A pouring of affection and remembrance of George Harrison was echoed by many whose lives were touched by him and his music:
"I am devastated and very, very sad. He was a lovely guy and a very brave man and had a wonderful sense of humor. He is really just my baby brother.'' –Paul McCartney
"George was a best friend of mine. I loved him very much and I will miss him greatly. Both Barbara and I send our love and light to Olivia and Dhani. We will miss George for his sense of love, his sense of music and his sense of laughter." –Ringo Starr
"It was my sitar and Indian music which connected me to George in the beginning, but very soon our relationship went beyond that. He was a friend, disciple and son to me." –Ravi Shankar
"George was a wonderful musician and a fine human being. He was the baby of the Beatles, and unlike Paul and John, he had a hard time developing his songwriting talent and making his music alone. But he worked hard, and with enormous patience, building his music meticulously, and he eventually came to write one of the greatest love songs of all time — 'Something." –-George Martin, producer
"This is a sad day for Apple and all Beatles fans worldwide. It was my privilege to have been a friend of such a very special man. He will be greatly missed by us all. Our love and condolences go out to Olivia and Dhani at this time." –Neil Aspinall, Apple
"He was the baby of the group. He was a very loveable person. I would say he was the major cog in the Beatles at that time. He kept them together, probably because of the calming effect he had. It is very sad. I have seen three of them go now. First there was Stuart Sutcliffe, who died tragically, and then John Lennon, who also died tragically, and now George. He proved that he was a very talented songwriter. I have such fond memories of him and know he will be happy wherever he is." —Alan Williams, first Beatles manager
"George was a giant, a great great soul with all of the humanity, all of the wit and humor, all of the wisdom, the spirituality, the common sense of a man and compassion for people. He inspired love and had the strength of a hundred men. He was like the sun, the flowers and the moon and we will miss him enormously. The world is a profoundly emptier place without him." –Bob Dylan
"He wrote some of the greatest Beatles' songs, but more than that, he had a gentleness and spirituality that made spending time with him a great pleasure. I have been dreading this loss, and I will really miss him." –Paul Simon
"We both felt we held similar positions in our respective bands, which formed a special knowing bond between us. Let's hope he's jamming with John." –Keith Richards, Rolling Stones
"I am very saddened by George's death and will miss him enormously. As a guitarist, he invented many classic lines that were much copied by others, and he wrote several very beautiful songs that we will always remember. He was a very complex character, quiet and funny with a very sweet nature, but he also could be rather combative at times. He was the first musician I knew who developed a truly spiritual side, and he was generous with his time to both charity and to friends." –Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones
"While we were not personal friends, I think that just like everybody in the world, I have always considered all the Beatles to be my friends. Their arrival in America in 1964 was electrifying, one of the most exciting things that ever happened in my life, and their music has always and will always mean so much to me." –Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys
"In all the years I have known George, I found him to be an incredible human being. He was a strong but gentle man who always took the time to look you in the eye and give you a straight answer. I am sure he handled his transition with the same quiet dignity that he lived all of his life. He will certainly be missed, and his music will live on forever. My only regret about the situation, apart from my personal feelings toward him and his family, is wondering what other songs were in his mind that we will never get to hear." –Graham Nash
"He would fax me and ring me. He kept telling me not to make the mistakes they made with all the lawyers in the Bangladeshi concert. So I remember him with a profound sense of gratitude…As he said himself, how do you compare with the genius of John and Paul? But he did – very well." –Bob Geldof, rocker/activist who put together Live Aid in 1985
"I'm deeply saddened to hear of the loss of my dear friend George. We've not only lost one of the most important figures in popular music, but more importantly one of the friendliest, most generous and funniest of people I've ever met." –Jools Holland, musician
"There was never any arrogance about George Harrison. The success of" My Sweet Lord" was wonderful for anybody that knew George, because he always been in the shadow of John and Paul." –Max Clifford, former EMI publicist
"The music and the personalities of the band were the background of our lives. I think people will be very sad at his death. He was not only a great musician and artist, but he did an immense amount for charity as well, and so he will be very, very sadly missed by people right round the world." –UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
"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." –Yoko Ono
"The world has lost a great spirit in George Harrison, a great musician, songwriter, and friend. He was an inspiration to me and I will miss him a great deal."–Michael Jackson
"With the rest of the world, the RIAA mourns the loss of music industry legend, George Harrison. George was not only an exceptionally talented recording artist, but a remarkable and spiritual human being. He touched the world not just through his music, but also through his many generous humanitarian contributions and desire for peace around the world." –Hilary Rosen, RIAA president/CEO
