Brian Wilson has died aged 82, his family has announced. Born in Inglewood, California on 20 June 1942, Wilson co-founded the Beach Boys and went on to become one of the most influential songwriters and producers in pop music history.
Writing on Instagram, his family posted: “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.”
Wilson formed the band that would become the Beach Boys as a teenager, alongside his brothers Dennis and Carl, cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine. Originally named the Pendletones, the band’s name was changed to the Beach Boys by their label for the release of their 1961 debut single Surfin’.
Throughout the early 1960s, Wilson and the Beach Boys released a string of influential albums including Surfin’ Safari, Surfin’ U.S.A., Surfer Girl, and Little Deuce Coupe.
The band’s sound blended elements of rock & roll and R&B, and was characterised by the group’s distinctive vocal harmonies and lyrical themes of adolescent life in California.
During the early ‘60s, Wilson began his career as a producer, initially recording the Beach Boys, but also beginning to write and produce for other artists such as Jan and Dean and the Rovell Sisters. Wilson’s production style was initially heavily influenced by the dense and layered sound of Phil Spector.
By 1964, Wilson had made the decision to stop touring and performing with the Beach Boys, citing panic attacks brought on by the band’s hectic schedule.
In 1965, Wilson began work on Pet Sounds, an album that would go on to be heralded as his masterpiece and one of the most influential pop albums of all time – despite commercial and critical failure upon its release.
Pet Sounds was recorded, produced and arranged by Wilson – who was heavily influenced by The Beatles’ recently released Rubber Soul – but also saw the producer teaming up with lyricist Tony Asher and musicians including famed session players The Wrecking Crew.
Pet Sounds has been hugely influential in the context of pop music, not only for its sound, but for Wilson’s innovative arrangements and auteur-like role as a producer.
Wilson planned to follow up Pet Sounds with another album, Smile, but delays led the recording sessions to be ultimately abandoned. Wilson would eventually go on to revisit the recordings and complete the album in the early ‘00s, eventually releasing Brian Wilson Presents: Smile in 2004.
The latter part of Wilson’s career was often marked out by fluctuating mental and physical health. He also struggled with drug and alcohol addiction throughout the ‘70s.
A family intervention led to Wilson being placed under the care of controversial psychologist Eugene Landy, who would ultimately remove Wilson from the Beach Boys in the years following their late-70s albums, 15 Big Ones and Love You. The same period also saw the death by drowning of Wilson’s brother Dennis.
Landy exercised increasing control over Wilson, having himself credited as a songwriter and also having himself added to Wilson’s will. Eventual legal action by Carl Wilson and other family members led to Landy having his medical license revoked and a restraining order enacted against Brian Wilson.
In more recent years, Wilson has released numerous solo albums and toured regularly. His most recent album was 2015’s No Pier Pressure. He played his final concert in 2021.
In 2024, it was revealed that Wilson had a dementia-like neurocognitive disorder. A judge placed him in conservatorship later that year..
Wilson won two Grammy awards in his lifetime, along with a lifetime achievement Grammy with the Beach Boys. He was nominated a total of nine times. Wilson and the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
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