Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Love and more pay tribute to Brian Wilson
Billie Joe Armstrong has shared a previously unreleased cover of the Beach Boys ' 'I Get Around' in honor of the late Brian Wilson.
The Green Day frontman shared the just-over-two-minute clip on Instagram, explaining that he recorded his rendition of the 1964 song a few years ago, but 'never got to share it.'
'One of my all time favorite songs ever,' Armstrong wrote on the post, which was shared Wednesday, June 11, the same day Wilson died at 82 years old.
Wilson's family confirmed the news on social media but did not disclose his cause of death.
Wilson was a founding member of Beach Boys, serving as the group's main songwriter, arranger and producer, and was responsible for hits such as 'California Girls' and 'God Only Knows.'
'We are at a loss for words right now,' a statement from Wilson's family shared on social media read. 'Please respect our privacy at this time, as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.'
The Hawthorne (Los Angeles County) native had been living under a conservatorship since May 2024 after his wife and longtime manager, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, died. He was suffering from a major neurocognitive disorder that left him unable to care for himself or recognize some of his children. He had six children, two of whom — Carnie and Wendy — went on to form the '90s pop trio Wilson Phillips.
Wilson's former Beach Boys bandmate and biological cousin Mike Love gave him a special shoutout during his speech at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony on Thursday, June 12. Love was inducted along with South Bay rockers the Doobie Brothers, George Clinton, Ashley Gorley, Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins and Tony Macaulay.
'I especially must thank my cousin Brian Wilson,' he said while onstage at the event hosted at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York. 'My first cousin by blood but brother in music, together we set the stage for some of the most successful music collaborations of all times.'
Earlier in the day, Beatles musician Paul McCartney expressed his own appreciation for the late musician online.
'Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special,' he wrote on Instagram. 'The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time.'
Elton John also praised Wilson's artistry on Instagram, calling him a 'musical genius' and noting that he had 'the biggest influence' on his songwriting. Bruce Springsteen echoed the sentiment, describing Wilson as 'the most musically inventive voice in all of pop' on the social media platform.
Metallica frontman James Hetfield said in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday that Wilson is 'one of the most amazing songwriters on the planet,' citing him as a 'huge inspiration.'
Even President Donald Trump, who has picked fights with several American musicians over the past few months, including Springsteen, shared a special tribute to the star.
"Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys was a true Musical genius, right up there with the greatest, EVER," Trump posted
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