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Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Surviving Beach Boys pay tribute to ‘genius' Brian Wilson
The surviving original members of the Beach Boys have paid tribute to the 'genius' of Brian Wilson after his death aged 82. His cousin Mike Love, 84, said Wilson's 'musical gifts were unmatched' while Al Jardine described his bandmate as 'my brother in spirit'. Wilson was the eldest and last surviving of the three brothers who formed the American rock band with Love and school friend Jardine in 1961. 'The melodies he dreamed up, the emotions he poured into every note – Brian changed the course of music forever,' Love wrote in a lengthy post on Facebook, saying there was 'something otherworldly' about Wilson. 'Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, 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.' Describing Wilson as 'fragile, intense, funny' and 'one of a kind', he said his music 'allowed us to show the world what vulnerability and brilliance sound like in harmony'. 'Brian, you once asked 'Wouldn't it be nice if we were older?' Now you are timeless,' he wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Beach Boys (@thebeachboys) Posting a picture of himself with Wilson on Facebook, Jardine, 82, said: 'I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives as long as you were'. 'You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever.' On Wednesday, Wilson's family said in a statement to his website: 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving.' Sir Elton John posted on Instagram, saying Wilson was 'always so kind to me' and 'the biggest influence on my songwriting ever'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn) 'He was a musical genius and revolutionary,' he wrote. 'He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and changed music forever. A true giant.' Bob Dylan was among other musical stars to pay tribute, the 84-year-old posting on X that he was thinking 'about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius'. Fellow singer-songwriter Carole King, 83, described Wilson as 'my friend and my brother in songwriting' while former Velvet Underground member John Cale said on X he was 'a true musical genius toiling away at melding POP into startling sophistication'. Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian. — Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) June 11, 2025 Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, 78, paid tribute to Wilson and US musician Sly Stone, who died earlier this week, in a social media post, saying: 'Oh no Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in one week – my world is in mourning, so sad.' His bandmate Keith Richards, 81, posted an extract of his 2010 memoir, Life, on Instagram recalling hearing The Beach Boys for the first time on the radio and his reaction to their 1966 album Pet Sounds. The extract reads: 'When we first got to American and to LA, there was a lot of Beach Boys on the radio, which was pretty funny to us – it was before Pet Sounds – it was hot rod songs and surfing songs, pretty lousily played, familiar Chuck Berry licks going on… 'It was later on, listening to Pet Sounds, well, it's a little bit overproduced for me, but Brian Wilson had something.' Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, described Wilson as 'our American Mozart' in a post on X while The Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz said 'his melodies shaped generations, & his soul resonated in every note'. We are heartbroken to announced that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy — Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) June 11, 2025 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 with Wilson playing bass alongside his brothers Dennis as the drummer and Carl on lead guitar. 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 released their most recognised album, Pet Sounds, in May 1966 which included the popular songs Wouldn't It Be Nice and God Only Knows. Wilson married singer Marilyn Rovell in 1964 and the couple welcomed daughters Carnie and Wendy, whom he became estranged from following their divorce. He later reconciled with them and they sang together on the 1997 album The Wilsons, which was also the name of a music group formed by Carnie and Wendy following the break-up of pop vocal group Wilson Phillips. Wilson, who had dealt with mental health and drug problems, got his life back on track in the 1990s and married talent manager Melinda Ledbetter. When Ledbetter died last year, Wilson said their five children, Daria, Delanie, Dylan, Dash and Dakota, were 'in tears'. Wilson was also embroiled in multiple lawsuits some of which followed from the release of his 1991 autobiography, Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Surviving Beach Boys pay tribute to ‘genius' Brian Wilson
