Death of Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, after years of battling dementia

Brian Wilson, the sound architect of the Beach Boys and creator of the unforgettable Pet Sounds, has died at 82. The news, announced by his family in a simple statement, moved music lovers around the world. “We are at a loss for words. Please respect our privacy. We know we share our grief with the entire world.”, the statement informs.

Born to embody the Californian lightness of surf, sun, and tanned girls, Wilson transcended the limits of commercial pop, reinventing it as a demanding and emotional art form.

From Surfin’ USA to Good Vibrations

Between 1962 and 1966, Brian Wilson composed more than 200 songs that would make the Beach Boys the best-selling American band in the world. From Surfer Girl to Fun, Fun, Fun, his surf melodies are anthems to a carefree America.

But it was with Pet Sounds (1966) that he broke the mold: an album with unprecedented orchestral complexity, praised by Paul McCartney as “the most beautiful work ever produced in pop music.”

The same year, he created Good Vibrations, a psychedelic mini-symphony that sold a million copies. His ambition: to make music a total sensory and emotional language.

The Fall: Depression, Drugs, Madness… and Resilience

Behind the sunny smile lay a descent into hell. Plagued by depression, schizophrenia, amphetamine, and LSD dependency, Brian Wilson lost his footing in 1967 while working on the mythical project Smile, a work deemed unplayable by his contemporaries.