Brian Wilson, the legendary singer/songwriter who had a string of hits in the 1960s highlighting the carefree California lifestyle with his band the Beach Boys, has died. He was 82.
Wilson’s family made the announcement in a statement on his social media accounts:
We are heartbroken to announced 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 grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy pic.twitter.com/sIe7TUUdOm — Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) June 11, 2025
From Variety:
From 1962 to 1966, the Beach Boys racked up 10 top-10 hits and seven more top-40 chart entries for Capitol Records, most of them written or co-written and produced by Wilson; their popularity during this period was rivaled only by that of their English labelmates the Beatles, whom Wilson came to view as his artistic rivals.
A sensitive and ambitious talent, Wilson went on to push the boundaries of rock’s possibilities with a string of mid-’60s feats with his band: the lush and affecting 1966 song cycle “Pet Sounds,” the dazzling, complex 1966 single “Good Vibrations” and the long-mythical, tragically scrapped magnum opus “Smile.”
“Pet Sounds”- written and produced almost entirely by Wilson – is considered by many to be one of the greatest albums of all time.
Due to his difficult, strained relationship with his father, Wilson endured a series of mental breakdowns, struggles with substance abuse, numerous legal challenges, and deepening tensions with his bandmates. In fact, he was officially fired by his own group in 1982.
But in the late ’80s, Wilson fought his way back to a second chapter releasing several solo albums. And he also reconciled and returned to the road with his former band for the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys.
He and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000.
Rest well, Brian Wilson. Truly the sound of a generation.
(1/3) In Memoriam: Thanks to the imagination, vision, and production gifts of Brian Wilson, 1988 Inductees the Beach Boys reinvented the possibilities for pop music. Wilson combined his love for vocal group harmonies with Chuck Berry-style rock & roll, captured California’s beach pic.twitter.com/YKy9mPgm0h
— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) June 11, 2025
Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson is dead at 82. His family shares the following message:
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” they wrote. “We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our… pic.twitter.com/P9K1euUhmZ — Variety (@Variety) June 11, 2025
Lead photo – Brian Wilson in 2004 (credit: Howard Stanbury via Flickr – CC license)
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