Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys and widely regarded as a musical genius, has died at 82.
His family announced his death on Wednesday through his official website and social media accounts. No further details were released. Wilson, who played bass and wrote many of the group’s defining songs, was the last surviving Wilson brother.
Starting in Hawthorne, California in the early 1960s, the Beach Boys rose from a local act to international symbols of surf culture. Their catalog included more than 30 Top 40 hits, driven by Wilson’s intricate harmonies and studio experimentation. The 1966 album Pet Sounds, shaped by his admiration for Phil Spector’s production, was later cited by Paul McCartney as a key influence on Sgt. Pepper’s. The group joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Wilson withdrew from touring in 1964 amid mounting psychological strain but continued to direct the band’s evolving sound. Songs like “Good Vibrations” and “Don’t Worry Baby” reflected both his technical ambition and personal turmoil. Even after his commercial peak, he remained a source of influence, eventually performing Pet Sounds and completing the long-delayed Smile project before devoted audiences around the world.
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