ShuenrokuAn archive of musicians' final live performances

Final in retrospectRoyal Albert Hall

George Harrison's last full concert: Royal Albert Hall, London, April 6, 1992

On the night of April 6, 1992, George Harrison played a one-off show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, billed as George Harrison and Friends. It was a benefit for the Natural Law Party, a new party standing in the British general election three days later, and it was his first concert in Britain since leaving the Beatles. He brought back the band from his Japanese tour with Eric Clapton the previous December, with Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers playing guitar in Clapton's place. The setlist opened with "I Want to Tell You" and moved between songs he had written for the Beatles and his solo hits. Ringo Starr and Gary Moore came out for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and the last song was Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven," with Harrison's 13-year-old son Dhani and Joe Walsh on guitar. It turned out to be the last full concert of Harrison's life. That October he sang at Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary concert in New York, and he later stepped onstage briefly at a tribute show and a memorial service, but he never again headlined a concert of his own. He died on November 29, 2001, at 58.

By Shuenroku Editorial TeamPublished

George Harrison in an embroidered jacket, smiling and facing forward in a chandeliered room, with a crowd of photographers aiming cameras at him across a table (black-and-white photo)
Reference photoGeorge Harrison surrounded by photographers at a press conference in Los Angeles, October 25, 1974.Photo: Tony Barnard, Los Angeles Times / CC BY 4.0
Date [6][7][11][9]
VenueRoyal Albert Hall (London)
EventGeorge Harrison and Friends (benefit for the Natural Law Party) [6][7][13]
CategoryFinal in retrospect
Why it endedDeath [3][1][6][10][18]
LineupGeorge Harrison, Mike Campbell, Ringo Starr, Gary Moore, Joe Walsh, Dhani Harrison [11][7][9][13]
Last song performed“Roll Over Beethoven” [6][7][11]
Songs performed17 songsSee the setlist ↓
Video releaseNo UnverifiedNo official video or audio of this concert has been found (November 2026). Harrison did not allow commercial filming (Far Out).[12]

About the artist

George Harrison was born in Liverpool on February 25, 1943.[1] Paul McCartney brought him into the Quarrymen, the group McCartney and John Lennon had formed, and he went on to become the Beatles' lead guitarist.[1] The Beatles released their first single, "Love Me Do," on October 5, 1962.[2]

Working alongside Lennon and McCartney, Harrison kept writing: "Don't Bother Me" (1963), "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (1968), and "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something" (both 1969) are his.[1] In 1965 he began studying with the Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, and that year he first used the sitar on a record, on "Norwegian Wood."[1]

After the band split he released the triple album All Things Must Pass in 1970.[1] Its single "My Sweet Lord" became the first UK No. 1 by a former Beatle in 1971.[3] On August 1 of that year he staged the Concert for Bangladesh, two sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden.[4] It was Shankar who told him about the plight of Bengali refugees and asked for help; Harrison later explained that a friend had asked him, and that was all.[4] The shows raised more than $243,000 for UNICEF, and NPR has called them the first large-scale pop music event held for a major human rights cause.[4]

In 1979 he co-founded HandMade Films, whose releases included Life of Brian (1979) and Time Bandits (1981).[1] On record, "Got My Mind Set on You" from his 1987 album Cloud Nine reached the UK top five,[1][3] and late in the decade he formed the Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.[1]

What he did not do was tour. After his 1974 tour, his next one was Japan in 1991.[5] He once suggested that the reason he had stayed off the road so long might simply be that he was lazy.[5]

Why this was the last show

Nobody billed the Royal Albert Hall show as a farewell. It was a one-off benefit, held ahead of the British general election on April 9, 1992, for the Natural Law Party, a new party built on the principles of Transcendental Meditation and linked to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.[6][7] The announcement quoted Harrison as wanting a total change rather than a choice between left and right.[6]

