George Harrison was the first Beatle to do many things. He was the first to visit America. More importantly, George was the first Beatle to have a solo No. 1 hit with “My Sweet Lord.” However, many fans probably don’t know that George was also the first Beatle to meet a U.S. president.
George met President Gerald Ford at the White House in 1974, but it wasn’t the President who personally invited him. It was a younger Ford. Here’s how the first son got his father to invite the first Beatle to the Oval Office.
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How Gerald Ford’s Son Orchestrated George Harrison’s Visit to the White House
by Hannah Wigandt | More Articles: MusicPublished onDecember 9, 2021
George Harrison was the first Beatle to do many things. He was the first to visit America. More importantly, George was the first Beatle to have a solo No. 1 hit with “My Sweet Lord.” However, many fans probably don’t know that George was also the first Beatle to meet a U.S. president.
George met President Gerald Ford at the White House in 1974, but it wasn’t the President who personally invited him. It was a younger Ford. Here’s how the first son got his father to invite the first Beatle to the Oval Office.
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George Harrison and President Gerald Ford at the White House, 1974.
George Harrison and President Gerald Ford | David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images
Jack Ford saw George Harrison live during his Dark Horse tour in 1974
On Nov. 16, 1974, Ford’s 22-year-old son, Jack, saw George perform during the Salt Lake City show on George’s 1974 Dark Horse tour.
Despite having a fierce hatred for touring, George decided to embark on his first (and only) solo tour of the U.S. By the time he left, he’d worn out his voice and developed a nasty case of laryngitis. Critics called it the Dark Hoarse tour. He made matters worse by snorting “mountains of cocaine” so he’d be able to keep up with the vigorous schedule.
Apart from his horrible vocals, fans weren’t pleased that George was hell-bent on not playing Beatles tunes. Since this was the first time a Beatle was touring the U.S. since the group stopped touring in 1966, they expected to hear some of the Fab Four’s biggest hits.
George and his bandmates took the younger Ford up on his offer. On Dec. 13, 1974, Jack personally greeted his guests, including George, keyboardist Billy Preston, sitarist Ravi Shankar, saxophonist Tommy Scott, manager Denis O’ Brien, publicity agent Michael Sterling, and George’s father, Harry, into the White House.
“We walked into the presidents’ conference room with the oval table and the chair and signs saying, ‘Secretary of Defense,’ ‘Secretary of this and that’ and we sat down in the chairs, clowning around,” Scott recalled to Rolling Stone.
Finally, the group was ushered into the Oval Office for an informal meeting with Ford himself. “George was great at breaking the ice,” Scott said. Ford took the opportunity to pin a WIN (“Whip Inflation Now”) button onto George’s suit lapel. In another cheeky move, George pinned an “Om” button on Ford in return. Apparently, George and Ford knew a thing or two about marketing for a cause.