The Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson has died, age 82: “Love and mercy”
The Beach Boys icon and pop music pioneer Brian Wilson has died, age 82.
The news of the innovator’s passing was shared his family on social media today (Wednesday June 11).
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” wrote his children. “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.”
Last year saw Wilson placed in conservatorship when his family and close friends cited that the icon could no longer care for himself following a dementia diagnosis. This came after the death of Wilson’s wife and longtime manager Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, who had been acting as the music legend’s caregiver and taking care of his needs after a decline in his health.
Speaking at the time of Melinda’s death in 2024, Wilson told fans: “My heart is broken”, before paying tribute to his late partner, esteeming her as a “savior” and “anchor”.
“Melinda was more than my wife,” he continued. “She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her.”
In 2014, Bill Pohlad’s biographical film on Wilson’s life, Love & Mercy, was oriented around Wilson’s and Ledbetter’s relationship, as depicted by Paul Dano and Elizabeth Banks respectively, with The Holdovers’ Paul Giamatti playing Eugene Landy. In an interview with ABC Nightline in 2015, Banks recalled a conversation she had with Ledbetter before shooting the film, who understood music to ultimately be Wilson’s “first love”.
“She said to me, ‘Music is his first love’,” said Banks of her conversation with Ledbetter. “Nothing can replace it. It’s his being, it’s his essence, it’s his everything, So I’m settling for second, but it’s a pretty good– it’s a pretty good second’.”
A long-lost country album recorded by Wilson in the early 1970s was also finally been scheduled for release, with ‘Cows In The Pasture’ expected sometime in 2025.
This is a developing story. Check back at NME for more information and tributes.
The post The Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson has died, age 82: “Love and mercy” appeared first on NME.
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