The road to that night ran through Japan four months earlier. By Harrison's account, it was Eric Clapton who suggested it would be a good time to tour.[5] Clapton offered his own band as Harrison's backing group and served as musical director, deliberately taking a back seat.[8] Members of Clapton's band, including drummer Steve Ferrone and keyboardist Chuck Leavell, filled out the stage.[8]

The tour ran for 12 shows, from December 1 to December 17, 1991.[7] After a warm-up show for VIP guests in Tokyo, it opened in Yokohama on December 1, went on to Osaka, Nagoya, Hiroshima and Fukuoka, and finished with three nights at the Tokyo Dome.[8] The final date was December 17 at the Tokyo Dome.[7][8] Around that time Harrison recalled having played "If I Needed Someone" at the Budokan, on the Beatles' visit to Japan 26 years earlier.[5]

Recordings from the tour came out on July 13, 1992, as the double album Live in Japan, 19 songs in all, eight of them from his Beatles years. Clapton's own mid-set songs were left off.[5][8] Harrison said the songs were picked because they were singles or hits, or because they meant something to him. He and Clapton reshaped "If I Needed Someone," and Clapton reworked his solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."[5] It was the last new album Harrison released in his lifetime.[5] Looking back on the shows, he said that after three or four nights his ego had been satisfied.[8] It was his last tour.[5]

For the Royal Albert Hall he brought back part of the Japan crew. Clapton was not available, so Mike Campbell came in.[9] It was Harrison's first concert in Britain since leaving the Beatles,[6] and his first performance in London since 1969.[7]

No statement from Harrison explaining why this became his last full concert has been found. What is clear is that over the following decade he appeared onstage only a handful of times.[6] Rolling Stone describes the Bob Dylan tribute that October as the last time he played a real set in front of a paying audience.[10] Harrison died in Los Angeles on November 29, 2001, at 58, of cancer.[3][1]

What is known about the day

The Royal Albert Hall was where the Beatles had first played on April 18, 1963.[7] On this night Joe Walsh and Gary Moore opened the show.[6][7] With the election only days away, Harrison had expected a cool reception from the British press and audience.[6]

His band was Mike Campbell and Andy Fairweather Low on guitars, Will Lee on bass, Steve Ferrone on drums, Ray Cooper on percussion, Chuck Leavell and Greg Phillinganes on keyboards, and Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles on backing vocals.[11] He opened with "I Want to Tell You," one of his Beatles songs, followed by "Old Brown Shoe" and "Taxman."[7][11] Harrison later said that stepping onto the Royal Albert Hall stage had felt unbelievable and that the audience were simply happy.[6][7] The warmth of the welcome surprised him and left him elated.[6]

The set moved back and forth between the Beatles and his solo records.[6][7] On "Something," Harrison played the guitar solo himself. According to Guitar World, he did not play it like the record but took it somewhere new before handing off to Campbell, and footage of Harrison playing that solo is rare.[9] Campbell also took the solo spot that Clapton had covered in Japan.[9] Harrison did not allow the show to be filmed commercially.[12]

The second half brought "Here Comes the Sun," "My Sweet Lord," "All Those Years Ago" and "Cheer Down," which he had written for the Lethal Weapon 2 soundtrack,[5] followed by "Isn't It a Pity" and "Devil's Radio."[7][11]

For "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," Ringo Starr joined on drums and Gary Moore on guitar.[7][11] Harrison and Moore, both on Gibson Les Pauls, traded long solos.[13] Sources differ on whether the song opened the encore or closed the main set.[7][13]

The last song was Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven."[6][7] Ringo stayed on drums, and 13-year-old Dhani Harrison and Joe Walsh joined on guitar.[7][11] As Guitar World puts it, this was the last full concert Harrison ever played.[9]

