Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, who created some of rock's most enduring songs such as Good Vibrations and God Only Knows has died at the age of 82.
Wilson's family announced his death in a statement on the singer's website.
"We are at a loss for words right now," the statement said. "We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world."
The statement did not disclose a cause of death.
Wilson had suffered from dementia and was unable to care for himself after his wife Melinda Wilson died in early 2024, prompting his family to put him under conservatorship.
Wilson was the eldest and last surviving of the three musical brothers who formed the United States rock band in 1961, alongside their cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine.
The Beach Boys were driven by Brian Wilson's (left) prodigious songwriting, surf-influenced sound and frequent use of vocal harmonies. Source: Getty / Michael Ochs Archives
Music a safe haven for Wilson
Wilson was born on 20 June 1942 and began playing the piano and teaching his brothers to sing harmony at a young age.
Music was a haven of safety and joy for Wilson after an upbringing in which he suffered abuse from his domineering father, who would go on to manage the group.
The Beach Boys started as a neighbourhood act, rehearsing in Wilson's bedroom and in the garage of their house in suburban Hawthorne, California.
Wilson played bass while his brother Dennis drummed and Carl played lead guitar. The band's work centred on Wilson's songwriting and arrangements.
Brian Wilson performed regularly as a solo artist from 1999 to 2022. Source: Getty / Larry Hulst
The band's 1966 album Pet Sounds is considered by many to be their defining work — and is often cited as one of the greatest albums of all time.
Wilson's career would be derailed, though, as his drug use became untenable and his mental state, which would eventually be diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder with auditory hallucinations, grew shakier.
Splitting from the band in the late 1990s, Wilson released several solo albums, including 2004's critically acclaimed Smile.
Wilson's brothers had both died by the time of the Beach Boys' 50th reunion tour in 2012, but he joined Love, who became the band's controlling force in its later years, for several shows
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001.
