Dhani Harrison Talks Growing Up Around Dad's Famous Friends

Posted on Jun 11th 2009 2:45PM by Steve Baltin
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Ask Dhani Harrison his biggest influence and his answer is not surprising. "Mostly just my dad. I spent more time with him than anyone," Harrison says of his father, the late, great George Harrison. "I was recording stuff with my dad when I was like five, six years old. I played with him on tour. I'd gone with him to Japan in '91, played some gigs, did a couple shows at the Albert Hall."

But growing up playing with George meant playing with a lot of his father's famous friends as well, and the younger Harrison, now making music with his band theNewNo2, has gotten to learn from some of the true greats, including when the elder Harrison played was alongside Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty as part of the Traveling Wilburys. "Just that band, the Wilburys, was so nice," Harrison recalls. "Tom Petty was the kind of guy who was always kind of fun and happy, didn't seem to give a s--- about anything and was like a real rock 'n' roller. He was a really big influence on me."

Another huge inspiration for Harrison was one of his father's closest friends and famous rivals. "I think guitar-wise, Eric Clapton was a big influence on me," Harrison says. "I got to spend time around him. He's kind of strange, mysterious, serious and he always has played such hot guitar. My dad wasn't like a shredder in any way . He just played from the heart, but Eric could just rip it out."

Today, Harrison keeps Clapton's influence on him very close at hand. "At an early age, he'd given me a guitar and that's actually the one that I play on stage at the moment." Why can't all friends of parents friends give gifts like that?