Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson laid to rest 2 months after death at 82

New York Post

3 days ago

Brian Wilson was laid to rest nearly two months after his death at 82.
The late Beach Boys legend's daughter, Carnie, 57, took to Instagram Wednesday, Aug. 6, to share the news.
'Today we laid my Daddy to rest,' Carnie began alongside a picture of a beautiful bouquet. 'It was incredibly difficult to see that happen, but at the same time it gave more closure and more of a feeling of restful peace.'
10 Brian Wilson and his daughter, Carnie Wilson, at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, California, on March 30, 2015.
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10 Carnie Wilson shared a photo of this bouquet from her late father's funeral on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
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'The last eight weeks have been extremely challenging and like nothing I've ever experienced,' the Wilson Phillips singer added. 'I love and miss him so much and I wish he could come back.'
Carnie added that her late father has been sending her 'signs' ever since his passing in June, including 'a couple of monarch butterflies that just would not leave the site.'
'There's so many signs that he gives me every day and I know that he's around …he can hear me and he can see me,' Wilson's daughter wrote. 'He makes that apparent. I'm so grateful for this.'
10 Brian Wilson poses for a portrait in Los Angeles, California, in early 1965.
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10 Brian Wilson at the Vibrato Jazz Club in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 12, 2015.
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However, the 'Hold On' singer admitted that she is still struggling to deal with her beloved father's death.
'I'm trying to deal with my emotions – they're so up and down. I know that he would want everybody to feel happy and not sad. He didn't like it when I cried,' she shared.
Carnie also revealed that she recently spoke with Gunnar Nelson, whose famous father, Ricky Nelson, passed away in 1985, and he provided her with a 'really special' way to remember her dad.
10 Carnie Wilson, Brian Wilson, Melinda Wilson and Wendy Wilson smile for a photo together years before the 'God Only Knows' songwriter's passing.
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10 Wendy Wilson, Brian Wilson, Carnie Wilson and Chynna Phillips shortly before an event at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.
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'I was talking with my dear friend Gunnar Nelson today who lost his Pop Ricky Nelson years ago and he reminded me that the world will have his music to sing to and remember him every single solitary day until we are all gone,' she added.
Wilson's daughter concluded her emotional post by thanking her late father for his 'beautiful contribution' to the world, as well as the countless fans who have honored his memory.
'So I just wanna say thank you… thank you Daddy for your beautiful contribution to so much happiness and real raw emotions that you have brought to people,' she wrote.
'Thank you to all the beautiful loving and supportive fans out there for honoring him. We share this together. God knows what we'd be without him,' Carnie ended her touching message.
10 Carnie Wilson performing at the Canyon in Agoura Hills, California, on July 3, 2025.
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10 Carnie Wilson shared this photo of herself, her beloved father and her sister Wendy on Instagram after Wilson's passing.
carnie68/Instagram
Wilson passed away on June 11 following a battle with dementia. His family announced the shocking news in a statement on Instagram.
'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,' they began. 'We are at a loss for words right now.'
'Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving,' the 'Love and Mercy' singer's family added. 'We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.'
10 Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson and David Marks of The Beach Boys pose for a portrait with a surfboard in Los Angeles, California, in August 1962.
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10 Al Jardine, David Marks, Frank Marshall, Brian Wilson, Blondie Chaplin, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on May 21, 2024.
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Two weeks later, Wilson's death certificate revealed that the Beach Boys icon passed away from 'respiratory arrest.' Sepsis and cystitis were also listed.
Wilson's former bandmates, Mike Love, 84, and Al Jardine, 82, paid tribute to the 'God Only Knows' songwriter in a moving statement.
'The world mourns a genius today, and we grieve for the loss of our cousin, our friend, and our partner in a great musical adventure,' they wrote. 'Brian Wilson wasn't just the heart of The Beach Boys—he was the soul of our sound.'
'We are heartbroken by his passing. We will continue to cherish the timeless music we made together and the joy he brought to millions over the decades. And while we will miss him deeply, his legacy will live on through his songs and in our memories,' his bandmates added.