Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson dead at 82
The music world is mourning the loss of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ founder whose classics defined a generation.
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Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys co-founder who masterminded the group’s wild popularity and soundtracked the California dream, has died, his family has announced. He was 82.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now,” read the statement published on Wilson’s social media accounts.
“We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world.”
No cause of death was given and it was not revealed where or when he died.
After the death of his wife Melinda in 2024, business representatives for Wilson were granted a conservatorship by a Californian state judge after it was deemed that he had been diagnosed with dementia.
The pop visionary crafted hits whose success rivalled The Beatles throughout the 1960s: between 1962 and 1966 a seemingly inexhaustible string of feel-good hits including Surfin’ USA, I Get Around, Fun, Fun, Fun, Good Vibrations, and Surfer Girl made the Beach Boys into America’s biggest selling band.
But after five years of prodigious songwriting, in which he produced 200 odes to sun, surfing and suntanned girls, Wilson sank into a deep, drug-fuelled depression for decades.
He would emerge 35 years later to complete the Beach Boys’ unfinished album, Smile, widely regarded as his masterpiece.
Wilson and wife Melinda adopted five children, while the star had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, with his first wife, Marilyn Rutherford.
Singer Carnie, of Wilson Phillips fame, lovingly wrote about her father in a heartbreaking statement, saying she had “no words to express the sadness I feel right now”.
“My father, Brian Wilson, was every fibre of my body. He will be remembered by millions and millions until the world ends.”
Beach Boys co-founder and rhythm guitarist Al Jardine also paid tribute, saying he took comfort that Wilson was reunited with bandmates and brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, who died in 1983 and 1998 respectively.
Wilson was revered by the world’s biggest musicians for his intricate studio work, which resulted in his 1966 masterpiece Pet Sounds, named by Rolling Stone as the second greatest album of all time.
Wilson’s fellow music legend Bob Dylan, who shared a friendship with the legendary artist over the years, posted a moving message about the creator of California Girls and Good Vibrations on X.
“Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I’ve been listening to him and admiring his genius,” Dylan wrote. “Rest in peace dear Brian.”
Elton John remembered Wilson as someone who “was always so kind to me from the day I met him.
“He sang ‘Someone Saved My Life Tonight’ at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I played on his solo records, he sang on my album, The Union, and even performed for my AIDS Foundation.”
John said he grew to love Wilson “as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever.”
“He was a musical genius and revolutionary,” John continued. “He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever. A true giant.”
Singer/songwriter Mick Fleetwood, the co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, wrote on Instagram that “anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for” Wilson’s “genius magical touch” and “greatly saddened of this major worldly loss,” adding, “My thoughts go out to his family and friends.”
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards shared a page from his 2010 memoir, where he recalled listening to Wilson’s “very well-constructed” songs.
He captioned the post, “Rest in Peace!”.
Fellow Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood said that Wilson’s death came the same week as the passing of another iconic musician, Sly Stone.
“Oh no Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in one week~ my world is in mourning, so sad, xx,” Wood wrote on Instagram.
Kiss frontman Paul Stanley said Wilson was a “genius”.
“Brian Wilson Has Died. “Genius” is a term used too often and too loosely. “Tortured Genius” even more so. Brian’s astonishing output of musical brilliance will bring joy while it influences generations to come. Thank you Brian and Rest In Peace,” he posted on X.
Born on June 20, 1942 in a Los Angeles suburb, music was a haven of safety and joy for Wilson after an upbringing in which he suffered abuse from his domineering father, who would go on to manage the group.
Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, said he was heartbroken.
“Not many people influenced me as much as he did,” Lennon said on X.
“I feel very lucky that I was able to meet him and spend some time with him. He was always very kind and generous. He was our American Mozart. A one of a kind genius from another world.”
Anyone who really knows me knows how heart broken I am about Brian Wilson passing. Not many people influenced me as much as he did. I feel very lucky that I was able to meet him and spend some time with him. He was always very kind and generous. He was our American Mozart. A one… pic.twitter.com/UODb9NdqOl
— Seán Ono Lennon (@seanonolennon) June 11, 2025
Music was Wilson’s protection, as he gathered his brothers around a Hammond organ in the living room to teach them jazz and gospel harmonies.”
The Beach Boys was a family affair. He formed the band with his two brothers Dennis and Carl, his cousin Mike Love and neighbour Al Jardine when he was 19, who just lived around the corner in Hawthorne.
Wilson did all the songwriting, arranging and sang and played bass guitar. His bandmates just had to sing in harmony.
Their first song “Surfin” in 1961 combined the rock styles of Chuck Berry and Little Richard and the preppy vocal harmonies of “The Four Freshmen”.
By late 1962, there was hardly a teen who did not know them thanks to Surfin’ USA. Last year Wilson’s family successfully pursued a legal conservatorship following the death of his wife Melinda, with his longtime manager and publicist being put in charge of his affairs.
Wilson suffered a “major neurocognitive disorder,” the judge said. Wilson’s seven children were consulted by the conservators regarding major health decisions as a stipulation of the agreement.
– with AFP
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Originally published as Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson dead at 82
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