Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys and one of the greatest songwriters of all-time, has died at the age of 82. His family announced the news on Wednesday (June 11), writing on social media: “We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.” Wilson had been battling dementia in recent years, and a conservatorship was set up in 2024 to secure his continued care following the death of Melinda Wilson, Brian’s second wife and longtime manager.
“Brian gave so much to the world through his music, his spirit and his strength. He was a sweet, gentle soul,” family representative Jean Sievers said in a statement. “There will never ever be anyone like him again. His message of love will live on through his music forever.” Throughout his groundbreaking music career, Wilson achieved immense commercial success with the Beach Boys – which he formed with his brothers Dennis and Carl, along with their cousin Mike Love and neighborhood friend Al Jardine – writing their three Billboard No. 1 hit singles, “I Get Around,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” and “Good Vibrations,” and a majority of the band’s 36 career Top 40 hits.
Wilson also produced, arranged, and composed the group’s 1966 creative masterpiece, Pet Sounds, which Rolling Stone placed at Number Two on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. That landmark album includes the standout track, “God Only Knows,” which Paul McCartney says is “the greatest song ever written.” Wilson earned two Grammy Awards, as well as an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000, along with receiving the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. “Early on, I learned that when I tuned the world out, I was able to tune in a mysterious, God-given music,” Wilson said. “It was my gift, and it allowed me to interpret and understand emotions I couldn’t articulate.” (Rolling Stone)