His family announced the news via Instagram, stating: “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. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.”

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Born in Inglewood, California, in 1942, Wilson founded The Beach Boys alongside his younger brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. The band would go on to become one of the most influential acts in American music history, selling over 100 million records worldwide with iconic hits like ‘Good Vibrations’, ‘Kokomo’, and ‘God Only Knows’.

As the band’s primary creative force, Wilson helped shape the group’s distinctive sound, blending sonic harmonies with experimental studio techniques. The critically acclaimed 1966 album ‘Pet Sounds’, widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, was written and produced almost entirely by Wilson.

Wilson’s life, however, was marked by personal struggles. He battled mental health issues from an early age, which were intensified by substance use during the height of his fame. Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and mild manic depression, Wilson spent time in psychiatric hospitals throughout the late 1960s. His condition contributed to the shelving of ‘Smile’, the intended follow-up to ‘Pet Sounds’, and led to greater involvement from other band members in the creative process.

In 1988, Wilson released his debut solo album and went on to enjoy a solo career, touring and releasing new music. He reunited with The Beach Boys in 2011 for a 50th-anniversary world tour and the release of their 29th studio album, ‘That’s Why God Made the Radio’, in 2012. He performed his final concert in 2022 during a co-headlining tour with Chicago.

In 2024, it was publicly revealed that Wilson had been diagnosed with dementia and placed under conservatorship. His wife, Melinda Ledbetter – who had also served as his manager – passed away that same year. The couple had adopted five children and remained together from their marriage in 1995 until her death. Wilson was previously married to singer Marilyn Rovell, with whom he had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who later formed the pop group Wilson Phillips.

Wilson chronicled his life in memoirs published in 1991 and 2016, and his story was portrayed in the 2014 biopic ‘Love and Mercy’ and the 2021 documentary ‘Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road’.

Tributes poured in from across the music world. Bob Dylan reflected, “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.” Carole King called him her “friend and brother in songwriting,” adding, “We are so lucky to have his music.” Sir Elton John described Wilson as the “biggest influence” on his songwriting, while John Cale of The Velvet Underground hailed him as a “true musical genius.” Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood added, “The world is in mourning.”

For more on Elton John’s tribute, read our latest coverage here.

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The Beach Boys are a rock band created in Hawthorne California in 1961. The original members were three brothers, Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin, Mike Love, and Al Jardine. There are four remaining members, including two original members (Brian Wilson and Al Jardine), with Mike Love and Bruce Johnston. Their sound was highly influenced by 1950s rock and roll and R&B. They also ventured into classical and jazz elements due to Brian Wilson’s influence. Their work is iconic in both the rock and pop world, having sold over 100 million albums across the world. Among their most popular songs are “Good Vibrations”, “Surf’s Up” and “Wouldn’t it be Nice”. They have performed in the UK before, notably at Wembley Stadium in 1975 at Elton John’s all day concert. 

David Essex OBE is a singer-songwriter hailing from Essex, England. Starting his career in 1965, he released his first song, “And the Tears Came Tumbling Down”, and began touring with a band named David Essex and the Mood Indigo. As his career progressed he ventured into acting, notably acting in the movie “That’ll Be the Day” in 1973. This same year, he wrote and released perhaps his most popular song “Rock On” which charted worldwide and earned a Grammy nomination. He received an OBE in 1999 and has continued to work in both acting and music, still active today. 

Lulu, real name Lulu Kennedy-Cairns CBE, is a Scottish singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as a teenager upon the release of her cover of “Shout” by The Isley Brothers. Her fame increased again when she was a part of the film “To Sir, with Love”, for which she sang the theme song charting in the US Billboard 100 at number 1 for five weeks straight. In a career spanning six decades, she has become a prominent long-standing figure in film, music and songwriting, having commercial success with songs written for Take That and Ronan Keating, both of which charted at number 1 and 4 in the UK charts respectively.

Giles Cooper of Heritage Live Festivals said: “It’s been a huge ambition of ours to host a show for the legendary Beach Boys for some time now, and we’re delighted to not only make it happen; but also to have their only UK show for next year! … This is going to be really special – the perfect summer band for the perfect summer concert and a show that will be etched in our memories for many years to come!”

The highly anticipated show with three such iconic figures is sure to garner a large audience with a varied music taste. Tickets go on presale December 4 at 9am here, and general sale is December 6 at 9am here. More information can be found here.

Presently, The Beach Boys are led by founding member Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, who originally joined The Beach Boys back in 1965. The band features a large ensemble of players, and joining Love and Johnston on this upcoming tour are singer/guitarist Brian Eichenberger, guitarist Christian Love (who is the son of Mike Love), keyboardist Tim Bonhomme, drummer John Cowsill, bassist Keith Hubacher, woodwind player Randy Leago and musical director Scott Toten.

Unfortunately, fellow founders Brian Wilson and Al Jardine will not be involved with the upcoming tour. Wilson and Jardine were recently forced to postpone an upcoming UK tour due to the complications of travelling during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have, however, announced that they will be headlining a US tour alongside rock band Chicago.

Wilson, who is considered a primary songwriter in The Beach Boys and the mind behind the beloved album Pet Sounds, recently released a solo album entitled At My Piano. The album is available on all streaming services. Furthermore, a documentary was recently released about the revered songwriter entitled Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, which follows Wilson and Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine as they travel through Los Angeles visiting locations that Wilson recalls from his past.

In other news regarding The Beach Boys, they recently unveiled two previously unreleased songs, which includes an acapella version of the song “Surf’s Up”, the title track from the band’s 17^th studio album, released in 1971, Surf’s Up era outtakes such as the song “Big Sur”, and a reimagining of the song “This Whole World” from their sixteenth studio album Sunflower. These songs are available on all streaming services, or you can listen at the link below.

The Beach Boys are currently touring in the United States, and will be performing in Knoxville, Tennesse tonight. Presently, the band show no signs of slowing down in regard to touring, and have shows scheduled up to early 2023.  To re-iterate, the concert at the Royal Albert Hall will take place on the 24^th of June. Tickets for the show will go on sale this Friday, December 10^th, at 9AM GMT. Tickets can be found at this link.