As of 2012, two members of the Beatles are still alive. These are bassist and songwriter Paul McCartney (1942 - ) and drummer Ringo Starr (1940 - ). The other two members of one of the most successful pop groups in history, John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and George Harrison (1943 - 2001) have died.
Rhythm guitarist, songwriter and vocalist John Lennon was murdered outside his New York apartment on the 8th of December 1980 as he and wife, Yoko Ono returned from the recording studio. Lennon was shot by obsessive Beatles "fan" Mark David Chapman, for whom Lennon had signed an autograph just hours earlier. Chapman had severe mental health problems and was enraged with Lennon's "bigger than Jesus" comment; and he also believed that he had been possessed by Lennon. Chapman shot Lennon four times in the back at close range and the Beatle was pronounced dead on arrival in the emergency room of Roosevelt Hospital, New York. Mark David Chapman was sentenced to life but could have been eligible for parole from 2000 onwards after pleading guilty to murder. However, he still remains an inmate at Attica State prison after being denied parole a number of times.
Lead guitarist, occasional songwriter and vocalist George Harrison died in 2001, after battling cancer for four years. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in the summer of 1997 after a lump on his neck was investigated, but he was successfully treated with a course of radiotherapy. Despite this the cancer returned in his lung and Harrison underwent an operation to remove the cancerous growth. Following this he developed a brain tumor after the cancer continued to spread. Sadly, George Harrison died in Los Angeles, California, on the 29th of November 22001. He was cremated and, in accordance with Hindu tradition, his ashes were scattered by his close family in the Ganges River in India.
