George Harrison met with President Gerald Ford at the White House after Gerald’s son Jack extended an invitation. Jack had attended a George Harrison concert in Salt Lake City, Utah. After the show, he invited Harrison and members of his band to pay a visit to the White House. Ford said he invited George and friends to the White House because he had been invited backstage at the Salt Lake City show. “They were so hospitable to me I wanted to return the favor,” he said. Ford was attending school at Utah State in 1974.
Commenting on his meeting with President Ford, Harrison later said, “He seemed very relaxed. He was much easier to meet than I would expect. you can imagine the number of things he’s got on his plate.” When asked if the President had heard his work in the past, he replied, “No, he’s not all that familiar with my music.” George Harrison was the first ex-Beatle to visit the White House.
