Entertainment
Beloved Leader Of Beach Boys Passes Away
One of the most brilliant songwriters and singers of early rock and roll, who co-founded the legendary Beach Boys, has died at the age of 82. Brian Wilson’s family took to Instagram to announce Wilson’s passing to the world.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” they said in the post. “We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.”
Wilson’s loved ones signed off the post with the phrase, “Love & Mercy,” which is the title of the former Beach Boy’s first solo album. It later became the title of a 2014 movie about his life.
Between 1962 and 1966, the Beach Boys scored a total of 10 top-10 hits, and seven more tracks landed in the top 40 for Capitol Records. Most of the songs were co-written by Wilson and produced by him.
The band was so popular during this period of time that their only rivals hailed from Liverpool across the pond: The Beatles. Wilson even viewed the band as his artistic rivals, which is a massive show of respect.
Wilson helped to push the boundaries of rock at the time with hits like “Good Vibrations” and “Pet Sounds.”
Critic Jim Miller wrote about how important the Beach Boys are to the history of music in “The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll,” saying, “In the ’60s, when they were at the height of their original popularity, the Beach Boys propagated their own variant on the American Dream, painting a dazzling picture of beaches, parties and endless summer, a paradise of escape into private as often as shared pleasures. Yet by the late ’60s, the band was articulating…a disenchantment with the suburban ethos, and a search for transcendence.”
Wilson’s personal life wasn’t nearly as sunny as the hits his band created. The singer experienced a series of mental breakdowns likely triggered by a chaotic and torturous relationship with his dad. Inevitably, these breakdowns led to Wilson experiencing issues with drugs and alcohol.
Addiction soon spiraled into conflict with his bandmates, who included two brothers and one cousin. The group fired him in 1982.
During the late 1980s, Wilson was victorious in his war against the inner demons that haunted him, creating a second chance for himself in the world of music. He produced a number of solo albums and received major acclaim for live performances of his biggest masterpieces.
On the 50th anniversary of the legendary band, Wilson rejoined the Beach Boys and went on tour after being split apart for decades. Wilson and the band were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, followed by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000.
“He was born in the Los Angeles community of Inglewood; the family moved to the nearby city of Hawthorne when he was 2. His younger brothers Dennis and Carl were born in 1944 and 1946, respectively. Though largely deaf in his right ear from an early age, he was encouraged to sing and play by his father Murry, an amateur songwriter who controlled his sons with extreme emotional and sometimes physical abuse,” Variety reported.
Thoughts and prayers for Wilson’s family, friends, and fans during this tragic loss.
