They were close friends before and during their time as members of the Beatles. They were neighbors who used to hitchhike together on their way to school. Paul recommended George to John, who was initially hesitant because of his youth, but subsequently allowed him to join his band, the Quarrymen, when he impressed him by playing the instrumental ‘Raunchy’ to the last note.
During the recording of the White Album, strains between them and the other members grew, and they remained thus until their breakup in 1970. Following the death of their manager, Brian Epstein, Paul took over in an attempt to keep the band together, which the members were apprehensive of. When George first started songwriting, Paul refused to help him, and when he did, he was adamant about directing.
Following that, they gradually began to see each other in an attempt to mend fences and rebuild their friendship. When George, Ringo, and Yoko sued Paul after discovering that he was making more money off their songs than they were, things got nasty. As a result, George’s chagrin, he declined the Beatles’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Paul did write a letter explaining why, and they made enough amends to sit down for supper later. They worked together again on the Beatles Anthology series, and after he was diagnosed with cancer, he and Paul patched things up even further. When George died, he did it in Paul’s Los Angeles home.