Thursday, February 6, 2014

25 Days of Harrison Day 6- Olivia Arias Trinidad

Olivia Arias Trinidad was born 18 May 1948 in Mexico City. Her parents were dry cleaner, Zeke, and seamstress, Mary Louise who also had two other children Peter and Linda. The family would move three years later to California where Olivia attended and graduated Hawthorne High School.

Olivia was working at A&M Records as a secretary, that's when she met George. A&M were distributing George Harrison's Dark Horse label, it was 1974 when the two met at a party and would soon spend their time talking over the phone. The two soon found out they had a lot in common and she was then invited on George's 1974 American Tour where they really started their relationship. The two are said to have wanted to get married as soon as George's divorce with first wife Pattie (read about her here ) were final. It was in 1977 when Pattie and George's divorce was finalized. Olivia soon found out she was pregnant and had their first and only child, Dhani on 1 August 1978. The couple were then married the following month on 2 September, Joe Brown was best man. The family lived in George's home at Friar Park. 

Olivia inspired George's writing including his songs "Dark Sweet Lady", "Soft Touch", and "Beautiful Girl" a song he had started writing with Pattie but changed it to be about Olivia.

In 1990 Olivia became the founder of Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation with the other Beatles wives, Barbara Bach, Yoko Ono, and Linda McCartney to help orphans in Romania. Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal was an album that consists of many artist ranging from The Traveling Wilburys, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, The BeeGees and more to benefit this cause. During this time in 1991 The Harrison's had filled out all paper work to adopt a deaf Romanian boy, but unfortunately right before adoption the Romanian government stopped all foreign adoptions. Olivia also took part in keeping up with The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF (read about here). The following video is The Traveling Wilbury's cover of "Nobody's Child" written by Cy Coben and Mel Foree




Michael Abram
On 30 December 1999 The Harrison's were woken by a crash coming from downstairs. George had gone down to check it out, as Olivia's mother was staying in the home. Olivia had followed George down the stairs after hearing more noises to find a wing from one of their statues thrown into their house breaking a window and an intruder by the name of Michael Abram with a knife attacking George. Olivia had tried to stop Abram by jumping on his back. George shouted "I've got the knife!", She had not yet known her husband had been stabbed. Olivia quickly grabbed a lamp hitting Abram over the head. The two were taken to a hospital where George suffered from stab wounds in the chest and back and Olivia with cuts in her hands. Michael Abram was then taken to an insane institution where he said he only attacked George because it was "God's Desire", The Beatles were witches that needed to die. Following Video The Harrison's talking about The stabbing;



After George's death in 2001 Olivia and good friend of George's,  Eric Clapton had held The Concert For George at the Royal Albert Hall where musicians and friends of Harrison's like Paul McCartney, Jeff Lynne, Eric Clapton, and others would play in honor of the great legend and friend. All proceeds from the concert were donated to the Material World Foundation.

Olivia is now a Producer, who produced Martin Scorsese's documentary George Harrison: Living In The Material World, and author of George Harrison: Living In The Material World, a book about her husband.



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