Vale Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys 1942-2025
By: Justin Rouillon
When music critics rate the best albums of all time, the top two positions are almost always taken out by two records – The Beatles with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band from 1967, and Pet Sounds, the 1966 masterpiece from The Beach Boys.
Put simply, without Pet Sounds, there’s no Sgt. Pepper – because that friendly transatlantic rivalry would not only usher in one of the most important eras in musical history but also push The Beatles and The Beach Boys to greater heights.
When Brian Wilson, founder and musical visionary of The Beach Boys heard The Beatles 1965 offering Rubber Soul, he responded with Pet Sounds, which ultimately paved the way for The Beatles albums Revolver in 1966 and Sgt. Pepper’s in 1967.
Wilson’s family has announced his death overnight, while recognising the impact he made globally through his music.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” his family has said in an online statement. We are at a loss for for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world.”
Born in 1942 and raised in Hawthorne, California, the young Brian Wilson had his first exposure to music within the walls of the church.
Having been encouraged in his musical giftings early, he was an accomplished piano player by the age of eight, and a regular in his church choir.
It was his early days in the church, and exposure to the music of the church that influenced his love for harmony and layered vocal arrangements.
And it was here that he, along with brothers Dennis and Carl, would develop the intricate harmonies and vocal stylings that would give rise to The Beach Boys, a group that was formed with their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine.
And although at the height of The Beach Boys’ fame his beliefs became more private and occasionally ambiguous, there are themes littered throughout Wilson’s music focusing on spiritual longing or an exploration of deeper meaning.
Songs like Love & Mercy, Heaven, In My Room and ‘Till I Die span the years of his career, are some of his most introspective compositions, and flirt with divine longing, transcendence, and emotional surrender.
It was his 1966 masterstroke God Only Knows, taken from Pet Sounds, where he combined his spiritual influences and his musical genius to create one of pop music’s defining moments.
That song is no pop banger though, there’s not an electric guitar to be heard – rather the arrangement is comprised of harpsichords, French horns and Wilson’s trademark vocal layers.
Paul McCartney has labelled God Only Knows as “the greatest song ever written”, and told BBC Radio 1 in a 2007 interview that “God Only Knows is one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it… It’s just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the spiritual side of Brian.”
Brian Wilson’s influence wasn’t just confined to the musical mainstream though; his music has also influenced a generation of artists of faith.
- Amy Grant has spoken about being influenced by the harmonies of The Beach Boys, with her 1997 album Behind the Eyes showcasing arrangements that echo Pet Sounds.
- Kevin Max, the artsy voice of dc Talk, has often cited Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys as part of his sonic palette. His solo work is particularly Beach Boys-esque in places—especially in the use of layered vocals and lush arrangements.
- A legend in Christian music, Phil Keaggy is known for his guitar mastery, but he has also shown a love for Wilson-esque harmony and melodic invention in albums like The Master and the Musician.
- While not always overt, the layered harmonies and introspective lyrics of Jars of Clay were shaped in part by artists like Brian Wilson who blurred the line between pop and spiritual depth.
- Matt Thiessen of Relient K has openly acknowledged the influence of Brian Wilson on the band’s music. As the band matured you can hear clear echoes of Brian Wilson’s musical fingerprints with stacked vocal harmonies and layered arrangements, and sad or introspective lyrics with beautiful, upbeat musical elements.
Throughout his life Wilson suffered from a range of physical and mental health issues, retiring from touring with the Beach Boys at age 22 to focus on songwriting and production due to anxiety and paranoia caused by travel and public performances.
Wilson was almost completely deaf in his right ear which led to a habit of him speaking from the side of his mouth, often leading to incorrect assumptions of having had a stroke.
In 2024, following the death of his wife Melinda, it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with a major neurocognitive disorder, likely a form of dementia. His family was granted conservatorship to oversee his care as his health declined.
And while thousands of his contemporaries and those influenced by his career share their sadness at his passing, Brian Wilson will ultimately be remembered as a true musical genius of the 20th Century.
Article supplied with thanks to 96five.
Feature image: Photo by Lance Shields on Unsplash
