Paul McCartney, Carole King and Others Pay Tribute to Brian Wilson
Among pop and rock musicians he will also be remembered as a talented songwriter and studio pioneer whose music has had an immense influence for decades on those who followed him.
The Beach Boys had 13 singles in the Billboard Top 10, with three of them reaching No. 1. Their influence on the surf rock genre and on popular music generally was recognized by the variety of people who paid respects on social media to Wilson on Wednesday.
Here's what some of Wilson's friends had to say about his death and legacy.
Paul McCartney, a Wilson contemporary, noted that there was a chorus of tributes from other musicians, saying Wilson had a 'mysterious sense of musical genius' that made his songs special. 'The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time,' McCartney said. 'I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, 'God Only Knows.''
Carole King, also a contemporary, wrote on Facebook that Wilson was her friend and brother in songwriting. 'We shared a similar sensibility, as evidenced by his 4 over 5 chord under 'Aaaah!' in 'Good Vibrations' and mine under 'I'm Into Something Good,'' she said. 'We once discussed who used it first, and in the end we decided it didn't matter.'
In 2015, 'Love & Mercy,' a biopic about Wilson's life starring John Cusack was released. On Wednesday, Cusack said that the 'maestro' had died, adding that the hitmaker was an open heart with two legs 'with an ear that heard the angels.'
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