Paul McCartney Pays Tribute to ‘Musical Genius' Brian Wilson: ‘I Loved Him'
Paul McCartney has paid tribute to Brian Wilson following the death of the Beach Boys' 'musical genius.'
'Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special,' McCartney wrote on social media Thursday, the morning after Wilson's death was announced.
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'The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time. I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while.'
The Beach Boys and the Beatles enjoyed a creative rivalry in the Sixties that pushed both bands musically, to the benefit of everyone: In response to the Beatles' Rubber Soul, Brian Wilson encouraged his band toward experimentation to create their classic Pet Sounds (Rolling Stone named it Number Two in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time) which in turn inspired the Beatles on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
McCartney has long praised Wilson's incomparable musical abilities, and even delivered the induction speech when the Beach Boy was welcomed into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, where he declared Wilson was 'one of the great American geniuses.'
The Beatle has also claimed that the Beach Boys' 'God Only Knows' is his favorite song of all time, and fittingly ended his tribute by noting, 'How we will continue without Brian Wilson, 'God Only Knows.''
Following news of Wilson's death, his Beach Boys band mates and some of the countless artists he inspired have also paid tribute to the pop music architect and composer of teenage symphonies to God. Elton John called Wilson '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.'
Artists like Carole King, Graham Nash, Mick Fleetwood, Nancy Sinatra, and more have shared their own tributes to Wilson.
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New York Post
5 minutes ago
- New York Post
Beach Boys' Mike Love honors late Brian Wilson at Songwriters Hall of Fame induction: ‘I do feel his presence'
It was a moment of bittersweet vibrations. That was the mood when the Beach Boys frontman Mike Love was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on Thursday night. The enshrinement at New York's Marriott Marquis came just one day after it was confirmed that his brilliant bandmate — and cousin — Brian Wilson died at 82. While receiving the prestigious honor, Love, 84, paid tribute to Wilson, with whom he co-wrote Beach Boys classics such as 'I Get Around,' 'California Girls' and 'Good Vibrations.' Advertisement 4 'I do feel his presence,' said Love of his Beach Boys bandmate Brian Wilson at the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction. Getty Images 4 Together, we set the stage for some of the most successful music collaborations of all time,' said Love of Brian Wilson. Getty Images 'I especially want to thank my cousin Brian Wilson. I believe he's here with us,' he said. Advertisement 'My first cousin by blood but brother in music. Together, we set the stage for some of the most successful music collaborations of all time. I do feel his presence.' Love was inducted by 'Full House' actor John Stamos, who has been an honorary Beach Boy playing drums and guitar with the band for 40 years. Celebrating Love's role in creating 'the sound of a generation' in the '60s, Stamos saluted him as 'a composer whose melodies shaped millions of dreams, including all of us in this room.' 'The man we're honoring tonight didn't just write songs. He painted a Technicolor tableau of the American dream, surfboards, radios, convertibles, speeches, babes, heartbreaks and harmonies,' he continued. 'He made the whole world want to be us, sun-kissed, carefree, full of promise and optimism. His lyrics were cinematic, set to the soundtracks of fellow Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Brian Wilson.' Advertisement 4 Love and John Stamos performed Beach Boys hits 'California Girls,' 'I Get Around,' 'Kokomo' and ''Good Vibrations.' Charles Sykes/Invision/AP After accepting his honor 'with a full heart of gratitude, love and peace,' Love was joined by Stamos for a performance that included the Beach Boys hits 'California Girls,' 'I Get Around,' 'Kokomo' and 'Good Vibrations.' It was Stamos, 61, who told Love that the long-troubled Wilson had died while they were traveling together to New York for the induction ceremony. 'I was with Mike, I got off the plane, and I got the text,' he exclusively told The Post on the red carpet. 'I was like, I said, 'Mike, your cousin passed away,' and his face went blank.' Advertisement 4 Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Carl Wilson formed the Beach Boys in 1961. Getty Images 'And we sat in the car for two and a half hours or so … he didn't say one word,' he continued. 'And I didn't ask him anything, ask him how he was feeling. I knew how he was feeling.' Joining Love in the Songwriters Hall of Fame class of 2025 were funk legend George Clinton, who was inducted by Living Colour; Doobie Brothers Michael McDonald, Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons, saluted by Garth Brooks; R&B hitmaker Rodney Jerkins (Beyoncé, Whitney Houston), enshrined by Teddy Riley; country chart-topper Ashley Corley, initiated by Dan + Shay; and British tunesmith Tony Macaulay, feted by Debbie Gibson. Meanwhile, 'Wicked' composer Stephen Schwartz received the Johnny Mercer Award, while 'That's So True' singer Gracie Abrams received the Hal David Starlight Award for young songwriters.
San Francisco Chronicle
8 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
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Boston Globe
14 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Amid immigration raids and a military parade, a reenactment at Bunker Hill aims to recall the values a young nation fought for
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