Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson dead at 82
Share this @internewscast.com

Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, one of the most acclaimed and influential songwriters of the 20th century, has died aged 82.

He shot to fame as the frontman of the Beach Boys, for which he served as the principal songwriter as well as the co-lead vocalist.

Last year, just weeks after his long-time wife Melinda passed away, it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with a neurocognitive disorder similar to dementia.

His children announced Wilson’s death on the singer’s official Instagram page this Wednesday, along with what appeared to be a recent photo.

‘We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now,’ they wrote.

‘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.’

Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, one of the most acclaimed and influential songwriters of the 20th century, has died aged 82; pictured 2020 in Miami

Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, one of the most acclaimed and influential songwriters of the 20th century, has died aged 82; pictured 2020 in Miami

Wilson formed the Beach Boys in 1961 with his brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and their friend Al Jardine 

Wilson formed the Beach Boys in 1961 with his brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and their friend Al Jardine.

The band initially went by the name the Pendletones and made a big splash with their 1961 hit song “Surfin’,” created by Brian Wilson and Mike Love.

Throughout the 1960s, the band grew into one of America’s most cherished groups, releasing albums such as Surfin’ Safari, Surfin’ U.S.A., and Surfer Girl.

However Wilson’s involvement with the band shifted dramatically when he suffered a nervous breakdown in 1964, followed by two more in the next couple of years. 

He promptly withdrew from touring but retained his backstage control of the band as a writer and producer, masterminding their 1966 masterpiece Pet Sounds and providing lead vocals on many of the tracks.

Pet Sounds struggled commercially at first, but ultimately earned a reputation as one of the most acclaimed pop or rock albums ever created.

Paul McCartney has cited Pet Sounds as a particularly profound influence on him, one that spurred him to explore new songwriting frontiers himself for the Beatles. 

Wilson plunged into heavy drug use during the 1960s, including LSD, and the combination of his mounting substance problem and psychological issues contributed to his increasing withdrawal from public life. 

The last time Wilson was seen in public was last April, when he emerged in Los Angeles looking frail and using a wheelchair while going to a Lakers game

The last time Wilson was seen in public was last April, when he emerged in Los Angeles looking frail and using a wheelchair while going to a Lakers game

The original Beach Boys are pictured in Los Angeles in 1962, with Brian Wilson in the center

The original Beach Boys are pictured in Los Angeles in 1962, with Brian Wilson in the center

One of his symptoms was paranoid delusions, and he continued experiencing auditory hallucinations in the last decades of his life.

By the mid-1970s, his drug use had expanded to heroin and he became a recluse as his first marriage to singer Marilyn Rovell crumbled.

With the help of therapy, however, he returned to the spotlight in 1976, touring with the Beach Boys again as the band’s slogan trumpeted: ‘Brian’s Back!’

He slipped in and out of overeating and drug use, with repeated stints out of the spotlight punctuated by triumphant comebacks. 

Melinda, his second and final wife, married Wilson in 1995 and he has credited her as his ‘savior,’ presumably from his personal demons.

The couple gave a joint interview a decade ago in which Wilson confessed that he was still hallucinating that he heard voices.

‘I have voices in my head,’ he explained to Salon alongside his wife in 2015. ‘Mostly it’s derogatory. Some of it’s cheerful. Most of it isn’t.’ 

Last February, shortly after Melinda’s death, his family filed to obtain a conservatorship of him, announcing he had been diagnosed with dementia. 

The last time Wilson was seen in public was last April, when he emerged in Los Angeles looking frail and using a wheelchair while going to a Lakers game.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Hailey Bieber Shares a Kiss with a Shirtless Justin at a Lively Party

Hailey Bieber was spotted sharing a passionate kiss with her husband, Justin…

Indications that Karoline Leavitt Is Increasingly Aligned with Trump

President Donald Trump was eager to add a bit of flair to…

Explosive New Inquiry into Pennsylvania’s UFO Crash Site, Dubbed “Roswell”

An individual who witnessed the alleged UFO crash-landing in a small Pennsylvania…

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Controversial Act and the Release of a Celebrity Sex Tape

Coco Chanel once said that elegance is refusal. I say elegance is…

Ben Askren Shares the Profound Effects of Undergoing a Double Lung Transplant

Ben Askren has revealed the incredible toll his health episode has taken…

New York Coastal Town is Stealthily Turning into America’s ‘Ibiza’

Imagine stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, and endless events with breathtaking sunsets—it might…

Mayor Comments on Driver’s Arrest Following Police Window Smashing Incident

The mayor of a Florida city where police officers were observed on…

JFK’s Romantic Entanglement with Adolf Hitler

John F Kennedy’s numerous rumored romances are arguably just as integral to…

Citizens Take Down Suspect in Michigan Walmart Stabbing Incident

Eleven people were injured in a stabbing incident at Walmart in Traverse…

George Santos Heads to Prison After Last-Ditch Appeal for Trump’s Assistance

Ex-Congressman George Santos arrived to federal prison Friday, kicking off his seven year…

Trump demands revocation of major TV network’s license

Donald Trump called for NBC News to be stripped of its license…

LOCAL BUZZ: Ellen Flees from Trump’s Vice President

Ellen DeGeneres traded the US for the Cotswolds following Donald Trump’s presidency.…