Brian Wilson, whose family band, the Beach Boys, first gained prominence with a steady stream of hit “California Sound” songs about beaches, cars, and girls in the early to mid-1960s, died today at the age of 87. Few details have been released about his death, but it was reported last year that he was suffering from a major neurocognitive disorder and had been diagnosed with dementia.

Since the passing of his wife, Melinda Wilson, in 2024, business representatives for Wilson were granted a conservatorship by a California state judge, and they were the source of the announcement.

The gifted Wilson, along with his younger brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love, and good friend Al Jardine, formed the nucleus of the band that dominated the ’60s pop and rock charts. But after an abusive relationship with his father, Murry, Brian suffered through years of depression and drug addiction, trying to create the perfect record. However, along the way, he revolutionized popular music with his innovative use of instrumentation and layered vocal harmonies.

Brian Wilson’s Early and Pre-Success

Brian Douglas Wilson was born on June 20, 1942, in Inglewood, Calif., to Murry and Audree Wilson. His father was a machinery salesman and a frustrated, failed songwriter, while their mother took care of the home and children. His parents brought two more additions to the family: brothers Carl and Dennis. The family then moved to Hawthorne, Calif.

The Wilson household was full of music as Brian would school his brothers in the harmonies of bands like the Four Freshmen, the Coasters, and the Platters. But there was a constant pall over their home as their alcoholic father physically and mentally abused the boys, even permanently damaging Brian’s hearing with a blow to his right ear. Proficient in music from a young age, Brian wrote his first song at the age of five and learned to play the piano by watching his father.

By 1961, the Wilson brothers were playing rock music with Love and Jardine. Around this time, brother Dennis became an avid surfer and suggested to Brian and Love that they write a song about surfing, which was gaining worldwide popularity. They did, and when their parents left home for a weekend, they recorded their first song, “Surfin.”

Originally named the Pendletons after the popular shirt, the band changed their name to the Beach Boys after their first pressed record listed that name as the originators of the song. They were signed to a record contract by Capitol Records in 1962

And the Hits Keep Coming

The Beach Boys would go on to record 29 studio albums, 11 live albums, 56 compilation albums, one remix album, and 75 singles. Some of their biggest hits included “Surfin’,” “I Get Around,” Help Me, Rhonda,” “California Girls,” “Barbara Ann,” “Sloop John B,” and “Good Vibrations.”

They recorded 14 top-10 albums and 16 top-10 singles. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Brian produced the band and was its primary songwriter, and soon, he became one of the most creative musical minds in the industry.

Their signature sound was a combination of a lead vocal line by Love accompanied by vivacious and pristine harmonizing, doo-wop-style scatting, and a simple rock beat. Trying to replicate producer Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound,” Wilson began using members of “The Wrecking Crew” as the instrumentalists on some of the group’s songs. But the pressure was building on Brian to continue producing hit records.

Band Problems and Wilson Starts to Break

But numerous problems would beset the band. In December 1964, Wilson married Marilyn Rovell, and a few weeks later, he experienced a panic attack on a flight to a Beach Boys engagement in Houston, which led him to cease touring with the band to focus on their recording and studio work. That same year, the group fired Murry as manager due to his constant belittling of the band, especially Brian, and his overall abusive nature.

Then Wilson set out to make his ultimate album. Most of the music for “Pet Sounds” was co-written with Tony Asher, a young lyricist and jingle writer. With the Beach Boys on the road, Wilson used “The Wrecking Crew” for most of the instrumentation. The album was released in May 1966, set new standards for a rock album, and served as an inspiration for the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

The album now holds the No. 2 spot on Rolling Stone’s 2021 list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and is the group’s landmark record. Paul McCartney – who Wilson had referred to as one of his heroes – once called the record “unbeatable in many ways.”

But it was a failure by Beach Boy standards, only reaching number 10 on the charts. Even though he followed it up with the number one single, “Good Vibrations,” Wilson’s downward spiral escalated. His next project, the album “Smile,” with songwriting collaborator, Van Dyke Parks, was supposed to be another shot at greatness, but after 80 sessions, the project was scrapped. Brian spent more and more time isolated in bed, away from the band, and falling deeper and deeper into the throes of addiction and depression.

Wilson separated from his first wife, Marilyn, and the divorce was finalized in 1981. He performed in concert with the Beach Boys, who had since evolved into a nostalgia act, but by 1982, his bandmates had had enough, and he was kicked out of the group. After that, Brian was under the care of psychotherapist Eugene Landy, and that is when he really started to circle the drain.

Lost Years and Recovery

Mr. Landy portrayed himself as a surrogate parent helping Mr. Wilson rebuild his life. He charged Brian as much as $35,000 a month for his treatment, and Landry started assuming songwriting credits for some of Wilson’s songs. Landry even modified Brian’s will, making himself the primary beneficiary. However, California authorities started investigating Landry’s treatment of his patients. Wilson’s family filed a conservatorship case over his care, and by 1992, Mr. Landy was barred by court order from making any contact with Brian.

In the meantime, Wilson’s brother Dennis drowned in 1983 in an alcohol-related accident. In 1988, the Beach Boys scored a number 1 single with “Kokomo” sans Brian’s involvement. Wilson married Melinda Ledbetter in 1995 and credited her with helping him rebuild his life after his involvement with Landy. 

In 1998, his other brother Carl passed away from lung cancer at age 51. In the late 1990s, Wilson embarked on a series of concert tours that celebrated his work with the Beach Boys. Brian would continue to record music until 2021, when he released his final studio album, “At My Piano.”

Tributes and Family

After Wilson’s death, the tributes started pouring in. Sir Elton John paid special tribute to his friend on Instagram.

“Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him. He sang ‘Someone Saved My Life Tonight’ at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me. Played on his solo records, he sang on my album, The Union, and even performed for my AIDS Foundation. I grew to love him as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever; he was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever. A true giant.”

Bob Dylan posted his condolences on X.

“Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I’ve been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian.”

Brian Wilson is survived by his adopted daughters, Daria, Delanie, and Dakota, and adopted sons, Dylan and Dash, all with his second wife, Melinda. He is also survived by his two daughters from his marriage to Marilyn, Carnie and Wendy Wilson, of the pop group Wilson Phillips; and six grandchildren.