Olivia

Olivia Trinidad Arias was born in Mexico City, Mexico to Zeke and Mary Louise Arias on 18th May, 1948. She has one brother, Peter, and one sister, Linda. Her mother worked as a seamstress and her father as a dry cleaner.

Olivia was educated in America and graduated at Hawthorne High School in California. She remained in Los Angeles and worked in the merchandising office at A & M Records. A while later she was moved to Dark Horse Records as a secretary - George's Dark Horse company was a small subsidiary label of A & M.

It was here in 1974 that she would meet her future soul mate - George Harrison. George had already spoken with Olivia many times over the telephone and after eventually meeting her, George realised he was very interested in her. So much so, that he joked with a friend 'Go check her out'. Later George asked Olivia to accompany him on his current American tour and from then on their relationship blossomed.

During 1976 George's health began to decline and Olivia suggested that he should see a doctor but, George felt that prayer was the answer. As George's health continued to worsen he gave in to Olivia's insistence and agreed to see a doctor. The findings were not good. George was diagnosed as having liver damage and hepatitis.

When George's health still failed to improve despite taking medications prescribed by the doctor, Olivia took it upon herself to find a possible answer to what had suddenly deteriorated into a life-threatening illness and so she began extensive research. Eventually, Olivia contacted a Californian acupuncturist called Dr. Zion Yu, who had the reputation of being able to cure many diseases through this ancient science. Needless to say, when Olivia first mentioned Dr. Yu and his treatments to George he was sceptical, but eventually he gave in. The couple then travelled to California where George was submitted to a series of acupuncture treatments. George noticed an immediate improvement in his well being and after a few months he was well on the way to a complete recovery.

The couple were unable to marry until George's divorce from his current wife Pattie was finalised. This took place in June 1977 and George and Olivia planned their wedding for May 1978. However, George's father had been very ill and sadly passed away in May 1978 and so the wedding ceremony was put off until a later date.

On the 1st August that same year Olivia was admitted into the Princess Christian Nursing Home at nearby Windsor where she gave birth to a son, Dhani.

After a short holiday in order for Olivia to recuperate from the birth, George and Olivia returned to England.

The couple were married by special licence on September 2nd 1978 at Henley Registery Office. Olivia's parents were in attendence. Five days later they announced their marriage to the press and then went on a honeymoon vacation in Tunisia.

Olivia spent the next several years out of the public eye and concentrated on the raising of her son, although she could occasionally be seen at Charity events.

However, on the 14th June 1986 Olivia and Mary Hopkin teamed up to lead 250 youngsters in a demonstration to protest against plans by the council to turn the only cinema in Henley, 'The Regal', into a supermarket. George, an avid movie fan, also believed that the cinema should remain. (As a point of fact, the building of the supermarket did go ahead, but, the cinema remains to this day and is still in use!)

Olivia's support for worthwhile causes didn't stop there.

In 1989 when the fall of Ceausecu's regime in Romania and the deprivation of Romania's orphanages came to the worlds attention, Olivia travelled to Romania to see how she could help. She set out to find how monies already donated by Apple and Elton John could be used best.

It was the result of this visit by Olivia that led to the setting up of The Romanian Angel Appeal. With the help of Barbara Bach Starkey, Linda McCartney, Yoko Ono and Elton John and the support of the British public, one million pounds was raised within six weeks for The Nobody's Child Account.

The Romanian Angel Appeal aquired Charitable status in May 1990 and it's first convoy set out for Bucharest.

George and Olivia lived in Los Angeles for a while, initailly at George's Beverley Hills mansion, which had a guest house, tennis court and a swimming pool. They found that it was too big for their needs and sold it for a smaller home with a greater sense of privacy.

The pair even stayed with Ringo and Nancy Andrews for a time in Hollywood Hills, but Olivia was not too impressed by the lavish lifestyle of Los Angeles and the two of them moved to the tranquillity of the English countryside, to George's mansion, Friar Park in Henley-on-Thames.