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The Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson dies, aged 82
11 June 2025, 18:37 | Updated: 11 June 2025, 23:04
The legendary co-founder and mastermind of the band has sadly passed away, his family has confirmed.
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The Beach Boys co-founder and mastermind Brian Wilson has died at the age of 82.
The legendary musician's family shared a statement on Wednesday 11th June, which read: "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 realise that we are sharing our grief with the world.
"Love & Mercy."
The eldest child of Murry and Audree Wilson, Brian Wilson was born on 20th June 1942 in Inglewood, California. A musical prodigy, he formed The Beach Boys in 1961 with his brothers Dennis and Carl, alongside friends Mike Love and Al Jardine.
Their first Top 10 hit was Surfin' USA, released by Capitol in March 1963. It was the beginning of a run of 13 US Top 10 singles for the group in the 60s, including three chart toppers: I Get Around, Help Me Rhonda and the innovative Good Vibrations.
Known as an architect of pop, Wilson masterminded the songwriting, production and arrangement of the Beach Boys' music, but in 1964 the pressure became too great and he suffered a panic attack while on a flight from Los Angeles to Houston. He was replaced on the band's subsequent tour by singer Glen Campbell.
Brian withdrew from performing live with the Beach Boys and declared that he would focus on songwriting and production work from that point on. This led to the band's peak of creativity, culminating in the brilliant single Good Vibrations and the accompanying album Pet Sounds, which also featured God Only Knows and Wouldn't It Be Nice.
The Beach Boys' masterpiece, Pet Sounds spurred on other artists into using the recording studio as an instrument, particularly The Beatles, who were motivated to create their Sgt Pepper album.
However, while trying to record the follow-up, a projected song suite called Smile, Brian again found the pressure too great and the album was never satisfactorily completed. It would be four decades before Wilson's vision of Smile would be released.
Brian's mental and physical health went into decline in the 1970s, with substance abuse and increased food consumption all contributing to his struggles. He was virtually a recluse at the beginning of the decade, but after working with the controversial psychologist Eugene Landy, he eventually re-joined his old band in 1976 for a series of tours.
Sadly, Wilson's mental health began to suffer again into the 1980s, prompting a second intervention from Landy which was successful enough to release his first, self-titled solo album in 1988 - the same year that he was inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame as one of the Beach Boys.
Wilson continued to release music through the 1990s and the 2000s, performing Pet Sounds and his own version of the Smile project. He reunited with the Beach Boys for one last time in 2011, for the album That's Why God Made The Radio. He appeared with former colleagues Mike Love, Bruce Johnston and Al Jardine at the launch of the Disney+ documentary The Beach Boys in May 2024.
It emerged in 2024 that Wilson was suffering from dementia and his family applied for another conservatorship to manage his affairs.
Brian Wilson's death was preceded by his wife Melinda, who died in January 2024. His brother Dennis drowned in 1983 while diving in Marina Del Rey and his other brother Carl died of lung cancer in 1998.
He leaves behind six children, including daughters Carnie and Wendy who made up two-thirds of the pop vocal group Wilson Phillips.
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