RAVI SHANKAR, the master sitar player who earned three Grammys and left an indelible mark on generations of pop influencers including the Beatles, died on Tuesday at a hospital near his home in San Diego, his foundation and record label announced. He was 92.

SHANKAR had been suffering from upper-respiratory and heart issues over the course of a year and underwent heart-valve replacement surgery last Thursday. However, he failed to recover and died at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif.

"It is with heavy hearts we write to inform you that Pandit Ravi Shankar, husband, father, and musical soul, passed away today," said a family statement. "We were at his side when he passed away."

The office of India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also confirmed the death, calling Shankar a "national treasure."