Beach Boy Brian Wilson, surf rock poet, dies at 82
Beach Boy Brian Wilson, surf rock poet, dies at 82
Brian Wilson performs during the Pet Sounds Tour in 2017. Photo: AFP
Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys co-founder who masterminded the group's wild popularity and soundtracked the California dream, has died, his family announced on Wednesday. He was 82.
"We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now," read the statement published on Wilson's social media accounts.
"We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world."
The pop visionary crafted hits whose success rivalled The Beatles throughout the 1960s: between 1962 and 1966 a seemingly inexhaustible string of feel-good hits including "Surfin' USA", "I Get Around", "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Surfer Girl" made the Beach Boys into one of America's biggest-selling bands.
But after five years of prodigious songwriting, in which he produced 200 odes to sun, surfing and suntanned girls, Wilson sank into a deep, drug-fuelled depression for decades.
He would emerge 35 years later to complete the Beach Boys' unfinished album, "Smile," widely regarded as his masterpiece.
Born on June 20, 1942, in a Los Angeles suburb, music was a haven of safety and joy for Wilson after an upbringing in which he suffered abuse from his domineering father, who would go on to manage the group.
Music was Wilson's protection, as he gathered his brothers around a Hammond organ in the living room to teach them jazz and gospel harmonies.
The Beach Boys were a family affair. He formed the band with his two brothers Dennis and Carl, his cousin Mike Love and neighbour Al Jardine when he was 19.
Wilson did all the songwriting, arranging, sang, and played bass guitar. His bandmates just had to sing in harmony.
Their first song, "Surfin" in 1961, combined the rock styles of Chuck Berry and Little Richard and the preppy vocal harmonies of "The Four Freshmen."
By late 1962, there was hardly a teen who did not know them thanks to "Surfin' USA." (AFP)
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The musical world lost a giant with the death of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys' visionary and fragile leader, at the aged of 82. Advertisement Attempting to distil Wilson's talent and influence in a few short songs is an impossibility; even just focusing on a few select cuts from The Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds, routinely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, would feel shortsighted. To celebrate Wilson's life and legacy , we've decided to identify just a few songs that made the man, from the fiercely familiar to a few unexpected tunes. 1. Surfin' USA, The Beach Boys (1963) The song of the summer in 1963 – heck, the song of any summer, ever – 'Surfin' USA' at least partially introduced the group that would forever become synonymous with an image of California bliss, where the sun always shines, the waves are always pristine, and paradise is a place on Earth. It's hard to imagine the beach existing before these wake-up riffs, the guitars that sparked a surf rock movement and then some. It's hard to think that surf music was once mostly just instrumental – even when Wilson and his cousin, fellow Beach Boy Mike Love, hastily wrote up their first single, 'Surfin',' a minor hit released in 1961. The song borrows heavily from Chuck Berry's 'Sweet Little Sixteen.' 2. Don't Worry Baby, The Beach Boys (1964)
RTHK
a day ago
- RTHK
Beach Boy Brian Wilson, surf rock poet, dies at 82
Beach Boy Brian Wilson, surf rock poet, dies at 82 Brian Wilson performs during the Pet Sounds Tour in 2017. Photo: AFP Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys co-founder who masterminded the group's wild popularity and soundtracked the California dream, has died, his family announced on Wednesday. He was 82. "We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now," read the statement published on Wilson's social media accounts. "We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world." The pop visionary crafted hits whose success rivalled The Beatles throughout the 1960s: between 1962 and 1966 a seemingly inexhaustible string of feel-good hits including "Surfin' USA", "I Get Around", "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Surfer Girl" made the Beach Boys into one of America's biggest-selling bands. But after five years of prodigious songwriting, in which he produced 200 odes to sun, surfing and suntanned girls, Wilson sank into a deep, drug-fuelled depression for decades. He would emerge 35 years later to complete the Beach Boys' unfinished album, "Smile," widely regarded as his masterpiece. Born on June 20, 1942, in a Los Angeles suburb, music was a haven of safety and joy for Wilson after an upbringing in which he suffered abuse from his domineering father, who would go on to manage the group. Music was Wilson's protection, as he gathered his brothers around a Hammond organ in the living room to teach them jazz and gospel harmonies. The Beach Boys were a family affair. He formed the band with his two brothers Dennis and Carl, his cousin Mike Love and neighbour Al Jardine when he was 19. Wilson did all the songwriting, arranging, sang, and played bass guitar. His bandmates just had to sing in harmony. Their first song, "Surfin" in 1961, combined the rock styles of Chuck Berry and Little Richard and the preppy vocal harmonies of "The Four Freshmen." By late 1962, there was hardly a teen who did not know them thanks to "Surfin' USA." (AFP)
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, surf rock poet, dies at 82
Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys co-founder who masterminded the group's wild popularity and soundtracked the California dream, has died, his family announced on Wednesday. He was 82. Advertisement 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now,' said the statement published on Wilson's social media accounts. 'We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world.' The pop visionary crafted hits whose success rivalled The Beatles throughout the 1960s: between 1962 and 1966 a seemingly inexhaustible string of feel-good hits including 'Surfin' USA', 'I Get Around', 'Fun, Fun, Fun' and 'Surfer Girl' made the Beach Boys into America's biggest-selling band. But after five years of prodigious songwriting, in which he produced 200 odes to sun, surfing and sun-tanned girls, Wilson sank into a deep, drug-fuelled depression for decades. Advertisement He would emerge 35 years later to complete the Beach Boys' unfinished album, Smile, widely regarded as his masterpiece.