The surviving original members of the Beach Boys have paid tribute to the 'genius' of Brian Wilson after his death aged 82. His cousin Mike Love, 84, said Wilson's 'musical gifts were unmatched' while Al Jardine described his bandmate as 'my brother in spirit'. Wilson was the eldest and last surviving of the three brothers who formed the American rock band with Love and school friend Jardine in 1961. 'The melodies he dreamed up, the emotions he poured into every note – Brian changed the course of music forever,' Love wrote in a lengthy post on Facebook, saying there was 'something otherworldly' about Wilson. 'Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, 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.' Describing Wilson as 'fragile, intense, funny' and 'one of a kind', he said his music 'allowed us to show the world what vulnerability and brilliance sound like in harmony'. 'Brian, you once asked 'Wouldn't it be nice if we were older?' Now you are timeless,' he wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Beach Boys (@thebeachboys) Posting a picture of himself with Wilson on Facebook, Jardine, 82, said: 'I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives as long as you were'. 'You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever.' On Wednesday, Wilson's family said in a statement to his website: 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving.' Sir Elton John posted on Instagram, saying Wilson was 'always so kind to me' and 'the biggest influence on my songwriting ever'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn) 'He was a musical genius and revolutionary,' he wrote. 'He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and changed music forever. A true giant.' Bob Dylan was among other musical stars to pay tribute, the 84-year-old posting on X that he was thinking 'about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius'. Fellow singer-songwriter Carole King, 83, described Wilson as 'my friend and my brother in songwriting' while former Velvet Underground member John Cale said on X he was 'a true musical genius toiling away at melding POP into startling sophistication'. Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian. — Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) June 11, 2025 Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, 78, paid tribute to Wilson and US musician Sly Stone, who died earlier this week, in a social media post, saying: 'Oh no Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in one week – my world is in mourning, so sad.' His bandmate Keith Richards, 81, posted an extract of his 2010 memoir, Life, on Instagram recalling hearing The Beach Boys for the first time on the radio and his reaction to their 1966 album Pet Sounds. The extract reads: 'When we first got to American and to LA, there was a lot of Beach Boys on the radio, which was pretty funny to us – it was before Pet Sounds – it was hot rod songs and surfing songs, pretty lousily played, familiar Chuck Berry licks going on… 'It was later on, listening to Pet Sounds, well, it's a little bit overproduced for me, but Brian Wilson had something.' Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, described Wilson as 'our American Mozart' in a post on X while The Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz said 'his melodies shaped generations, & his soul resonated in every note'. We are heartbroken to announced that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy — Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) June 11, 2025 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 with Wilson playing bass alongside his brothers Dennis as the drummer and Carl on lead guitar. 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 released their most recognised album, Pet Sounds, in May 1966 which included the popular songs Wouldn't It Be Nice and God Only Knows. Wilson married singer Marilyn Rovell in 1964 and the couple welcomed daughters Carnie and Wendy, whom he became estranged from following their divorce. He later reconciled with them and they sang together on the 1997 album The Wilsons, which was also the name of a music group formed by Carnie and Wendy following the break-up of pop vocal group Wilson Phillips. Wilson, who had dealt with mental health and drug problems, got his life back on track in the 1990s and married talent manager Melinda Ledbetter. When Ledbetter died last year, Wilson said their five children, Daria, Delanie, Dylan, Dash and Dakota, were 'in tears'. Wilson was also embroiled in multiple lawsuits some of which followed from the release of his 1991 autobiography, Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001. Wilson's brother Dennis died in 1983 while Carl died in 1998.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Does 2025 have a song of the summer? The internet has doubts
