Brian Wilson, co-founder of The Beach Boys and the creative force behind the group’s surf sound, orchestral arrangements and perfect harmonies, has died, his family announced on Wednesday.
He was 82.
Wilson’s life was marked just as much by struggles of substance abuse and mental illness as it was by repeated comebacks, remarkable talent and timeless songs that still echo across the country, decades after their release.
Over the years, many have revered his genius. “I don’t think you’d be out of line comparing him to Beethoven,” Tom Petty once said.
In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine named Wilson one of the 200 greatest singers of all time. He was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, three with the Beach Boys, and won twice as a solo artist.
“He managed to both distill a simplicity of human emotion out of his songs and yet, do something that’s so artistically complex and beautiful,” musician Don Was said.
