Denis O'Brien George Harrison 's former manager , passed away at the age of 80 on December 3rd. The information was confirmed by his daughter, Kristen O'Brien.
According to Kristen, her father was hospitalized at Great Western Hospital in Swindon, UK, after experiencing severe abdominal pain. The cause of death is still unknown.
The daughter also told The Associated Press (via Billboard ) that her father had been retired for 20 years and had spent that time "enjoying life in the company of his wife Phyllida O'Brien ," who passed away in 2019. O'Brien was married four times.
He was George Harrison's manager for almost the entirety of the former Beatle . In 1978, the pair founded the production and distribution company HandMade Films. Their first project was Monty Python's Life of Brian, which they self-financed after EMI Films dropped out of the project.
HandMand Films closed in 1991 when Harrison and O'Brien went to court. Five years later, O'Brien had to pay $11 million for "mismanaging the company." In August 2001, three months before Harrison's death, the judge canceled the order to prevent O'Brien from declaring bankruptcy.
Rest in peace, Denis O'Brien