Does 2025 have a song of the summer? The internet has doubts Show Caption Hide Caption 'Superman,' Mission: Impossible,' 'F1' and summer's must-see films USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt releases his list of summer's must-see films. The highlights include "Superman" and "Mission: Impossible." For friend groups carpooling to the beach this summer, there may not be a consensus on song choice. While Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" and Tommy Richman's "Million Dollar Baby" were among the tunes considered the 2024 song of the summer, there's no such clarity this time around. Music fans have voiced frustration with the lack of clear contenders for the 2025 title, saying no song has gained the same level of momentum as Carpenter's caffeinated earworm or Kendrick Lamar's Grammy-winning diss track "Not Like Us." The public has never unanimously agreed an definitive song of the summer, an unofficial honor that drives debate every year over which artist drops the season's true anthem. Every year, listeners pick a track they feel is emblematic of summer, from The Beach Boy's 1963 "Surfin' U.S.A" or The Police's 1983 "Every Breathe You Take" to Katy Perry's 2010 "California Gurls" featuring Snoop Dogg. This year, the internet has been scratching its head trying to figure out which track will reign supreme. The conundrum only became more apparent when Spotify shared 30 predictions for the 2025 Song of the Summer, a list the streaming giant said considered "cultural expertise, editorial instinct and streaming data." Social media users not only bashed the list, but the state of this year's summer anthems as a whole. Some went as far as saying 2025 might not have any songs of the summer. A song of the summer can't be forced to emerge Wyatt Torosian, a 34-year-old marketing professional from Louisiana, said the issue stems from artists tailoring their releases in the spring, with the hopes of becoming the song of the summer. In Summer 2005, the success of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" was indisputable, with the R&B soul hit playing at any store you walked to, Torosian said. Yet in this era, where musicians heavily utilize social media to promote their work, he argues music simply being made with the intention of going viral. "Everyone's designing music for a TikTok algorithm, and they're not actually making music that people want to listen to," Torosian told USA TODAY. "As artists keep designing songs for algorithms, there's going to be less and less songs that even have the staying capacity to last for an entire summer." Leo Pastel, an independent R&B songwriter based in Cincinnati, said record labels are often the ones vying to have the summer anthem more than the artists themselves. He believes musicians generally haven't been making the "upbeat, bright, happy songs" that epitomize the title yet, and urges labels to just accept that. "Fans will make something, and then like the companies and the labels will pick up on it a year later and try to force it," he said. "There's not really a Song of the Summer this year and I think everyone understands that, but the labels are trying to create it." As a musician himself, Pastel said most artists know better than to force their work to be trendy, adding "anytime you try to force something, it just ends up coming off inauthentic. So it really has to come from an authentic place for it to really connect." A true song of the summer is undeniable When a track is a true song of the summer contender, it's almost irrefutable. Pastel said they're the songs that listeners can't escape from at clubs, or that they can't help but play while riding their bike. Hit summer songs were easier to identify decades ago when radio stations and TV programs had listeners largely consuming the same media at the same time, according to Pastel. Yet as streaming platforms have given listeners more control over what music they listen to, he said it takes lot more for a song to stand out amongst the masses. "It's a lot more difficult for one thing to be ubiquitous and for everyone to be paying attention to it. So I think that it'll be a lot more rare for us to see those major cultural moments like we were used to in years past," Pastel added. Kristi Cook, a pop culture content creator in Los Angeles, noted it's sometimes easier to judge a song of the summer after the season ends altogether. "It takes you back to a smell. It takes you back to a moment in time, like a piece of clothing," said Cook, who has nearly 400,000 followers on her TikTok page Spill Sesh. "Like, it just really takes you back to where you were when you were listening to that song the most. When it was the most played at restaurants or bars." Could the 2025 summer anthem could drop any moment? Many social media users have completely given up on 2025 having a song of the summer, with the exception of devoted fans championing their favorite artists' new releases. Fans of Charli XCX are even pushing for hyper-pop "party 4 u" amid a popularity resurgence, despite the song being released in 2020. Meanwhile, artists like Doja Cat, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Lil Wayne, Miley Cyrus and A$AP Rocky are all expected to drop albums in the near future. But summer hasn't officially begun, and Cook is encouraging people not to throw in the towel just yet. "People are looking at it a bit negatively because they don't agree or they don't like these songs that are available right now," she said. "Everyone's waiting for the 'Espresso.' I feel like everyone's just waiting because they hear all these teases or they're hoping their favorites are going to drop a song." With the music world still left in suspense, USA TODAY asked Torosian, Pastel and Cook what they believe should be the 2025 Song of the Summer. Here's what they said.
