Brian Wilson

Paul published this photo of Brian Wilson and himself, earlier today.

Wednesday, June 11, Brian Wilson’s daughters announced the death of their father – the genius behind the music of the Beach Boys.

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

Just short of his 83rd birthday coming up on June 20th – two days after Paul McCartney’s – Brian left this earth.

Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time. I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, ‘God Only Knows’.
Thank you, Brian. – Paul

God bless Brian Wilson. Peace and love to all his family. Ringo 😎✌️🌟❤️🥦🌈🎶🍒🎶☮️

Brian Wilson had a fragile psyche and lead a difficult life because of it. Still, nothing can take away from him the magic he created in the studio for those classic Beach Boys albums. For a while, it seemed to be like a dialogue between the Beatles and the Beach Boys, starting with “Rubber Soul” inspiring Wilson’s “Pet Sounds” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” seemed to halt Brian’s production of the upcoming Beach Boys album “Smile”. After a year of recording, the album was shelved and a downscaled version, “Smiley Smile”, was released in September 1967. Over the next four decades, few of the original “Smile” tracks were officially issued, and the project became regarded as the most legendary unreleased album in popular music history. In 2004, Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, and Darian Sahanaja rearranged “Smile” for live performances, billed as “Brian Wilson Presents Smile”, which Wilson later adapted into a solo album.

In 2011 a compilation, “The Smile Sessions” was the first official package devoted to the original Beach Boys’ recordings and included an approximation of the completed album. It won a Grammy in 2013.

Beatles producer George Martin once said, “No one made a greater impact on the Beatles than Brian […] the musician who challenged them most of all.”

Brian was the last of the original Wilson brothers in the group, which consisted of Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and friend, Al Jardine.

Brian Wilson, my friend, my classmate, my football teammate, my Beach Boy bandmate and my brother in spirit, I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives for as long as you were. I think the most comforting thought right now is that you are reunited with Carl and Dennis, singing those beautiful harmonies again. You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever. Brian, I’ll really miss you…still I have the warmth of the sun within me tonight – Al Jardine

Mike Love also paid tribute.

Today, the world lost a genius, and I lost a cousin by blood and my partner in music.
Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys—he was the soul of our sound. From the first time we sang together as kids in my living room, I knew there was something otherworldly in him. His musical gifts were unmatched. The melodies he dreamed up, the emotions he poured into every note—Brian changed the course of music forever.
Our journey together was filled with moments of brilliance, heartbreak, laughter, complexity and most of all, LOVE. Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano or his spontaneity in the studio.
Brian’s unique artistry and our collaboration gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom—music that made people feel good, made them believe in an endless summer and endless possibilities. It was one of the greatest blessings of my life to experience that creative space with him.
It was our privilege to make the world believe in sunshine, surfing, and teenage dreams. My life was forever changed by “Pet Sounds”, “God Only Knows”, “In My Room”, “Good Vibrations”, “The Warmth of the Sun” and a hundred other pieces of his soul wrapped in music. He allowed us to show the world what vulnerability and brilliance sound like in harmony. He was fragile, he was intense, he was funny—and he was one of a kind.
My wife, Jacquelyne, and I are heartbroken. She stood beside me through so many chapters of this story, and we both send our love and prayers to Brian’s family, his children, and all who were touched by his life and gifts.
Brian, you once asked, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older?” Now you are timeless. May you rest in the peace you so deeply deserve, surrounded by the heavenly music you helped create. May your spirit soar as high as your falsetto, may your wings spread in effortless flight.
Thank you for the harmonies, the memories, and the love. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, Love leaves a memory no one can steal.
I’ll miss you forever, my beloved cousin.
– Mike

Brian Wilson lost his wife last year and suffered from dementia, which meant he had to have a custodian. Rest in peace and thank you for the music!