The Day George Harrison Decided to Quit the Beatles
How tense were things during the last two years The Beatles were together? Put it this way: Every member of the band either threatened to quit or actually walked out on the group over an 18-month period.
Surprisingly, the mellow Ringo Starr was the first to make a move. In August 1968, Ringo left the band in the midst of recording The White Album. The Beatles’ drummer felt he’d been taken for granted by the others. But after a few weeks on holiday with his family, he agreed to return.
A year later, John Lennon announced he was leaving the band, marking the beginning of the end of the Fab Four. Once Paul McCartney released his solo album before Let It Be (1970) arrived in record stores, the dream was officially over.
Looking back, it’s a small miracle the band actually recorded Abbey Road and Let It Be. During the January ’69 sessions for those albums, George Harrison picked up his guitar and left. It wasn’t clear if he’d come back.
Source: cheatsheet.com
