Former Beatle George Harrison has finally lost his battle against cancer.
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George Harrison, who died last night
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Harrison (58), former lead guitarist in the world's most famous band, died last night in Los Angeles with wife Olivia and son Dhani (24) at his side.
Sir Paul McCartney told PA News: "I am devastated and very very sad. We knew he'd been ill for a long time. He was a lovely guy and a very brave man and had a wonderful sense of humour. He is really just my baby brother."
The former smoker suffered lung and throat tumours and recently had treatment in the US.
He died at 9.30 last night UK time at a friend's LA home, longtime friend Gavin De Becker told Associated Press. "He died with one thought in mind - love one another," Mr De Becker said.
The musician's death leaves two surviving members of the Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Lennon, who learned guitar from Harrison, was shot dead by a deranged fan in New York in 1980.
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In 1998, when Harrison revealed he had been treated for throat cancer, he said: "It reminds you that anything can happen".
The following year, he survived an attack by intruder Michael Abram. He was stabbed several times and suffered a punctured lung.
This summer, he released a statement asking fans not to worry about reports that he was still battling cancer.
Ms Yoko Ono, widow of John Lennon, said Harrison brought magic to the lives of those who knew him. She said: "My deep love and concern goes to Olivia and Dhani. The three of them were the closest, most loving family you can imagine.
"George has given so much to us in his lifetime and continues to do so even after his passing, with his music, his wit and his wisdom.
"His life was magical and we all felt we had shared a little bit of it by knowing him. Thank you George, it was grand knowing you".
Sir Bob Geldof said he was "shocked and stunned" to hear of Harrison's death. "He wasn't a reluctant Beatle. I mean he knew that his place in popular culture was absolutely secure," he told BBC Radio 4's Todayprogramme.
"I remember when the Boomtown Rats started he came down to see us in Oxford and I was shocked and stunned when he walked into the room. There was a living Beatle".
"As he said himself how do you compare with the genius of John and Paul, but he did, very well. All the way back he measured up. Maybe because of the necessary competition between the other two his standard of song-writing was incomparably better than lots of their contemporaries anyway," Sir Bob said.
PA