World leaders and entertainment industry heavyweights paid tribute to George Harrison, "the quiet Beatle", who died from cancer on Friday.
Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney made a moving tribute to Harrison, the youngest of the Fab Four.
Speaking outside his Sussex home, south of London, McCartney, 59, said: "We know he had been ill for a while and we have just been praying for some kind of miracle."
"It wasn't to be, but I understand from his wife he went peacefully, which is a great blessing and it was a very peaceful golden moment."
Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, 61, said from his Canadian home: "We will miss George for his sense of love, his sense of music and his sense of laughter."
Yoko Ono, widow of John Lennon who was murdered outside their New York home in 1980 at the age of 40, said simply: "Thank you, George, it was grand knowing you."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Harrison had been part of the Beatles' phenomenon, which was "the background of our lives".
"He wasn't just a great musician and artist, he did an immense amount for charity as well, so he will be very sadly missed by people right around the world," Mr Blair said.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: "The Queen was saddened by the news of George Harrison's death."
A spokesman for President George W. Bush said the Beatles were a major part of the lives of all baby boomers.
"The President is very saddened by the death of George Harrison. He viewed the Beatles as one of the greatest groups of any time in music," the spokesman said.
Monty Python comedian Eric Idle, a close friend of Harrison's (who helped finance the Python film Life Of Brian), said he died with dignity.
Beatles producer Sir George Martin paid tribute to Harrison's determination to improve his work with the Fab Four.
"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," Sir George said.
"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"."
Michael Jackson, who bought the rights to most of the Beatles songs in 1984 for $100 million, said Harrison was "an inspiration".
"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 and he wrote beautiful songs we will always remember," Rolling Stone lead singer Mick Jagger said.
"George was, always will be, above all, a real gentleman, in the full meaning of the word. 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," Rolling Stone guitarist Keith Richards said.
Fans gathered outside Harrison's English home, at London's Abbey Road Studios and the Strawberry Fields section of New York's Central Park, named after Lennon.
Harrison died with his wife Olivia and son Dhani, 23, by his side in Los Angeles, where he had been undergoing chemotherapy.
The announcement of his death was delayed a day so his family could hold a private service.