Ravi Shankar, a legendary Indian sitar player and songwriter who was a major influence on The Beatles, has passed away. He was 92.
Shankar's manager, Earl Blackburn, emailed Bloomberg.com with the sad news, confirming that the musician died at a hospital near his residence in California. He underwent heart-valve replacement surgery on Thursday.
Seen above with George Harrison, Shankar helped the iconic band member learn Eastern music, remaining a force in the industry for decades and being nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album for "The Living Room Sessions, Part 1."
Shankar is also the father of Norah Jones.
He served in the Indian Parliament between 1986 and 1992 and last worked with Harrison in 1997; they collaborated on Shankar's "Chants of India."