companion to his recent work on John Lennon The Cynical Idealist.
--Bill Harry, Founder of Mersey Beat

Often referred to as the “Quiet One,” George Harrison is given full voice in Gary Tillery’s compact, yet highly enlightening Working Class Mystic. Tillery nicely summarizes Harrison’s life and music, framing the ex-Beatle’s life in terms of his life-long spiritual quest. One result of Harrison’s search, which manifested itself as the seminal benefit rock concert known as the Concert for Bangladesh, is perhaps Harrison’s greatest legacy. The sad ending of Harrison’s life at such a young age and the life-threatening experience he and his wife Olivia faced at their home by a crazed intruder are leavened with the peace Harrison felt, even in the face of death. The music, Harrison’s sense of humor and his commitment to living in the spiritual world make this book ultimately uplifting and a great read.
--Steve Matteo, author of Let it Be and Dylan and editor of Pulse magazine

In Working Class Mystic we see George Harrison not as a self-indulgent super-celebrity, but as an idealist who retained his humanity through it all, and who set an example for all of us by sharing his blessings with others. This exceptionally well-researched book shows that even with all the struggles and pitfalls Harrison had to deal with, and then find ways to overcome, he never gave up his daily search for developing his own purity of spirit. With the publication of Working Class Mystic, Gary Tillery and Quest Books have done a real service to the legacy of George Harrison as an artist of enduring value and man whose ideals remain timeless.
--David Amram, composer and author of Offbeat: Collaborating with Kerouac

One of the more fascinating Beatles biographies, Working Class Mystic is neither hagiography nor rushed cash-in, but a richly informative account, understanding and empathetic, thankfully without much of the dourness that tarnished Harrison's later recordings. A worthy companion to Tillery's earlier book on Lennon, it is an insightful portrait of one of music's more complex characters, and should be devoured by Harrison's devout disciples.
--Joe Goodden, The Beatles Bible

In this often troubled and desensitized world of stone, Gary Tillery's elegantly written account of Harrison's musical and spiritual life arrives to us as if on the wings of angels.
--Anthony Pomes, Beatles expert, advisory board member of The John Lennon Center for Music & Technology

Most rewarding, I spotted a book called Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison by Gary Tillery. And if you know anything about my alley, you know this is right up it.
--Levi Asher, Literary Kicks

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Quest Books (December 13, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0835609006
• ISBN-13: 978-0835609005
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #612,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary Tillery is the author of both fiction and nonfiction works.

His fascination with "the intellectual Beatle," John Lennon, led him to write The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon. The book was published by Quest Books in 2009 and has been translated into German, French, and Portuguese.

He followed up its success with a study of "the quiet Beatle," titled Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison. Quest Books published the work in 2011.

Both books will soon be available in a Kindle edition.

A third book in the "Spiritual Biography" series, on Elvis Presley, will be available in 3Q 2013.

Fiction-wise, he has chronicled the adventures of "soft-boiled" detective Jack Savage in two comic novels -- Death, Be Not Loud and To An Aesthete Dying Young. The third book in the series is slated for publication in 2013.

He also published a collection of intertwined short stories set in Vietnam, Darkling Plain -- a book that examines the impact of America's most traumatic war on a young airman.

He has also published two volumes of poetry -- Through a Dark, Glassly, and 50 Epiphanies, a collection of haiku.

A native of the Southwest, Tillery was born in Phoenix in 1947. He served in Vietnam with the U. S. Air Force in 1968-69, then returned to earn a Bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies from ASU and a Master's degree from the American Graduate School of International Management.

After two decades in the business world, primarily as co-owner of an advertising agency in suburban Chicago, he turned his time and energy to his lifelong passion for literature and art.

