The White House said President Bush is saddened by the death of musician George Harrison, who was the lead guitarist for the rock group the Beatles.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the President was saddened by the news that Mr. Harrison died from throat cancer Thursday in Los Angeles at the age of 58. "The President is very saddened by the death of George Harrison. He considers the Beatles to be one of the greatest groups of any time in music, and he noted that two of the four Beatles have now passed away, and he is saddened by that. The Beatles are a big part of the life of all Baby Boomers, and he is very saddened by the death of George Harrison" he said.
Mr. Fleischer said the President was a fan of the Beatles, the British quartet that burst onto the world's pop music charts in the early 1960's.
Mr. Harrison is the second member of the group to die. John Lennon was shot to death in New York City in 1980.