Brian Wilson, iconic frontman of The Beach Boys, has died at the age of 82.
His family confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement shared on social media, writing: “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 realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.”
No cause of death has been disclosed at this time. Wilson’s health had been a growing concern in recent years. In 2024, it was revealed he was living with dementia, and a conservatorship was filed shortly after the death of his wife, Melinda.
Brian Wilson was born in Inglewood, Californi, and formed the band that would become The Beach Boys while still a teenager.
Alongside his brothers Dennis and Carl, cousin Mike Love, and high school friend Al Jardine, Wilson launched the group – originally named the Pendletones.
Their debut single, “Surfin’,” was released by Candix Records, who renamed the band The Beach Boys without the members’ consent.
A year later, they signed with Capitol Records and released Surfin’ Safari. Their breakout hit, “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” landed in the Top 10 in 1963, the same year the band released three albums: Surfin’ U.S.A., Surfer Girl, and Little Deuce Coupe.
By then, Wilson had begun producing for other acts, collaborating with artists like Jan and Dean, Donna Loren, and Sharon Marie.
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However, the pressures of constant touring took a toll, and in 1964 Wilson stepped back from live performances after suffering a panic attack.
Instead, he turned his focus to songwriting and production, laying the groundwork for what would become one of pop’s most revered albums.
In 1965, Wilson began work on Pet Sounds, a groundbreaking record created with the help of the famed Wrecking Crew studio musicians.
Though it was initially met with mixed commercial success, Pet Sounds has since been recognized as a masterpiece, earning a place in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry in 2004.
Wilson’s next ambitious project, Smile, was conceived as a “teenage symphony to God” but was ultimately shelved due to mounting delays and internal struggles.
Following the project’s collapse in 1967, Wilson’s influence within the band began to wane.
He entered a psychiatric facility in 1968 and faced a long battle with mental illness and substance abuse throughout the ’70s.
In the 1980s, Wilson fell under the controversial care of psychologist Eugene Landy, who exerted extensive control over his life and career. This chapter was later dramatized in the biopic Love & Mercy.
Wilson released his first solo album in 1988. Legal action by his family eventually led to Landy’s removal in 1992.
Years later, Wilson revisited Smile, completing it with the help of musician Darian Sahanaja. The finished version, Brian Wilson Presents Smile, was released in 2004 to critical acclaim.
Wilson continued recording through the 2000s, releasing his final solo album, No Pier Pressure, in 2015. He published a memoir in 2016 and shared previously unreleased material the following year, continuing to shape music history until the end.
Wilson and the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Over the course of his career, Wilson earned two Grammy Awards from nine nominations, while the Beach Boys received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.
