Indian composer and sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar has died in a California hospital. He was 92.
The entertainer, who was called “the godfather” of the music world by the Beatles, had been frail for several years. A statement released by his family says he was recently hospitalized for surgery.
Shankar was one of India's best known performers. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released a message on “Twitter” Wednesday reacting to his death. The prime minister called Shankar a “national treasure” and a “global ambassador of India's cultural heritage.”
Shankar and the late Beatle George Harrison collaborated on several projects, including a 1971 concert for Bangladesh. He also worked with violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
He was the father of American singer Norah Jones.