Brian Wilson surfing in heaven

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Brian Wilson, the musical visionary who captured the optimism of early 1960s youth culture as leader of the Beach Boys and crafted some of the most stylistically adventurous pop music of the era with the seminal album "Pet Sounds," has died, his family confirmed Wednesday.

He was 82. His family did not immediately specify a cause of death.

"We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away," Wilson's family said in a post on Instagram. "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."

The artist's legal representatives said last year that Wilson was suffering from a "major neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia)" and suggested he be placed in a conservatorship.

Wilson is widely considered one of the most gifted singers, songwriters, and producers in the history of American pop music. The Beach Boys topped the charts and achieved global acclaim, expressing the spirit of summertime escapism with hits like "Surfin’ U.S.A.," "I Get Around," and "Good Vibrations." (In truth, Wilson was not much of a surfer.)

The band embodied the popular image of Southern California as a lush paradise on earth, but it also produced wistful, introspective tracks such as "In My Room." Wilson’s brothers were part of the founding lineup: Carl played lead guitar, and Dennis sat behind the drums. Wilson's cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine rounded out the original group.

In the middle of the '60s, inspired by the ambition of the Beatles and guided by his own psychedelic visions, Wilson created the landmark concept album "Pet Sounds," an idiosyncratic and symphonic fusion of pop, jazz, and avant-garde genres that reached for sonic perfection and helped cement his legacy.

"Pet Sounds" was not originally a commercial success. Still, it dazzled rock critics and wowed many of the recording industry's leading lights — including the members of the Beatles, who credited it with stirring them to make "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."


"I figure no one is educated musically 'til they’ve heard 'Pet Sounds,'" Paul McCartney once said. "I love the orchestra, the arrangements — it may be going overboard to say it’s the classic of the century — but to me, it certainly is a total, classic record that is unbeatable in many ways. I’ve often played 'Pet Sounds' and cried."

Wilson's innovations — including using the recording studio as an instrument — led to greater recognition of pop music as a worthy and potentially revolutionary art form. He was one of the first singer-songwriters and producers to be referred to as an auteur, heralded for his fierce creative control and personal vision.

"Jesus, that ear. He should donate it to the Smithsonian. The records I used to listen to and still love, you can't make a record that sounds that way," Bob Dylan once said. "Brian Wilson, he made all his records with four tracks, but you couldn't make his records if you had a hundred tracks today."

Wilson's life was often tumultuous, earning him a reputation in music circles as a tortured genius. He struggled with mental health issues and substance abuse, sometimes channelling his inner turmoil into melancholy lyrics and moody soundscapes.

He spent years under the yoke of the celebrity psychologist Dr. Eugene Landy, who attempted to control nearly every aspect of the singer’s life. (Landy was eventually barred from any contact with Wilson and died in 2006.) The relationship between the two was dramatized in the 2015 film "Love & Mercy."

In recent decades, Wilson was less publicly visible as he battled personal demons. However, he continued recording music, releasing various solo albums and sometimes taking the stage. He also loomed large over the modern music landscape, inspiring acts ranging from R.E.M. and Radiohead to Daft Punk and Wilco.

He was honored with two Grammy Awards, inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and recognition from the Kennedy Center Honors committee in 2007.