Overview

• Wilson’s family announced on Instagram that he died on June 11 at age 82, requesting privacy in their grief.
• He co-founded The Beach Boys in 1961, shaping their signature surf-rock sound and penning classics such as “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “California Girls” and “Good Vibrations.”
• The band’s 1966 album Pet Sounds, initially met with mixed reviews, has since become a landmark record that influenced generations of musicians.
• Wilson endured lifelong struggles with mental illness, substance abuse and partial deafness, and a court-appointed conservatorship was established after his wife’s death in early 2024.
• His solo work included a self-titled debut in 1988 and the long-delayed Smile project in 2004, and he earned induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.