Brush with fame: George Harrison

In the late 90's I was working in University Hall at Brown University. The school had become quite popular among children of celebrities such as JFK Jr., Amy Carter, etc. I guess having your child attend Rhode Island's oldest institution of higher learning was a status symbol of sorts. Among the more famous parents in the 90's was George Harrison whose son Dhani was studying physics and industrial design.

Apparently the final exam schedule for the first semester (classes ended in December but exams took place in January) conflicted the Harrison family's holiday plans. Try as he might, Dhani just couldn't convince the Dean to be flexible and allow him to take his exams before, or after, his trip to the UK.

What Dhani didn't know, or more accurately what I suspect, is that the Dean was a Beatles fan. I'm sure in the back of his mind, he was hoping for the Harrison family to put on a full court press. If they wanted Dhani home for the holidays, they'd have to make a special effort to seal the deal.

Sure enough, before the semester came to an end, George Harrison made a trip to Brown University to beseech the Dean on Dhani's behalf. Anyone who learned about his visit was warned in advance not to approach George or fawn over him. Naturally, I ignored that admonition and made sure that I camped out in the Dean's outer office until the quiet Beatle made his appearance. While I didn't fawn over him or ask for his autograph, I did get to shake his hand and have an extremely brief conversation with him before he met with the Dean.

In the wake of his visit, Dhani was indeed granted his special dispensation and rumors of a legendary conversation began to circulate.  Apparently, before his meeting with the Dean, George was having lunch (alone) in the Blue Room (a student/staff dining facility). An enterprising student approached George and asked if he'd be interested in joining the student's band. Legend has it that Harrison cracked a smile and resumed eating his lunch.