Brian Wilson, Beach Boys’ Co-Founder, and One of Popular Music’s Most Significant Forces, Dies
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Brian Wilson (at R) with the classic Beach Boys lineup in the early 1960s
Brian Wilson, the legendary force of the Beach Boys, and mastermind record producer and co-writer (with Mike Love) of such classic recordings as “Good Vibrations,” “I Get Around” and “Help Me, Rhonda,” has died. His death, at age 82, was announced by his family at approximately 9:30 a.m. PT on June 11, 2025. Wilson had been suffering from dementia and was placed in conservatorship by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge on May 9, 2024.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” the family wrote. “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.”
Related: Fellow music greats are paying tribute to Wilson
Brian Wilson’s death follows that of his brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, fellow members of the Beach Boys, in 1983 and 1998, respectively. The Wilson brothers’ parents, Murry and Audree, died in 1973 and 1997, respectively, and Brian’s second wife, Melinda Wilson, to whom he was married for 28 years, died on January 30, 2024. The statement of her passing, signed by Wilson, referred to her as “my savior” and “my anchor.”
Melinda and Brian Wilson (Photo from Brian Wilson’s Facbook page)
Not long after the news of Brian’s “major cognitive disorder” broke last year, the Wilson family released a statement that announced the appointment of the co-conservators “to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian… will be taken care of and remain in the home… cared for by… the wonderful team… who have been in place for many years.” At that time, the carefully worded statement skirted the issue of his health, though it also noted that, “Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends,” adding that he would “continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses.”
Wilson has seven children, including singers Carnie and Wendy, who launched their own hitmaking group WIlson Phillips, with Chynna Phillips, the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas, in the late ’80s.
Brian Wilson’s last tour took place in 2022 as he was turning 80. In 2019, he had postponed several dates of a tour that was celebrating the Beach Boys’ album, Pet Sounds. At the time, he wrote on Facebook, “It is no secret that I have been living with mental illness for many decades. There were times when it was unbearable but with doctors and medications I have been able to live a wonderful, healthy and productive life with support from my family, friends and fans who have helped me through this journey.”
He added, “After my last surgery I started feeling strange and it’s been pretty scary for a while. I was not feeling like myself. Mentally insecure is how I’d describe it. We’re not sure what is causing it but i do know that it’s not good for me to be on the road right now so I’m heading back to Los Angeles.
“I had every intention to do these shows and was excited to get back to performing. I’ve been in the studio recording and rehearsing with my band and have been feeling better. But then it crept back and I’ve been struggling with stuff in my head and saying things I don’t mean and I don’t know why. Its something i’ve never dealt with before and we cant quite figure it out just yet.”
During the 2022 tour, Wilson, behind the piano, left much of the heavy lifting to his longtime bandmates Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin.
When Wilson turned 80 in 2022, Bob Dylan, Elton John and Carole King were among those wishing him a happy birthday.
Related: Musician deaths of 2025
A new documentary, simply called The Beach Boys, was released in 2024 on Disney+.
A Beach Boys autobiography, The Beach Boys By the Beach Boys, was published in 2024. The title is available in the U.S. here and the U.K. here.
Brian Douglas Wilson was born June 20, 1942 , in Inglewood, Calif., and grew up in Hawthorne, Calif. A musicial prodigy, he co-founded the Beach Boys in 1961 and signed with the small Candix Records label the following year, quickly moving over to the major Capitol Records that same year. The Beach Boys, whose influences ranged from the rock ‘n’ roll of Chuck Berry to the vocal harmonies of the Four Freshmen, became a success quickly, turning out such classic hits as “Surfun U.S.A.,” “Surfer Girl,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around,” “Help Me, Rhonda” and “California Girls” in the first few years alone.
During that formative period, the Beach Boys, with Wilson’s compositions, created an image of Southern California as a sun-drenched paradise where everyone surfed. Ironically, Brian Wilson never did, but the music served as a soundtrack to a lifestyle that many coveted.
The release of the Pet Sounds album in 1966 marked a maturity in Wilson’s compositional and production skills, and the album was revered by many fellow musicians, including the Beatles, who were inspired to create Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band after hearing it. “It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water,” Paul McCartney has said. “I figure no one is educated musically ’til they’ve heard that album.”
Pet Sounds is often ranked as one of the greatest albums of all time, with many lists placing it at the very top.
“I decided to experiment with a new kind of music,” Wilson told Best Classic Bands’ editor Jeff Tamarkin. “I was young and creative and we really did good. I’m glad that people still like the album. It makes me proud.”