What the show left behind

Six months later, on October 16, 1992, Harrison walked onto the stage at Madison Square Garden in New York for the concert celebrating Bob Dylan's 30 years as a recording artist.[14][15] In his own spot he sang "Absolutely Sweet Marie,"[14][15] and, according to Rolling Stone, "If Not for You."[10] He then traded verses of "My Back Pages" with Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Neil Young and Clapton, and joined the whole cast for "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."[14][10] The night ended with Dylan alone, singing "Girl from the North Country."[14][15] Rolling Stone calls it the last time American audiences got a proper look at Harrison.[10] The concert was released as an album, with a deluxe edition following in 2014.[14]

It was not quite his last time on a stage. That December, in Los Angeles, he joined the finale of a tribute concert for the drummer Jeff Porcaro.[10] Guitarist Steve Lukather had invited him, and Harrison turned up unannounced, borrowed Lukather's 1959 Les Paul and played on the closing "With a Little Help from My Friends," in Joe Cocker's arrangement.[16][17] Eddie Van Halen, Don Henley and David Crosby were on that stage too.[17]

In 1997 he played "All Things Must Pass," "Any Road" (later released on Brainwashed) and other songs on a television special promoting Chants of India, the Ravi Shankar album he had produced.[7][10] That was a TV taping, not a show in front of an audience. The last time he can be confirmed singing in public was at the funeral of Carl Perkins, at a chapel on the Lambuth University campus in Jackson, Tennessee, on January 23, 1998. Invited up by Wynonna Judd, he sang Perkins' 1957 song "Your True Love."[18][10] Each of these was someone else's occasion. His last concert of his own remained the Royal Albert Hall in April 1992.

The Natural Law Party fielded candidates in 310 seats at that election and took 0.19 percent of the vote.[19]

When Harrison died, his family said in a statement that he "left this world as he lived in it, conscious of God, fearless of death, and at peace, surrounded by family and friends."[3] His final album, Brainwashed, was finished by Jeff Lynne and Dhani as he had asked and released on November 18, 2002.[20] One of its songs, "Any Road," dated back to 1988.[20] Dhani described the work as cathartic.[20]

On November 29, 2002, exactly a year after his death, the Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall. Organized by his widow, Olivia Harrison, and Eric Clapton, it brought together Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Dhani Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, and Ravi and Anoushka Shankar, among others.[21] The recording won a Grammy, and its proceeds support the Material World Foundation.[21] Ringo and Dhani, who had stood with him for the encore of his last full concert, were back in the same hall.

In 2004 Harrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, presented by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne and accepted by Olivia and Dhani.[22] In Japan, on October 21, 2026, to mark 35 years since the tour with Clapton, Live in Japan and other titles were reissued on SHM-CD.[23]

The Royal Albert Hall night began with a song he had written for the Beatles and ended in rock and roll, with an old bandmate and his son beside him. As far as the record shows, every time Harrison played in public afterward, it was to celebrate or mourn a friend.

Setlist

17 songs [6][7][11]
1. I Want to Tell You2. Old Brown Shoe3. Taxman4. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)5. Something6. What Is Life7. Piggies8. Got My Mind Set on You9. Cloud 910. Here Comes the Sun11. My Sweet Lord12. All Those Years Ago13. Cheer Down14. Isn't It a Pity15. Devil's Radio16. While My Guitar Gently Weeps17. Roll Over Beethoven

Main set Encore Last song

  1. I Want to Tell You · opener (UCR; American Songwriter; JamBase)
  2. Old Brown Shoe
  3. Taxman
  4. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
  5. Something · Harrison played the guitar solo, then handed off to Mike Campbell (Guitar World)
  6. What Is Life
  7. Piggies
  8. Got My Mind Set on You
  9. Cloud 9
  10. Here Comes the Sun
  11. My Sweet Lord
  12. All Those Years Ago
  13. Cheer Down
  14. Isn't It a Pity
  15. Devil's Radio
  16. EncoreWhile My Guitar Gently Weeps · with Ringo Starr (drums) and Gary Moore (guitar). American Songwriter and JamBase place it as the encore opener; Guitar World calls it the finale before the encore (sources differ)
  17. Roll Over Beethoven · Chuck Berry song, with Ringo Starr, Dhani Harrison and Joe Walsh. JamBase (citing setlist.fm) lists a drum jam in the middle

Another final curtain

More nights that no one knew would be the last.

