Brian Wilson, the musical mastermind behind the Beach Boys and one of the most innovative figures in American pop history, has died at 82. His family announced his death on Wednesday, June 11. No cause was given.
Wilson’s soaring harmonies, meticulous production, and sun-soaked melodies helped define the 1960s California sound. As the creative force behind the Beach Boys, Wilson elevated surf rock into an art form with hits like “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations,” and “God Only Knows.” His 1966 masterwork Pet Sounds reshaped the boundaries of popular music and directly influenced the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Born in Inglewood, California, Wilson formed the Beach Boys in 1961 with his brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Despite early fame, his life was shadowed by mental illness and substance abuse. Diagnosed later with schizoaffective disorder, Wilson withdrew from the public eye in the 1970s, leading to a turbulent personal and professional period marked by isolation and controversial treatment.
Still, Wilson staged multiple comebacks. His 1988 solo debut earned acclaim, and he returned to touring in the late ’90s. In the 2000s, Wilson completed Smile, the once-abandoned follow-up to Pet Sounds, and received renewed recognition for his contributions to modern music. A 2014 biopic, Love & Mercy, brought his story to a new generation.
Wilson is survived by daughters Carnie and Wendy, members of the pop group Wilson Phillips, and five adopted children with his late wife, Melinda Ledbetter. He remained a revered figure until his final days, remembered as both a troubled genius and a relentless artist whose music captured the American imagination.
Source: USA Today