Despite its brilliance, with songs such as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Sloop John B,” “Caroline, No” and “God Only Knows” among its great tracks, the album reached only #10 on the Billboard albums chart, a lesser performance than most of their previous albums. “It didn’t meet [Capitol Records’] expectations so they took [it] off the market and quickly put out a best-of album that took the wind out of our sails,” fellow Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine told Best Classic Bands. “We really didn’t have a chance to exploit it or perform it. We were basically a hitmaking machine and they didn’t know what to do with it.”
Nonetheless, the Beach Boys continued to advance in their craft, scoring a massive #1 with “Good Vibrations” in late 1966. The single, which became the group’s third #1 single (following “I Get Around” and “Help Me, Rhonda”), is often considered one of the most significant landmarks in popular music, although by the time of its creation Brian was often at odds with his fellow Beach Boys, some of whom preferred the simpler sounds and themes of the group’s earlier days.
By that time, Brian Wilson had left the touring group to concentrate on writing and producing in the studio. Having experienced a nervous breakdown in 1964, and mental illness that affected his ability to work, compounded by the use of mind-altering drugs, he withdrew into an increasingly private world. His first marriage, to Marilyn Rovell, which began in 1964, faltered (it ended in 1979, and the divorce became final two years later), and for many years, his public presence was limited. By the 1980s, WIlson’s behavior had become so concerning to his family and bandmates that he was placed under the full-time supervision of his therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy, whose role in Wilson’s life expanded to the point that he became a co-writer and manager of the artist. (In 1989, Landy’s professional license was revoked and he ceased serving as Wilson’s caretaker.)
Wilson’s role within the Beach Boys fluctuated with time. In 1976, amidst a “Brian’s Back” promotional campaign, he resumed his involvement with the group on a more visible level, producing, for the first time in years, one of their albums, titled 15 Big Ones and performing live concerts again with the group. The band’s 1977 The Beach Boys Love You album was the first in years dominated by mostly new Brian Wilson compositions. The resurrection didn’t last, however, and Wilson regressed, ballooning in weight and indulging in further drug abuse, often leading to bizarre incidents that worried those close to him.
It wasn’t until 1987, when he signed as a solo artist to Sire Records and released, the following year, his self-titled debut solo album, that Wilson began, slowly, turning a corner. Although Landy was, at that time, still very much involved with Wilson’s life and career, fans of the musician saw the emergence of a Brian Wilson who seemed able to function and cope. By the ’90s, Wilson began to release new records and toured regularly, backed by superb musicians who reproduced the Beach Boys’ music meticulously, with Wilson playing piano and singing.
In 1991, Wilson published his first memoir, Wouldn’t It Be Nice: My Own Story. [That book and other titles are available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.] With the dissolution of his relationship with Landy, WIlson became more prolific, working on the 1995 documentary Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times and numerous other projects, all while creating new music and reprising his vast catalog of hits for audiences everywhere. Among his concert performances were live re-creations of the entire Pet Sounds album as well as the songs from Smile, the Beach Boys’ legendary unfinished followup to that album.
[Beach Boys albums, including many expanded editions, are available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.]
In mid-2011, Wilson reunited with Beach Boys Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks and Bruce Johnston to re-record “Do It Again,” which was followed by a new album with the group, That’s Why God Made the Radio. A 50th anniversary reunion tour featuring Wilson and the surviving Beach Boys took place in 2012, and in 2016 Wilson celebrated the golden anniversary of Pet Sounds with another tour.
A 2014 film, Love & Mercy, featured two actors, Paul Dano and John Cusack, as Wilson. [The film can be streamed here.] I Am Brian Wilson, his second memoir, was published in 2016.
Amidst worsening health and the death of his wife Melinda, Wilson played his final concert in 2022, with the conservatorship following. Wilson remained largely out of the public eye from that point on.
5 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationMy teen idol since 13…BB songs are the reason I moved to L.A. back in 69′. I wish you ‘Good Vibrations’ and thanks for all the memories.-Andrew
Love and Mercy to Brian Wilson.
Being alive now at the same time as Brian Wilson was akin to coexisting with Bach or Mozart. How fortunate that we’ve had a chance to share in his profound creation. Love and Mercy to you, Brian. Love and Mercy tonight.
Brian is a warrior in my opinion, the incredible music he has given us seems equaled by his depth of suffering.
In My Room, Warmth of the Sun and God Only Knows are three songs virtually unmatched by any song writer and arranger! Magic!
Beach Boys music still has the power to take me right back to my junior and senior high school days, with all the joy and angst that came with it. Brian was the genius behind their music, an accolade he didn’t really receive until later in life. (Why is genius so often associated with mental issues?) Pet Sounds will always be one of my top 5 albums. BB music will always help keep me in touch with myself.