When the Beach Boys hit the airwaves in the 1960s, their harmonies helped define an entire era of music. Now, fans around the world are mourning the loss of the man behind the sound.
Brian Wilson, the creative force who helped shape the Beach Boys and modern rock music, has died at 82. His family confirmed the news on Wednesday, June 11, in a post shared to social media.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” they wrote alongside a photo of Wilson smiling on a bench. “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 was given, but in February 2024, it was revealed Wilson had been diagnosed with dementia. His wife, Melinda Ledbetter — whom the musician married in 1995 — passed away that January, and the family filed for conservatorship shortly after.
Once news of Wilson’s passing broke, it didn’t take long for reactions to pour in.
"A musical genius if ever there was one. ❤️🩹🙏🏼 Godspeed Brian," one person commented on X (formerly Twitter).
"Farewell Old Friend. I know every note of every song. They will live in my heart and my soul, forever," another wrote.
"This is a tough one. Somebody asked, in a post not long ago, 'What celebrity deaths have hit you hardest?' I haven't been hit too hard by many . . . but I always knew that it would be tough when Brian Wilson or Bob Dylan died. God bless and comfort his family," chimed in a third.
"I’ll Always Love Brian😢❤️😢❤️," someone else declared.
"No words, only tears today 😢," added another.
Wilson is survived by seven children — Carnie and Wendy, whom he welcomed with first wife Marilyn Wilson in the late ’60s, and five children he adopted with Ledbetter: Dakota, Daria, Delanie, Dylan, and Dash.