Brian Wilson, the talented musician and co-founder of the Beach Boys, has died at age 82.
On Wednesday, June 11, the singer-songwriter’s family announced his death on Instagram along with a recent photo of Wilson on a bench.
“We are heart broken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” the caption read. “We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.”
Wilson was born on June 20, 1942 in Inglewood, California and was the eldest child in his family.
From a young age he had a natural talent for music, with abilities in pitch and melody, leading him to co-found the Beach Boys in 1961, reported People.
Brian Wilson’s Beach Boy legacy
Wilson was not only the band’s songwriter and co-lead vocalist, but he also played the bass guitar and keyboard and was described by People as the “formative genius of the group.”
Playing alongside his brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and their friend Al Jardine, the group instantly captured the attention of the nation with their first single, “Surfin,” and landed a record deal with Capitol Records, stated The Washington Post.
As they went on to make the Billboard Top 40 list 36 times — more than any other American band — Wilson is considered the one responsible for their initial success, including “Surfin’ USA,” “Surfer Girl,” “All Summer Long,” “Don’t Worry Baby,“ ”I Get Around,“ ”The Warmth of the Sun" and “California Girls,” per The Washington Post.
Wilson’s artistic songwriting helped in cultivating the “California sound” by painting pictures of warm beaches, endless summers in their songs, according to People.
By the late ‘60s, Wilson wanted to go beyond the surf, pushing the boundaries of rock and create more mature music. In 1966 Wilson crafted the album “Pet Sounds,” which was more than a group of songs but a unified work that went on to influence many other artists, according to The Washington Post.
Despite the Beach Boys’ growing fame through the years, Wilson struggled with his own mental and physical challenges that led him to drift out of the spotlight.
Overcoming mental and physical struggles
Battling depression, deafness in his right ear and the pressures of keeping up with his self proclaimed rivals, The Beatles, Wilson began to experience a mental decline during the late ‘60s, per People.
He also suffered a disorder called schizoaffective disorder, which caused him to experience auditory hallucinations and paranoia, according to The Washington Post.
For the next decade, Wilson became almost completely reclusive while only helping with a few new songs which, unfortunately, didn’t do well. This left the band to be often dismissed as “hopelessly old-fashioned,” per The Washington Post.
Worried about the decline of his mental health, Wilson’s first wife, Marilyn Rovell, sought help from psychotherapist Eugene Landy. However, Landy maintained a tight control on Wilson’s life and eventually was stripped of his license, according to Variety.
After a brief comeback that ended with the singer falling back into depression with drugs and alcohol, Wilson eventually fought through his demons — with the help of his second wife, Melinda Kae Ledbetter — and resurged in the mid-1990s, according to People.
But it would be in 2000 that Wilson’s truest revival would begin when he performed “Pet Sounds” for fans once again, reported Variety.
The Beach Boys member released several solo albums, including his 2004 “Brian Wilson Presents Smile,” that featured his previously scrapped album “Smile,” per People.
Additionally, Wilson and the Beach Boys were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 along with Wilson being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000, reported Variety.
In 2021, Wilson’s life and career was captured in a documentary, “Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road” and he continued to tour through 2022, according to People.