Brian Wilson, the musical visionary who captured the optimism of early 1960s youth culture as co-founder of The Beach Boys and crafted some of the most stylistically adventurous pop of the era with the seminal album “Pet Sounds,” has died, his family confirmed on Wednesday.
He was 82. Wilson’s 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 confirmed 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 he was suffering from a “major neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia)” and suggested he be placed in a conservatorship.
He is widely considered one of the most gifted singers, songwriters, and producers in the history of American pop music. The Beach Boys conquered the recording industry with hits like “I Get Around” and “Good Vibrations,” embodying the popular image of Southern California as paradise on Earth.
In the middle of the ’60s, inspired by the ambition of The Beatles and guided by his own eccentric psychedelic visions, Wilson produced the landmark concept album “Pet Sounds,” a fusion of pop, jazz and avant-garde sounds that helped cement his towering artistic stature.
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