After the last stage

Our sister site LAST DAYS records the final years and days of George Harrison.

LAST DAYSGeorge Harrison: the final years and days
TimelineCareer span, final show and later events, limited to what sources confirm.
197019801990200020102020July 13, 1992 Live in Japan, a double album of recordings from the Japanese tour (19 songs), is released. It is his last new album during his lifetime.October 16, 1992 Appears at Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration at Madison Square Garden, singing "Absolutely Sweet Marie" in his own spot and joining "My Back Pages" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."December 1992 Joins the finale of a tribute concert for Jeff Porcaro in Los Angeles on guitar, playing "With a Little Help from My Friends."January 23, 1998 Sings "Your True Love" at Carl Perkins' funeral in Jackson, Tennessee: the last time he can be confirmed singing in public.November 29, 2001 Dies in Los Angeles, at 58.November 18, 2002 Brainwashed, his final album, completed by Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison, is released.November 29, 2002 On the first anniversary of his death, the Concert for George is held at the Royal Albert Hall, organized by Olivia Harrison and Eric Clapton.2004 Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.October 21, 2026 In Japan, Live in Japan and other titles are reissued on SHM-CD to mark 35 years since the tour.April 6, 1992198020002020July 13, 1992 Live in Japan, a double album of recordings from the Japanese tour (19 songs), is released. It is his last new album during his lifetime.October 16, 1992 Appears at Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration at Madison Square Garden, singing "Absolutely Sweet Marie" in his own spot and joining "My Back Pages" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."December 1992 Joins the finale of a tribute concert for Jeff Porcaro in Los Angeles on guitar, playing "With a Little Help from My Friends."January 23, 1998 Sings "Your True Love" at Carl Perkins' funeral in Jackson, Tennessee: the last time he can be confirmed singing in public.November 29, 2001 Dies in Los Angeles, at 58.November 18, 2002 Brainwashed, his final album, completed by Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison, is released.November 29, 2002 On the first anniversary of his death, the Concert for George is held at the Royal Albert Hall, organized by Olivia Harrison and Eric Clapton.2004 Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.October 21, 2026 In Japan, Live in Japan and other titles are reissued on SHM-CD to mark 35 years since the tour.April 6, 1992
  1. Active years (1962 – April 6, 1992)
  2. Final show
  3. Live in Japan, a double album of recordings from the Japanese tour (19 songs), is released. It is his last new album during his lifetime.
  4. Appears at Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration at Madison Square Garden, singing "Absolutely Sweet Marie" in his own spot and joining "My Back Pages" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."
  5. Joins the finale of a tribute concert for Jeff Porcaro in Los Angeles on guitar, playing "With a Little Help from My Friends."
  6. Sings "Your True Love" at Carl Perkins' funeral in Jackson, Tennessee: the last time he can be confirmed singing in public.6 years later
  7. Dies in Los Angeles, at 58.9 years later
  8. Brainwashed, his final album, completed by Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison, is released.10 years later
  9. On the first anniversary of his death, the Concert for George is held at the Royal Albert Hall, organized by Olivia Harrison and Eric Clapton.10 years later
  10. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.12 years later
  11. In Japan, Live in Japan and other titles are reissued on SHM-CD to mark 35 years since the tour.34 years later

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. Details

These are not recordings of this show, but releases mentioned in the article and key works by the artist.

  • ライヴ・イン・ジャパン

    ライヴ・イン・ジャパン

    CD · Released October 21, 2026 · Cat. no. UICB-15021/2

    The live album from the December 1991 Japanese tour with Eric Clapton discussed in the article (2026 SHM-CD, 2 discs). It does not contain this concert.

    Amazon.comAmazon.co.jp楽天市場

  • ブレインウォッシュド

    ブレインウォッシュド

    CD · Released October 21, 2026 · Cat. no. UICB-15020

    His final album (2002), discussed in the article (2026 SHM-CD).

