Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 12 Jun
PAUL MCCARTNEY HAS led tributes to the late Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson, who died at the age of 82 yesterday.
In a heartfelt message, McCartney called Wilson’s songs “achingly special” and shared his admiration for the singer, saying, “I loved him.”
As it stands, no cause of death has been revealed for Wilson, who was put into a conservatorship last year due to his battle with dementia.
His children announced his passing on social media, writing: “We are heartbroken to announced that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now.”
Following the announcement of his death, the music world has united to mourn his passing.
Bob Dylan, Elton John, Ronnie Wood, and Keith Richards are among those who have paid tribute to the late pop pioneer.
Sting also covered ‘God Only Knows’ during a show in Germany hours after his passing.
During a concert in Germany on June 11th, Sting honoured the late Brian Wilson by covering The Beach Boys’ classic ‘God Only Knows’.pic.twitter.com/V7FiIKoVpS
— Far Out Magazine (@FarOutMag) June 12, 2025
McCartney, who has often spoken at length about his admiration for Brian Wilson’s talent, and who considers ‘God Only Knows’ the greatest song of all time,shared a heartfelt tribute on Facebook. He wrote:
“Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special.
“The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time. I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while.”
McCartney went on to reference his all-time favorite song, adding:
How we will continue without Brian Wilson, ‘God Only Knows’.
“Thank you, Brian.”
The Beach Boys were one of America’s biggest bands, whose success rivalled the Beatles in the 1960s.
Despite being engaged in a light-hearted feud shaped around sportsmanship and admiration throughout their careers, The Beatles and The Beach Boys never fostered any bad blood between them. Rather, they were fans of each other and were thrilled at the idea of friendly competition.
The former Beatle had the unforgettable opportunity to perform ‘God Only Knows’ live with Wilson at a benefit gala in Los Angeles in 2002 – which he later decribed as a dream come true.
In a 2007 interview, McCartney revealed the emotional impact the song has on him:
“‘God Only Knows’ is one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it,” McCartney told BBC Radio 1.
“It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian. I’ve actually performed it with him and I’m afraid to say that during the soundcheck I broke down.”
McCartney also inducted Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000, where the pair traded anecdotes of their “rivalry”.
The surviving original members of the Beach Boys also paid tribute to the “genius” of Brian Wilson yesterday.
His cousin Mike Love said Wilson’s “musical gifts were unmatched”, while Al Jardine described his bandmate as “my brother in spirit”.
Wilson was the eldest and last surviving of the three brothers who formed the American rock band with Love and school friend Jardine in 1961.
“The melodies he dreamed up, the emotions he poured into every note – Brian changed the course of music forever,” Love wrote in a lengthy post on Facebook, saying there was “something otherworldly” about Wilson.
“Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano or his spontaneity in the studio.”
Describing Wilson as “fragile, intense, funny” and “one of a kind”, he said his music “allowed us to show the world what vulnerability and brilliance sound like in harmony”.
“Brian, you once asked ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older?’ Now you are timeless,” he wrote.
Wilson was born on 20 June 1942, and began to play the piano and teach his brothers to sing harmony as a young boy.
The Beach Boys started as a neighbourhood act, rehearsing in Wilson’s bedroom and in the garage of their house in suburban Hawthorne, California with Wilson playing bass alongside his brothers Dennis as the drummer and Carl on lead guitar.
The band were managed by the trio’s father, Murry Wilson, but by mid-decade he had been displaced and Brian, who had been running the band’s recording sessions almost from the start, was in charge.
They released their most recognised album, Pet Sounds, in May 1966 which included the popular songs Wouldn’t It Be Nice and God Only Knows.
The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001.
Singer-songwriter Carole King described Wilson as “my friend and my brother in songwriting”, adding: “The world will miss Brian, but we are so lucky to have his music.”
Fellow music icon Bob Dylan said: “Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I’ve been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian”.
Sir Elton described him as a “true giant” who had the “biggest influence” on his songwriting.
“He was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever.”
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood paid tribute to Wilson and US musician Sly Stone, who died earlier this week, in a social media post, saying: “Oh no Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in one week – my world is in mourning, so sad.”
His bandmate Keith Richards posted an extract of his 2010 memoir, Life, on Instagram recalling hearing The Beach Boys for the first time on the radio and his reaction to their 1966 album Pet Sounds.
The extract reads: “When we first got to American and to LA, there was a lot of Beach Boys on the radio, which was pretty funny to us – it was before Pet Sounds – it was hot rod songs and surfing songs, pretty lousily played, familiar Chuck Berry licks going on…
“It was later on, listening to Pet Sounds, well, it’s a little bit overproduced for me, but Brian Wilson had something.”
Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, described Wilson as “our American Mozart” in a post on X while The Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz said “his melodies shaped generations, & his soul resonated in every note”.
Additional reporting by Press Association
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say