Eric Idle spoke to the ECHO about his friendship with George Harrison, as he pays tribute to the iconic musician in his new show coming to the Liverpool Empire
Eric Idle paid tribute to his late friend, George Harrison, in an exclusive interview with the ECHO(Image: Carinthia West)
Comedy legend Eric Idle has opened up on his strong friendship with the late George Harrison. The Monty Python star struck up a close bond with The Beatles icon when they met at a party in Los Angeles in the 1970s.
However, Eric lived in Merseyside as a child and he told the ECHO in an exclusive interview how he’s convinced he met the iconic musician when they were both children. He said: “I hung out with someone called George on the Red Noses in New Brighton when I was about five and I often wondered if it was him because we got on so well when we met.
“It was like I already knew him and we were talking all night. He was wonderful and he had such a great effect on my life.” The 82-year-old will pay tribute to his friendship with the All Things Must Pass writer in his new show, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, LIVE!, which is coming to the Liverpool Empire on September 14.
The one man musical is described as “an evening of comedy, music, philosophy and one fart joke”, and Eric told the ECHO how one song is dedicated to George. He said: “There’s a couple of singalongs. there’s some touching songs. I’ve written a song for George because I miss him so much. That’s really quite emotional because you see us on screen.”
Eric became one of George’s closest friends after their meeting in California. The comedy icon said the similar status they both held in their respective groups was why they had such an understanding of one another.
He said: “We were both the individual in between two strong powerful forces. He had Lennon and McCartney, I had Chapman and Cleese; Palin and Jones.
“I think we were both in a similar role. The younger one, a little bit overpowered and you had to find and fight for your own space in it.” George was a huge fan of Monty Python’s work and Eric lifted the lid on the While My Guitar Gently Weeps writer’s incredible gesture that ensured The Life Of Brian, could get made.
Eric explained George remortgaged his house and his assets to raise the £4.5m budget for the classic 1979 film, which is regarded as one of the most influential comedies of all time. He added: “He raised the entire money. That was everything he had and he put it all in on a Monty Python film. Imagine telling the wife. ‘What did you do today?’ Well, I’ve remortgaged our house, I’ve remortgaged our company and I’ve put it all into a Monty Python film about religion.
“It’s an unbelievable story. I don’t think people quite appreciate how extraordinary that is. Putting all your money on a Python project. I asked him why he did it and he said, ‘It was because I wanted to see the movie.'”
It wasn’t the only time the two friends worked together as the late musician also appeared in Eric’s mockumentary parody of The Beatles story, All You Need Is Cash. But it was their friendship away from the screen that Eric continues to hold so dearly.
He explained he was with George at the very end of his life in 2001 and said how The Beatles icon remained spiritual in his final moments. He said: “I was with him at the end on his deathbed. He wasn’t frightened or scared, he was happy he was going to be reborn because he was Hindu. He was the loveliest man.”
On how George changed his life, Eric said George’s philosophy will always stick with him, as he added: “He was wonderful and he had such a great effect on my life. I was a bit depressed and he cheered me up by telling me I was going to die.
“He said, ‘You can have all the money in the world, you can be the most famous person in the world, but you’re still going to have to die’. That was his mantra.”
Eric Idle – Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, LIVE! is coming to the Liverpool Empire Theatre on September 14. You can find details on how to get tickets here. You can read the full Liverpool ECHO interview with Eric Idle here.