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Brian Wilson, A Genius, Has Passed Away at 82 [1]
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Date: 2025-06-11
A true (and for much of his life deeply troubled) musical genius has passed away.
Brian Wilson, who as the leader and chief songwriter of the Beach Boys became rock’s poet laureate of surf-and-sun innocence but also an embodiment of damaged genius through his struggles with mental illness and drugs, has died. He was 82. His family announced the death on Instagram but did not say where or when he died, or state a cause. In early 2024, after the death of his wife Melinda, business representatives for Mr. Wilson were granted a conservatorship by a federal judge, saying that he had “a major neurocognitive disorder” and had been diagnosed with dementia.
With the Beach Boys Brian Wilson’s output spanned a realm from straight up surf music to the downright ethereal. His pinnacle arguably was God Only Knows, though my sister favored Good Vibrations. She insisted that song be played with the lights dim, to better catch the magic.
Much will be written about Brian’s desperate trials with mental and substance abuse issues. Too much I’d reckon — as human beings we always find it hard to accept loss. The loss of Brian’s consistently brilliant and beautiful music to his troubles was too much for many.
What is ironic is that, despite the warm recollections many feel for the peak of Wilson’s output the album exemplifying that excellence, Pet Sounds, was less than well received. But, his peers recognized just how amazing his work was. The Beatles were driven to higher efforts in Sgt Pepper by Pet Sounds. In retrospectives Pet Sounds receives great accolades — Rolling Stone placed it as the #2 album in a lists of top albums of all time in both 2003 and 2020.
God Only knows remains a perennial favorite. Just a year back, on the NBC show Brilliant Minds Pilot, Andre De Shields gave a heart-wrenching soulful rendition of the song. I wish I could find a good video, just of his performance.
It sums up how I feel right now.
RIP Brian Wilson, go on now and entertain the rest of the tortured souls.
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