The iconic co-founder of the Beach Boys and architect of the band’s signature California sound, Brian Wilson, has died at the age of 82, his family announced on Wednesday.
In a statement posted to Wilson’s official social media pages, his family wrote: “We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.”
Wilson’s contributions to pop music shaped an entire era, with a string of chart-topping hits in the early 1960s that rivaled even The Beatles. From 1962 to 1966, he produced a relentless stream of anthems such as “Surfin’ USA,” “I Get Around,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” and “Surfer Girl,” transforming the Beach Boys into America’s top-selling band at the time.
Despite his early success, Wilson faced a long and difficult battle with mental health and substance abuse. After producing more than 200 songs during the band’s initial run, he withdrew from the public eye in a spiral of depression and drug use that lasted for decades. He eventually reemerged to complete Smile, the long-delayed and critically acclaimed album originally begun in the 1960s.
Born on June 20, 1942, in the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne, Wilson turned to music as an escape from a turbulent childhood marked by abuse from his father, who later became the band’s manager. Music quickly became a refuge, with Wilson teaching his brothers jazz and gospel harmonies around a Hammond organ in their living room.
At just 19, Wilson formed the Beach Boys with his brothers Dennis and Carl, his cousin Mike Love, and their neighbor Al Jardine. Their debut single, “Surfin”, blended Chuck Berry-style rock with the polished vocal harmonies of The Four Freshmen. By the end of 1962, the Beach Boys had become teen idols with the nationwide success of “Surfin’ USA.”
Wilson handled the band’s songwriting, arrangement, vocals, and bass guitar, while his bandmates delivered their hallmark harmonies.
In recent years, Wilson faced serious health challenges. Following the death of his wife Melinda, his family pursued a conservatorship in 2023, citing a “major neurocognitive disorder.” A judge granted the request, placing Wilson’s longtime manager and publicist in charge of his affairs, with his seven children involved in major health-related decisions.
Wilson’s death marks the end of a towering legacy in pop music, with fans and fellow artists around the world mourning the loss of a visionary whose work defined a generation.
