‘He taught the world how to smile': Brian Wilson bandmates pay tribute along with Bob Dylan, Elton John and more
Following his death aged 82, Brian Wilson's Beach Boys bandmates have been among those paying tribute to one of the great figures in American popular music.
Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Al Jardine described Wilson as 'a real gentleman, a real musical intellect, who taught the world how to smile.'
Jardine added: 'He was a humble musical giant … he didn't want attention, was only interested in making the best possible music.'
He described the band's early days, saying that he along with the Wilson brothers and their cousin Mike Love 'became one big happy family. We started in a very humble way, singing about domestic things like surfing and cars and girls. The more successful we became, he grew exponentially with each album. He learned to write creatively, and taught us with that same energy how to interpret it. He knew how to get the best out of us. He was a good teacher, a great mentor, and arranger, producer – he was the whole package.'
Mike Love wrote his own tribute, saying: 'Today, the world lost a genius, and I lost a cousin by blood and my partner in music. Brian Wilson wasn't just the heart of the Beach Boys – he was the soul of our sound. From the first time we sang together as kids in my living room, I knew there was something otherworldly in him. His musical gifts were unmatched. The melodies he dreamed up, the emotions he poured into every note – Brian changed the course of music for ever.'
He acknowledged the 'ups and downs' in their relationship – he sued Wilson numerous times, and won an out of court settlement after claiming Wilson defamed him in his 1991 memoir. But, he added, 'we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano, or his spontaneity in the studio.'
Wilson's daughter Carnie wrote: 'My father was every fibre of my body. He will be remembered by millions and millions until the world ends. I am lucky to have been his daughter and had a soul connection with him that will live on always. I've never felt this kind of pain before, but I know he's resting up there in heaven.'
Bob Dylan said he had 'thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius', Carole King heralded a 'friend and brother in songwriting', while Mick Fleetwood, bandleader with Fleetwood Mac, wrote: 'Anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for Brian Wilson's genius magical touch!! And greatly saddened of this major worldly loss!!' Musician and film-maker Questlove said that 'if there was a human being who made art out of inexpressible sadness … damn it was Brian Wilson'.
Elton John remembered the collaborations he made with Wilson, who provided vocal harmonies on John's 2010 album with Leon Russell, The Union. 'I grew to love him as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever,' John wrote. 'He was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music for ever. A true giant.'
The tributes follow one made on the official Beach Boys social media channels, which read in part: 'The melodies he dreamed up and the emotions he poured into every note changed the course of music for ever.'
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