Tillery is also a professional artist. His most prominent work is the sculpture for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Chicago. He also created the bronze bust of Steve Allen for the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood. He has displayed in galleries from Pennsylvania to New Mexico and appeared in shows as far away as Shanghai. His works are in the private collections of Patricia DuPont and General Tommy Franks, and the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago holds two pieces in its permanent collection.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Working Class Mystic - A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison November 9, 2011

By J. Etherington

Format:Paperback

I have read almost every book available on George Harrison, but would highly recommend this new volume by Gary Tillery. Although the book is only 200 pages long (with the main text ending at page 156) it covers all of the key factors in Harrison's life, and the Hamburg era is brought more alive than in any of the books that I have read previously. Tillery adds original detail to certain stages (including Harrison's lesser-known relationships, the Traveling Wilburys, and the attack at Friar Park). His fresh and lucid style of writing made the book hard to put down, and that's no mean feat considering I've only recently seen Martin Scorsese's "Living in the Material World" movie. The main purpose of the book is to outline Harrison's spiritual journey, and Tillery adequately summarises the essentials of George's Hindu beliefs, and involvement with the Krishna Consciousness movement. However these areas are covered at an accessible length, allowing adequate space for everything else. The book appears to be factually accurate throughout (and I say that, having researched Harrison's life for a published article of my own). Tillery states February 24th 1943, 23.42pm as Harrison's birth time, even though there is some debate about this. Nonetheless, this is the time that Harrison himself believed he was born, and also a time that I believe to be astrologically accurate. The book includes a chronology, notes, bibliography and index. In summary, I was highly impressed by "Working Class Mystic", and am now reading Gary Tillery's book on John Lennon.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's What You Value December 4, 2011

By BeatleBangs1964 TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I have an extensive Beatles, McCartney and Harrison library and avidly seek out new books on George Harrison. This book is truly a gem in the crown of Harrison biographies. This book, like many others does an EXCELLENT job of covering salient points in George Harrison's life. Readers feel as if they were in Hamburg with the pre-Beatles of 1960-61.

Tillery does an incredible job of adding fresh information and presenting well-documented, well-known facts about Harrison's life in this book. George's musical career, from the time he was a wavy haired youngster in Liverpool bowled over by Elvis in 1956 and acquiring his first guitar to the Traveling Wilburys in the late 1980s to his solo works post-dating that including the traumatic attack he suffered at the end of 1999. Tillery has a clear, diamond sharp writing style and he speaks to his readers' intelligence. Beatle fans from the inveterate to those just new to their music to those who just plain enjoy a good biography will find a real treasure in this book.

Tillery presents even the most well-documented facts in a fresh and shining light. Fans who have enjoyed Martin Scorsese's brilliant documentary "Living in the Material World" will just love this book. George, who went from Catholicism (Louise French Harrison was Catholic and Harold Sr. was a non-practicing Anglican) to embracing Hindu beliefs is a long & winding road always worth exploring. Hard-core Harrison fans know that Louise had George baptized when he was a month old and that at 11, George would become disenchanted with how people show cased their clothing in church and how difficult it was for him to believe that only Jesus was God's Son. Still, roots of his Catholicism remained with him all of his life. George had a beautiful statue of Blessed Mother Mary on his Friar Park property. He takes a bit of a poke at what he viewed as hypocrisy in religion in "Vatican Blues." His later involvement with the Krishna Consciousness is also covered in this book.

To his credit, Tillery did his homework and did it well. George's date of birth is given as February 24th 1943, at just before a quarter to midnight. George himself would say in the 1980s that he had always believed he was born on the 25th. However, this remains open for question. Tillery's work includes well-cited sources and resources. He has researched the life of George Harrison and done it well and the Beatle Literati are very impressed with the extraordinary caliber of this work. He does just as good a job on the biography he wrote covering more than a day in the life of John Lennon. Yes, this is a book I highly recommend. It will make an ideal gift for a George Harrison fan.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Eh.... December 31, 2011

By Anne Masterson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

With the five star reviews, I was really looking forward to this book. I read it in less than two hours as it is very slim (156 pages). Perhaps the author had the bad timing of releasing this book around the time of the far and away superior documentary by Martin Scorcese.

Rather than portray George as a flawed man who tried his best (which is, after all, the best any of us can do), he portrayed him as a near deity himself. While I did pick up a few tidbits of information I did not know before, much of the book came from other sources a serious George Harrison fan would know. Also, the book is riddled with errors, such as how the Traveling Wilbury's first came to be and whether Eric Idle was with Geoger right after his attack (based on Eric Idle's own interview). If you have tht two hours to spare, watch the Scorcese documentary instead. You will come away with a much fuller picture.