Dic: in the shadow of somebody, in the shadow of something

in the shadow of somebody: receiving little attention because someone else is better known or more skillful

• Tom was a good lawyer, but he was always in the shadow of his famous father.

Usage notes: often used after live:

• Living in the shadow of a glamorous sister, Hilda was quiet and shy.

in the shadow of something:
1. near something

• Her house is located in the shadow of the state capitol.

2. influenced by something bad that has happened or could happen

• The children of the survivors lived their lives in the shadow of the Holocaust.
• The organization is trying to protect civil rights in the shadow of terrorism.

.... Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms,

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/shadow