In 1999, a man attacked George Harrison and his wife Olivia in their home, Friar Park. The man attacked George with a kitchen knife and stabbed him 40 times until Olivia could knock him out with a lamp and a fireplace poker. George was recovering from throat cancer, but he had to get part of his lung removed due to the attack. When the news of the home invasion broke, Tom Petty was fearful that his friend was gravely injured.Unfortunately, many believe that the attack took years off George’s life. He was just getting over his first bout of cancer, but it returned later on. Fortunately, when the time came, George left his body the way he wanted and with dignity in 2001.
Source: cheatsheet.com