Arguably the most famous band in history, the Beatles are back in the spotlight with a new three-part docuseries called The Beatles: Get Back. Fans will be treated to never-before-seen footage of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison as they worked on their final album before breaking up in 1970. With lead guitarist George heavily featured in the Peter Jackson project, fans will certainly want to know everything about his only child, Dhani Harrison. Learn all about the young musician and producer, below!
1. Dhani Is Named After Two Notes In The Indian Music Scale.
Born on August 1,1978 in Berkshire, England to George and Olivia Trinidad Arias, Dhani grew up on his father’s estate called Friar Park. As George embraced Indian culture and incorporated Indian instruments into his music, it’s no surprise Dhani was named after “dha” and “ni”, two notes from the Indian music scale, according to LifeOfTheBeatles.
2. Dhani’s First Professional Gig Was Finishing His Father’s Album.
Although Dhani was wary of being stuck in his father’s shadow, he forged ahead in music, telling The Guardian in 2003, “I just want to be able to make music without the whole My Dad thing hanging over me, which everyone in my position goes through.” Ironically, he was first tasked professionally with finishing Brainwashed, the album George was working on before he died in November 2001. “When you’re so close to someone it’s really tough,” Dhani told the outlet of the experience. “There were days when Jeff [Lynne, producer] and I had to leave the studio with lumps in our throats.”
3. He ‘Pissed Off’ His Dad By Going To Military School.
As any father/son relationship has its challenging moments, Dhani revealed he enrolled in a military school in an effort to spite his pacifist father. “To rebel in my family, was to go to a semi-military school,” Dhani explained in the Living in the Material World documentary, per Time. “We did CCF [Combined Cadet Force] one day a week. That used to piss him off, me walking around in an Air Force uniform.”
4. Dhani Calls Himself The Biggest Marvel Fan Ever.
While discussing his work on Yesterday, the 2019 film imagining a world without Beatles’ songs. Dhani revealed he is a huge fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “I deal with all of the approving of the tracks and things, and I really like the idea of the story,” he told Rolling Stone of the gig. “I just haven’t seen the film yet. I only just got to see Avengers: Endgame the other day, and I’m the biggest Marvel fan ever. I’m a bit behind.”
5. Dhani Tried To Be An Olympic Athlete
In his efforts to avoid the constant comparison to his famous father, Dhani admitted he tried a variety of avenues other than music. “I did everything I could to not be a musician,” he told Billboard. “I went to university (Brown), I worked as a designer, I competed in Olympic sport (rowing)…and I ended up being a musician. It’s in the DNA, I guess.”