Brian Wilson Dementia Diagnosis Confirmed — Inside the Beach Boys Legend’s Future Plans and Care

Music lost one of its most visionary architects today as Brian Wilson, co-founder and chief songwriter of The Beach Boys, passed away at his Los Angeles home at the age of 82. The Wilson family confirmed the news in a statement shared on social media, writing that they are “at a loss for words” while asking fans to honor Brian’s memory by “playing his music loud and spreading love.” Wilson’s inventive approach to harmony, orchestration and studio experimentation reshaped pop music in the 1960s. With classics such as “Good Vibrations,” “God Only Knows,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “California Girls,” he crafted what came to be known as the California sound: sun-kissed melodies layered over lush, sophisticated arrangements. His 1966 masterpiece, Pet Sounds, is widely hailed by critics and musicians alike; Paul McCartney has long cited the album as a direct inspiration for the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Born on June 20, 1942, in Hawthorne, California, Wilson formed The Beach Boys with brothers Dennis and Carl, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine in 1961. By age 24 he was celebrated as a prodigy capable of hearing complete arrangements in his head before ever entering the studio. Yet the same sensitivity that fueled his creativity also made him vulnerable to mental-health struggles. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s he battled auditory hallucinations, bipolar disorder and substance abuse, retreating from public life for long stretches while the myth of his genius only grew. A triumphant resurgence began in the 2000s when Wilson staged a fully realized live performance of Smile, his once-shelved “teenage symphony to God,” and earned his first Grammy Award in 2005. Collaborative albums and world tours followed, exposing new generations to his intricate pocket symphonies. Tributes pouring in today underscore that cross-generational reach: from Paul McCartney calling Wilson “one of the great musical geniuses” to Billie Eilish crediting his “fearless harmonic palette” for shaping modern pop. Wilson is survived by his five children—Carnie, Wendy, Daria, Delanie and Dylan—and by more than six decades of recordings that continue to influence rock, pop, indie and even hip-hop sample culture. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced, but industry observers anticipate a public memorial in Southern California, where surfing anthems first turned into symphonies under Wilson’s watch. As streaming platforms experience a surge in Beach Boys playlists tonight and fans revisit the ethereal coda of “Surf’s Up,” one truth is clear: Brian Wilson’s sun-drenched harmonies will keep rolling across airwaves and headphones long after the tide of today’s headlines recedes.