Brian Douglas Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys and one of the most visionary musicians of the 20th century, passed away on June 11, 2025, at the age of 82. A composer, arranger, producer, and singer of unmatched depth and ambition, Wilson’s work forever changed the sound, the soul, and the scope of popular music.
I’m in tears today. I lost my father a few years ago, and hearing of Brian’s passing brought a flood of memories rushing back. My dad’s record collection was almost entirely jazz and classical, except for a handful of pop and rock albums. One of those was Pet Sounds. That record held a sacred place in our household. We were captivated by its beauty, the harmonies, the arrangements, the emotional honesty. It wasn’t just music. It was part of who we were. The Beach Boys became more than a band to us, they were a feeling, a sound that made the world seem more vibrant and more tender all at once.
Later in life, I had the honour of welcoming Brian into my Los Angeles studio a few times. He was always gentle, always gracious. We shared a few business contacts, and every single one of them spoke of him with awe. Everyone who knew him loved him. You couldn’t be near Brian without feeling the weight and the light of his genius.
Born in Inglewood, California on June 20, 1942, Wilson grew up harmonising with his brothers and was deeply shaped by the music of the Four Freshmen, George Gershwin, and Phil Spector. He became the first pop artist to fully control his records from start to finish, writing, arranging, producing, and performing with unmatched ambition.
The early Beach Boys hits, “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” and “I Get Around,” were vibrant bursts of Californian youth. Yet Brian always had more to say. Songs like “In My Room,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” and “The Warmth of the Sun” revealed a deep sensitivity rarely found in pop at the time. “California Girls” was both a celebration and a masterclass in arrangement. “God Only Knows” remains one of the most achingly beautiful love songs ever written. And “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” captured the bittersweet tension between innocence and yearning better than anyone before or since.
Then came Pet Sounds, the record that changed everything. Paul McCartney called it his favourite album of all time. For many of us, it was more than that. It was a revelation. With tracks like “Caroline, No,” “You Still Believe in Me,” “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times,” and the instrumental “Let’s Go Away for Awhile,” Brian painted a picture of emotional depth and musical sophistication that rivalled anything in the canon of 20th-century music.
And then came “Good Vibrations,” a three-minute opus so revolutionary, it still defies classification. With its modular structure, psychedelic textures, and sonic ambition, it set a new benchmark. This was pop music no longer confined by the radio, but stretching toward the cosmos.
What followed, the legendary and long-delayed Smile project, only deepened his myth. Songs like “Heroes and Villains,” “Surf’s Up,” and “Wonderful” hinted at an artistic vision so vast and intricate, it was almost too much for the era to contain. Decades later, when Brian Wilson Presents Smile finally arrived, it was like the world exhaled. The wait had been worth it.
Brian Wilson didn’t just write songs. He inspired generations as a songwriter, producer, and musician. His sense of harmony, his studio imagination, his emotional openness, and his fearlessness in chasing beauty reshaped what we believed pop music could do. Personally, I believe he is one of the top three greatest producers that ever lived. His influence is everywhere. His fingerprints are on entire genres. And his spirit will echo through every studio where someone dares to dream bigger than the limitations of a format or a chart.
Brian, thank you for being such a huge part of my childhood, my present, and my future. You will continue to inspire me and so many others. For as long as music matters, your voice will echo through it.
Rest peacefully. You gave the world music that will never fade.
