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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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President Donald Trump paid tribute to Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, who died at the age of 82 this week.
"Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys was a true Musical genius, right up there with the greatest, EVER," Trump posted to Truth Social on Thursday morning.
"While Brian is no longer with us, his music will live on forever. Warmest condolences to his family, friends and, so importantly, his fantastic legion of FANS!!!"
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Wilson was the leader of and visionary force behind The Beach Boys. His family shared news of his death Wednesday on his official website, though no additional details were immediately released.
Since May 2024, Wilson had been under a court conservatorship, with longtime representatives overseeing his medical and personal affairs.
In 2020, Wilson disavowed himself from a performance by his former band at a fundraiser for Trump in Newport Beach, stating he had no involvement.
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Brian Wilson's Beach Boys Legacy
Revered for his uncanny ear for melody and his lush, emotional arrangements, Wilson helped create classics like "Good Vibrations," "California Girls," and dozens of other sun-drenched anthems that became the soundtrack of American summers.
The eldest and last surviving of the three Wilson brothers—Brian played bass, Carl was on lead guitar, and Dennis handled drums—he helped turn a local California garage band into international icons of the surf-rock sound.
Brian was simultaneously celebrated for his transcendent musical vision and pitied for the emotional struggles that haunted much of his life.
A self-taught prodigy and one of rock's most tragic Romantics, Wilson sought nothing less than sonic perfection, even as it led him down a path of isolation and psychological turmoil.
From the early 1960s through the peak of their fame, The Beach Boys scored over 30 Top 40 hits and sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Though often viewed as the architect of The Beach Boys' signature sound, Brian Wilson was an unlikely face of surf culture.
Tall, shy, and partially deaf in one ear, Brian rarely surfed himself.
Yet he captured the spirit of California youth with his infectious harmonies and breezy arrangements, drawing influence from Chuck Berry and the Four Freshmen.
His songs radiated from radios and beach towels for generations, from the driving rhythm of "I Get Around" to the ethereal layers of "Don't Worry Baby."
Brian Wilson's Struggles and His Later Years
The Beach Boys' sunlit image often masked a darker reality. Brian struggled with mental illness, substance abuse, and the pressure of creative expectations.
His life was marked by a tumultuous first marriage, estrangement from his daughters Carnie and Wendy (later of Wilson Phillips), and complex relationships with bandmates.
"I've lived a very, very difficult, haunted life," Wilson told The Washington Post in 2007.
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His second marriage to Melinda Ledbetter in 1995 brought a period of stability, and the couple had two daughters together before her death in 2024.
In later years, Wilson was celebrated anew through concerts of Pet Sounds and his long-delayed opus Smile, performing before adoring crowds.
His death comes just days after the passing of another legendary hitmaker, Sly Stone, who died Monday at the age of 82.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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