    Amazon.comAmazon.co.jp楽天市場

  • オール・シングス・マスト・パス

    オール・シングス・マスト・パス

    CD · Released October 21, 2026 · Cat. no. UICB-15010/1

    The 1970 album discussed in the article (2026 SHM-CD, 2 discs), with "My Sweet Lord" and "Isn't It a Pity," both played that night.

    Amazon.comAmazon.co.jp楽天市場

Supported by Rakuten Developers

Sources

25 sources
  1. George Harrison — Encyclopaedia Britannica, March 28, 2026 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  2. Love Me Do — thebeatles.com (accessed 2026-10-03)
  3. GEORGE HARRISON RIP — NME, November 30, 2001 (accessed 2026-10-19)
  4. Ravi Told George, They Told The World: The Birth Of The Celebrity Benefit Concert — NPR (Aaron Cohen), July 31, 2021 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  5. 30 Years Ago: George Harrison’s ‘Live in Japan’ Celebrates a Brief Return — Ultimate Classic Rock (Nick DeRiso), July 13, 2022 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  6. The Day George Harrison Played His Final Full-Length Concert — Ultimate Classic Rock (Jeff Giles), April 7, 2017 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  7. Remember When: George Harrison Revisited Beatles Deep Cuts He Wrote During Final Concert With Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, and Other Special Guests — American Songwriter (Tina Benitez-Eves), September 27, 2024 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  8. The Story of George Harrison’s Last Tour — Ultimate Classic Rock (Bryan Wawzenek), December 1, 2016 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  9. Watch George Harrison Perform The Beatles' "Something" at His Last Concert — Guitar World (Damian Fanelli), November 21, 2017 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  10. Flashback: George Harrison Pays Tribute to Bob Dylan — Rolling Stone (accessed 2026-11-08)
  11. Remembering George Harrison: Watch Final Full Concert At Royal Albert Hall In 1992 — JamBase (Nate Todd), November 29, 2021 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  12. The moment George Harrison performed The Beatles song 'Something' at his last ever concert — Far Out Magazine (accessed 2026-11-08)
  13. George Harrison and Gary Moore Play "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" in 1992 — Guitar World (Damian Fanelli), September 18, 2017 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  14. The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration – Deluxe Edition (2014) — bobdylan.com (accessed 2026-11-08)
  15. Remember When: Rock's Heavy Hitters Celebrated Bob Dylan's First 30 Years in Music with an Unforgettable Tribute Concert — American Songwriter (Jim Beviglia), April 17, 2024 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  16. When Steve Lukather played with his hero George Harrison — Guitar World (Matt Parker), January 30, 2025 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  17. "He turned out to be the nicest, funniest guy I'd ever hung out with": Steve Lukather on meeting his hero, George Harrison — MusicRadar, February 3, 2025 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  18. Watch George Harrison’s Last Public Performance Ever, Filmed at Carl Perkins’ Funeral in 1998 — American Songwriter (Matt Friedlander), April 4, 2026 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  19. George Harrison's final show — Far Out Magazine (accessed 2026-11-08)
  20. How George Harrison Warmed Hearts a Final Time With ‘Brainwashed’ — Ultimate Classic Rock (Ryan Reed), November 17, 2013 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  21. Concert for George (2-CD) — Craft Recordings (accessed 2026-11-08)
  22. George Harrison — Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (accessed 2026-11-08)
  23. ジョージ・ハリスン作品、高音質レコード「100％ Pure LP」に。最新リマスターSHM-CDも — PHILE WEB（石井達也）, September 25, 2026 (accessed 2026-11-08)
  24. ライヴ・イン・ジャパン（UICB-15021/2）商品情報 — Billboard JAPAN (accessed 2026-11-08)
  25. ブレインウォッシュド（UICB-15020）商品情報 — Billboard JAPAN (accessed 2026-11-08)

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