5th Beatle George Martin dead at 90

Iconic Beatles producer Sir George Martin has died at the age of 90.

Known affectionately as ‘The Fifth Beatle,’ Martin signed the band and produced all of their hit singles.

His passing was confirmed by the band’s drummer Ringo Starr, who says via Twitter: “God bless George Martin. Peace and love to Judy and his family. Love Ringo and Barbara. George will be missed.”

Martin also worked with artists including Sting, Stevie Wonder, Gerry And The Pacemakers and Shirley Bassey while producing more than 700 records, winning a string of Grammys. He was also awarded an Oscar for the score of Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night.

He received a knighthood in 1996 and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999.

In a statement via his manager Adam Sharp, Martin’s family say: “The family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and messages of support.

“In a career that spanned seven decades, he was an inspiration to many and is recognised globally as one of music’s most creative talents. He was a true gentleman to the end.”

Martin is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Judy Lockhart Smith, and his four children.

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Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.