The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson dies aged 82
The Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson has died at the age of 82, his family said.
Wilson was the eldest and last surviving of the three musical brothers who formed the American rock band in 1961, alongside their cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine.
'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away', his family said in a statement on his website.
'We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving.
'We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world.'
The statement finished 'Love & Mercy', a reference to a film about Wilson starring John Cusack.
His band, known for their vocal harmonies, signed with Capitol Records in 1962 and released their first album, Surfin' Safari, that same year.
Wilson was born on June 20 1942, and began to play the piano and teach his brothers to sing harmony as a young boy.
The Beach Boys started as a neighbourhood act, rehearsing in Wilson's bedroom and in the garage of their house in suburban Hawthorne, California.
In the group Wilson played bass while his brother Dennis was the drummer and Carl played lead guitar.
Their debut single, Surfin', became a minor hit on its release in 1961, but was nothing compared with the success that followed from their second studio album, Surfin' USA, released in 1963.
The band were managed by the trio's father, Murry Wilson, but by mid-decade he had been displaced and Brian, who had been running the band's recording sessions almost from the start, was in charge.
They were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
LCD Soundsystem honour Brian Wilson and Sly Stone at residency's opening night
The New York group danced on to the stage to the Beach Boys' Good Vibrations, followed by deadpan leader James Murphy, who was dressed in a Brat green luminous T-shirt, before bursting into opener You Wanted A Hit from 2010's This Is Happening album. The track was followed by Tribulations from their 2005 self-titled debut album, which provoked mass dancing across the close to sell-out crowd, with Murphy attending to his trademark tinkering with amps and giving instructions Mark E Smith style. Fans were treated to a rendition of Yr City's A Sucker, from the band's first album, with Murphy informing the audience 'your city's a sucker, my city's a creep'. A post shared by LCD Soundsystem (@lcdsoundsystem) At the track's end, the 55-year-old singer told the audience: 'We played here a few years ago and we really liked it, and now we're back, and we really appreciate that you came to see us, we don't take it for granted.' The band began to cover Kraftwerk's The Model, before transforming it into I Can Change, prompting the first mass singalong of the night, while Time To Get Away and Get Innocuous! from Grammy-nominated second album Sound Of Silver (2007) went down a storm with the crowd. LCD Soundsystem exited the stage for an intermission to Sly And The Family Stone's Everyday People, paying tribute after Stone died on Monday aged 82. They returned with 2007 single North American Scum. The track, which is about the band being mistaken for an English group by fans due to their popularity in the country, was the highlight of the evening, with the crowd drowning out keyboard player Nancy Whang's cheerleader backing vocals with their own. Murphy later added: 'This is the first city we played in, somehow it was 23 years ago, and some of you weren't even born.' The band's most recent singles, New Body Rhumba and X-Ray Eyes, released in 2022 and 2024 respectively, got an airing before Murphy said of the upcoming run of dates: 'This is the first of many of these, we like to play in rooms that have some character and some love in. 'Thank you all for being excellent to us.' The band then hit the crowd with a triple whammy of fan favourites in Dance Yrself Clean, New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down, and All My Friends, which saw the venue erupt with dancing. They may not have been the most popular band during the 2000s indie explosion, but as they now see their influence in upcoming artists such as The Dare and Fcukers, along with a young crowd at Thursday's gig, LCD Soundsystem may be the scene's most influential and remembered. The band played a similar residency in June 2022, and they will return to the stage on Friday, before further performances on June 14, 15, 19, 20, 21 and 22.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Living Colour opens 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame to honor new inductee George Clinton
The funk rock group Living Colour opened an energetic 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame Thursday night with a cover of Funkadelic's 'Cosmic Slop' to honor new inductee George Clinton. It set the tone for an event with a lot to celebrate, and even more to remember. Just one day after it was announced that the inimitable Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys had died, his bandmate Mike Love will be inducted into the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame. The gala, held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City Thursday night, also features inductees spanning genre, an inspiring mix of funk, rock, R&B, country and beyond: The Doobie Brothers, Ashley Gorley, Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins and Tony Macaulay. Is there funk without George Clinton? Is there groove? From Parliament/Funkadelic to his solo work, Clinton is an innovator of American popular music — a long-overdue inductee heard on timeless hits (like 'Atomic Dog' and 'Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)' but also across the songs of Kendrick Lamar, Tupac, OutKast, Dr. Dre, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, De La Soul and beyond. Previously, Clinton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. He received a lifetime achievement award at the Grammys in 2019. The Doobie Brothers — the inducted members are Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons — are known the world over for their rootsy rock 'n' roll, particularly for their No. 1 hits 'What A Fool Believes' and 'Black Water.' They went into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. Ashley Gorley is an unmistakable name in the world of country music. Groundbreaking producer Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins, whose touch is heard across countless R&B and pop hits, and legendary English songwriter Tony Macaulay, known for such classics as The Foundations' 'Build Me Up Buttercup' and 'Baby Now That I've Found You.' Last year's inductees included Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford. At the induction ceremony last summer, R.E.M. stunned attendees by reuniting for an acoustic version of their alt-rock hit, 'Losing My Religion.' The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating popular music. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song. Some already in the hall include Gloria Estefan, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond and Phil Collins.
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
LCD Soundsystem honour Brian Wilson and Sly Stone at residency's opening night
The New York group danced on to the stage to the Beach Boys' Good Vibrations, followed by deadpan leader James Murphy, who was dressed in a Brat green luminous T-shirt, before bursting into opener You Wanted A Hit from 2010's This Is Happening album. The track was followed by Tribulations from their 2005 self-titled debut album, which provoked mass dancing across the close to sell-out crowd, with Murphy attending to his trademark tinkering with amps and giving instructions Mark E Smith style. Fans were treated to a rendition of Yr City's A Sucker, from the band's first album, with Murphy informing the audience 'your city's a sucker, my city's a creep'. A post shared by LCD Soundsystem (@lcdsoundsystem) At the track's end, the 55-year-old singer told the audience: 'We played here a few years ago and we really liked it, and now we're back, and we really appreciate that you came to see us, we don't take it for granted.' The band began to cover Kraftwerk's The Model, before transforming it into I Can Change, prompting the first mass singalong of the night, while Time To Get Away and Get Innocuous! from Grammy-nominated second album Sound Of Silver (2007) went down a storm with the crowd. LCD Soundsystem exited the stage for an intermission to Sly And The Family Stone's Everyday People, paying tribute after Stone died on Monday aged 82. They returned with 2007 single North American Scum. The track, which is about the band being mistaken for an English group by fans due to their popularity in the country, was the highlight of the evening, with the crowd drowning out keyboard player Nancy Whang's cheerleader backing vocals with their own. Murphy later added: 'This is the first city we played in, somehow it was 23 years ago, and some of you weren't even born.' The band's most recent singles, New Body Rhumba and X-Ray Eyes, released in 2022 and 2024 respectively, got an airing before Murphy said of the upcoming run of dates: 'This is the first of many of these, we like to play in rooms that have some character and some love in. 'Thank you all for being excellent to us.' The band then hit the crowd with a triple whammy of fan favourites in Dance Yrself Clean, New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down, and All My Friends, which saw the venue erupt with dancing. They may not have been the most popular band during the 2000s indie explosion, but as they now see their influence in upcoming artists such as The Dare and Fcukers, along with a young crowd at Thursday's gig, LCD Soundsystem may be the scene's most influential and remembered. The band played a similar residency in June 2022, and they will return to the stage on Friday, before further performances on June 14, 15, 19, 20, 21 and 22.
