By India McCarty
Millions around the world are mourning the loss of Brian Wilson, the creative mind behind the Beach Boys’ biggest hits, after he died last week at 82.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” a statement from the musician’s children, posted to social media, announced. “We are at a loss for words right now.”
The statement continued, “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.”
The Beach Boys also released a statement, saying, “Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys — he was the soul of our sound. The melodies he dreamed up and the emotions he poured into every note changed the course of music forever….Together, we gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom — music that made people feel good, made them believe in summer and endless possibilities. We are heartbroken by his passing.”
Wilson was one of the founding members of the Beach Boys, as well as a brilliant composer and lyricist. His work includes iconic songs like “God Only Knows,” “Good Vibrations,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “Surfer Girl.” His life was even the focus of a 2014 biopic, LOVE & MERCY.
His work in the studio, specifically on the groundbreaking 1966 album Pet Sounds, influenced countless other artists, including the Beatles, who cited it as inspiration for their iconic album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Paul McCartney released a statement about Wilson’s passing, writing, “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.’”
Bob Dylan wrote in a post on X that he has spent years “admiring [Wilson’s] genius,” while in an Instagram post, Elton John called him “the biggest influence on my songwriting ever,” as well as “a musical genius and revolutionary.”
Wilson often spoke about his faith and the role it played in his work as a musician, telling The Globe and Mail, “When I sit at a piano, I feel God this far above my head. And I can feel his presence – makes my hands glide over the keys, and it helps me write a song…It’s a feeling that you can’t deny. Something you can really feel. You just know there’s somebody, a higher power above me, that helps me out when I’m scared.”
In his 2016 memoir, I Am Brian Wilson, he shared that “any minute playing ‘Good Vibrations’ is a minute that I feel spiritually whole” and called album SMiLE his “teenage symphony to God.”
The world is mourning the loss of one of its foremost contemporary composers, but Wilson’s songs will live on forever.
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