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The Beach Boys co-founder and pop music icon Brian Wilson has died at age 82.
Wilson’s family announced his death on Wednesday, June 11, in an Instagram post.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” the post 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.”
Brian Wilson changed pop music with The Beach Boys
Wilson was born in 1942 in Inglewood, Calif. As a teen, he founded The Beach Boys, along with his brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Their catchy songs about surfing, cars, and young love – including “Surfin’ Safari,” “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” and “Little Deuce Coupe” – propelled them to stardom. The group’s innovative 1966 album Pet Sounds, which was produced, written and arranged by Wilson, earned them critical praise and influenced many artists.
But as Wilson stretched his creative muscles, his mental health declined. (He was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.) A follow-up album, Smile, was never finished, and Wilson retreated from public life. While he continued to perform and record intermittently, he also struggled with drugs and alcohol, and for years he was entangled with Dr. Eugene Landy, a controversial psychotherapist. In 2024, his family shared that he had dementia and had been placed in a conservatorship.
Wilson was married twice. With his first wife, Marilyn Wilson, he had two daughters: Carnie and Wendy Wilson. They later formed the pop group Wilson Phillips with Chynna Phillips. He had five adopted children with his second wife, Melinda Ledbetter: Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan and Dash. Ledbetter died in January 2024.
Brian Wilson’s brother Dennis Wilson drowned in 1983
Wilson’s two brothers and bandmates preceded him in death. Dennis Wilson – the band’s drummer and the only member of the group who actually surfed – also had a troubled life. In the late 1960s, he was associated with the Manson Family. He struggled with drugs and alcohol and died in December 1983 after jumping off his boat in Marina Del Rey, California.
Lead guitarist Carl Wilson largely took over as the leader of the Beach Boys as Brian’s health declined. He died in 1998 of lung cancer at age 51.
Original Beach Boys members Mike Love and Al Jardine are still alive. Love still tours as a member the Beach Boys, along with Bruce Johnston, who joined the band in 1965. Jardine performed with Brian Wilson’s road band and is set to embark on a tour with that group, now known as the Pet Sounds Band, this summer. David Marks, who was also an early member of the Beach Boys and continued to perform with the band occasionally, is also still alive.
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