Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson dies aged 82 as family 'lost for words'
“We are at a loss for words right now”
Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson has died aged 82, his family has confirmed in a statement.
The pop legend, known for hits God Only Knows and Good Vibrations, was the creative force behind one of the most successful pop groups of the 1960s and beyond.
His family announced the death on Wilson's wepbage, but did not release any further information.
Their statement read: "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."
“We are at a loss for words right now.”
Wilson will be remembered by millions around the world for his explorative musicianship and artistic bravery.
He wrote and produced the 1966 album Pet Sounds – which is widely regarded as the greatest album of all time.
The psychedelic material produced by the band throughout the 60s was reflective of the carefree and uncertain utopianism of mid-century California at that time.
Overcoming partial deafness in one ear as a boy, an adolescent Wilson cofounded the group Carl and the Passions - along with his youngest brother Carl and cousin Mike Love - while in high school.
After changing the name of the group to the Pendletones, middle brother Denis and friend Al Jardine joined, making them a five-piece.
The first song Brian Wilson penned for the group was 1961’s Surfin’ - a prelude to Surfin’ USA, which later reached No 3 in the US charts and cemented their breakthrough.
As The Beach Boys, Brian powered the group through an astonishingly high work rate, releasing 15 albums before the end of the 1960s.
The death of his father in the early 1970s sparked a low period for Wilson which saw him descend into alcoholism, drug abuse and overeating.
When Dennis died in a drowning incident in 1983, Brian became even more isolated from his fellow band members and became something of a creative island.
With the help of psychologist Eugene Landy, he released his self-titled debut solo album in 1988.
Brian would eventually be diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and mild manic depression, and the heaviest blow to his mental health came in 1998 when Carl Wilson died from lung cancer.
This tragedy effectively ended the band as a unified group.
A brief reunion tour took place in 2012, but that ended with disagreements and separate touring paths.
Wilson and Jardine reunited once more in 2016 for a tour to mark the 50th anniversary of Pet Sounds.
The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001.