Brian Wilson, co‑founder and creative genius behind The Beach Boys, Dead at 82

Brian Wilson, co‑founder and creative genius behind The Beach Boys, has passed away at age 82 on June 11 according to multiple sources.

His family shared a heartfelt message: "We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away… Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving… Love & Mercy." His family has asked for privacy as they grieve.

Brian Wilson was born on June 20, 1942, at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, California, the first child of Audree and Murry Wilson, a machinist who later pursued songwriting part-time. Wilson's two younger brothers, Dennis and Carl, were born in 1944 and 1946 and preceeded him in death; Dennis in 1983 and Carl in 1988.

Brian Wilson co-founded The Beach Boys in 1961 with his brothers Dennis and Carl, cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. He was the driving force behind the Beach Boys, co-founding the band and serving as their primary songwriter, arranger, and producer.

He was the voice behind many of the band's classics hits including Surfin’ U.S.A. and California Girls, and penned the iconic hits God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, Don’t Worry Baby, and I Get Around. His innovative approach to music, particularly his studio experimentation and layered harmonies, helped define the "California sound" and significantly influence popular music. He helped to revolutionize pop music with the studio-as-instrument approach on their 1966 album Pet Sounds, which is widely regarded as a studio masterpiece that deeply influenced artists including The Beatles.

His daughters , Carnie and Wendy, found pop success of their own in the pop trio Wilson Phillips.

Throughout his career with The Beach Boys, he earned two Grammy awards, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2001.

In 2021, he released the album “At My Piano,” featuring his solo versions of Beach Boys classics, and he toured to support the album through 2022.

Wilson struggled with mental illness for decades and was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and depression. His struggles have been publicly documented, impacting his productivity and personal life. Wilson often spoke openly about his struggles with mental illness, including anxiety, and shared how he managed his conditions. Despite facing ongoing challenges, Wilson continued to work as a musician and has achieved a degree of stability through medication and therapy.

Towards the end of his life, Wilson was placed under a court-ordered conservatorship in May 2024 after a judge found that Wilson is unable to care for himself due to a "major neurocognitive disorder," often referred to as dementia. Wilson and his children, as well as his doctors, were consulted and supported the conservatorship.

His family declined to state a cause of death.