Famous fans and friends pay tribute to a gentleman and a great musician

"There was a magic chemistry that happened between us and somehow it got into the grooves of our records. Not every song we ever did was brilliant, but a lot of them are timeless, great songs that happen to have a chemistry in the grooves which appeals to each generation as it grows up. It was sad when we broke up because we had been so close for so long."

George Harrison's own verdict on The Beatles and their musical legacy might have been a little modest for a member of the most successful pop group the world has ever seen, but such neat insight was characteristic of a man who was never blinded by fame and sought throughout his life to discover the essence of things.

But even if Harrison never hyped his contribution to popular culture, many others are keen to acknowledge their debt to the "quiet" Beatle.

Noel Gallagher of Oasis, a lifelong fan of The Beatles, named his song "Wonderwall" after a George Harrison soundtrack album. "It's very sad," he said last night. "I hope he has found what he spent his life searching for."

Sir Bob Geldof, whose Live Aid appeal was inspired by Harrison's Bangladesh fundraising campaign in the early Seventies, recalled being utterly starstruck by his presence at a Boomtown Rats concert. "I remember when the 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," said Sir Bob.

The Byrds guitarist David Crosby spoke of Harrison's warmth and of their friendship. "He was the most friendly (of the Beatles) to me and the nicest. He and I sort of became friends. I'm not sure if it was me that did it, but there are people that tell me I turned him on to Indian music," he said.

Harrison's Indian mentor and sitar instructor, Ravi Shankar, remembered his poignant first meeting with the Beatle. "We first met in London in 1966. I was touched by his love of Indian music. He wanted me to teach him the sitar. I regard him as a disciple, a son and a friend."

The actress Mia Farrow, whose interests in Indian spiritualism also took her to India in the 1970s, said of Harrison: "He would go to the elderly women meditators to play his guitar and sing for them. It was his serious commitment to meditation that had motivated the other Beatles to come to India. He was interested in playing the sitar ... because it is believed that they alter the consciousness and can influence people for the good."

Paul Weller, whose band the Jam was heavily influenced by the Beatles, yesterday acknowledged he grew up in a house "filled with music" which mainly comprised of his mother's early Beatles records.

New Zealander Neil Finn, former lead singer of Crowded House, recalled seeing the 1967 live broadcast of "All You Need Is Love", and said: "It was amazing. It gave me the chills."

Sting, meanwhile, said the Beatles had been formative in his upbringing and musical education. "They came from a very similar background – the industrial towns of England, working class. They wrote their own songs, conquered the world."

The former Grand Prix champion Sir Jackie Stewart spoke last night of the loss of his close family friend. "George Harrison was one of the most creative people I have ever met. He had such a wide and peripheral way of thinking and his mind was very agile and spanned all sorts of cultures, subjects and interests."

The Beatles' first drummer, Pete Best, heard of Harrison's death as he was flying to the United States to perform. He said: "I am absolutely stunned. It is a tragic loss of a life, a tragic loss of a great musician."

And former Beatles promoter Sid Bernstein said: "I am very sad. I'm a guy who believes in miracles and I was hoping for one for him. He was a very, very selfless man, a caring man and a great artist. He was a great human being and cared about people. He did not seek prominence, he lived a quiet life and was a good soldier in the fight for peace."

Sir George Martin, the record producer who persuaded EMI to add the band to his fledgling Parlophone label and produced all of the Beatles' albums, said: "George was a true friend, intensely loyal, caring deeply for those he loved and he inspired much love in return. Now I believe, as he did, that he has entered a higher state. God give him peace."

Viewers of BBC news may have been surprised to discover that one of Harrison's old school friends was the newsreader Peter Sissons. The pair studied together at the Liverpool Institute and Sissons recalled Harrison's interest in music from an early age.

"He was an immensely peaceful and non-aggressive person. He was a gentleman and a great musician. My memories of him are nothing but fond," Sissons said.

But if Harrison were allowed the final verdict on his musical career, it might be this, from an interview he gave in the 1980s: "Of my songs, 'Here Comes the Sun' and 'Something' are probably the biggest. At last count, which was years ago, there were 140 covers of 'Something'. Sinatra, Smokey Robinson, Ray Charles. My personal favourite is the version by James Brown. 'Taxman' was done not too long ago by Berry Gordy's son, so I've done alright."