Denis O’Brien, Former Manager of George Harrison, Dead At 80

Denis O’Brien, George Harrison’s long-time manager for most of his solo career, has died at age 80.

O’Brien took after Harrison’s manager when the ex-Beatle was trying to remove himself from the disastrous Beatle management deal he, John Lennon and Ringo Starr did. The origins of that deal are documented in Peter Jackson’s ‘Get Back’.

George and Denis created Handmade Films to finance Monty Python’s Life of Brian. O’Brien then ran the film company. They went on to make ‘Time Bandits’, ‘Nuns on the Run’ and ‘Shanghai Surprise’, starring Madonna.

Harrison and O’Brien’s relationship dissolved into a legal dispute by the mid 1990s. George claimed Denis withheld over £16m over 12 years. The court ruled O’Brien pay Harrison £11m and £6.7m in damages. Word is George has an unreleased song ‘Lyin’ O’Brien’ about Denis.

Eventually Denis filed for bankruptcy.

O’Brien was married four times. He has two daughters Kristen and Laura.

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