Music icon and Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson has died. He was 82.
In a post on Facebook, Wilson’s family announced the news, writing alongside a photo of the late legend: “We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now.”
The family then asked that fans “please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving,” adding, “We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.” They concluded their statement with “Love & Mercy.”
A singer, songwriter, and record producer, Brian Douglas Wilson was born on June 20, 1942. He was best known as a member of the pop-rock band the Beach Boys, which he co-founded in Hawthorne, California, in 1961, with his brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine.
In 1964, Wilson left the Beach Boys, but returned in 1976, only to reduce his involvement once more in 1983. After that, he would perform with the band occasionally but was never really a full-fledged member again.
Wilson performed on all of the band’s releases, except Live in London (1970), The Beach Boys in Concert (1973), Summer in Paradise (1992), and The Beach Boys On Tour 1968 (2018). He also did not join them for songs such as “Happy Endings” (1987), “Kokomo” (1988), “Problem Child” (1990), and “Crocodile Rock” (1991).
Brian Wilson is considered to be one of the greatest songwriters of all time
It’s no secret that Wilson was a once-in-a-lifetime talent, often being referred to as a genius for his musical vision and pop-music songwriting abilities. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and inventive songwriters of the 20th century.
Throughout his life, Wilson had a lot to say about art the making music and songwriting. “For me, making music has always been a very spiritual thing, and I think anybody who produces records has to feel that, at least a little bit,” he once said. “Producing a record, the idea of taking a song, envisioning the overall sound in my head and then bringing the arrangement to life in the studio, well that gives me satisfaction like nothing else.”
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