Brian Wilson 1942-2025: A music visionary’s life in pictures
Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ visionary and fragile leader whose genius for melody, arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression inspired “Good Vibrations,” “California Girls” and other summertime anthems and made him one of the world’s most influential recording artists, has died at 82.
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Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys performs during the band's concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, June 2, 2012 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
American Rock and roll band The Beach Boys walk along a beach holding a surfboard during a photoshoot for their debut album, 'Surfin' Safari', Los Angeles, California, August 1962. Left to right: Dennis Wilson, David Marks, Carl Wilson, Mike Love and Brian Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
Singer and producer Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" works the sound board in a studio in circa 1975. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
Brian Wilson, the driving force behind the Beach Boys in the early 1960s, performs at the Honolulu Marathon Luau concert at the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu, Friday, Dec. 6, 2002. (AP Photo Ronen Zilberman)
The Rock 'n' Roll group the Beach Boys, from left, Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson and Mike Love, hold their trophies after being inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in New York, Jan. 21, 1988. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)
Band leader Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" poses for a portrait in 1968 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
Former Beatle Paul McCartney, left, hands a plaque to former Beach Boy Brian Wilson after Wilson's acceptance speech into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame at the 31st. Annual Songwriter's Hall of Fame Awards Dinner and Induction Ceremonies in New York, Thursday, June 15, 2000. (AP Photo/Stuart Ramson)
Singer Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" sits on a diving board in 1976 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
Brian Wilson, left, and his wife Melinda Ledbetter arrive at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2016. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Singer and mastermind Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" directs from the control room while recording the album "Pet Sounds" in 1966 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
From left, Bruce Johnston, David Marks, Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine of musical group The Beach Boys pose backstage at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Original members of The Beach Boys, from left, David Marks, Bruce Johnston and Brian Wilson appear onstage during ABC's "Good Morning America" summer concert series, Friday, June 15, 2012, in New York. (Photo by Jason DeCrow/Invision/AP)
The Beach Boys pose with their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by: Universal Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Universal History Archive)
The Beach Boys, from left to right, Brian Wilson, David Marks, Mike Love and Al Jardine perform in concert in Sydney, Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Al Jardine and Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band The Beach Boys recording 'Pet Sounds' at Western Recorders studios in the Spring of 1966 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
Brian Wilson performs with The Beach Boys at the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston, Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
"The Beach Boys" perform on the CBS television program, "The Ed Sullivan Show" in New York, New York, on September 27, 1964. From left is Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Mike Love. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) (CBS Photo Archive)
In this April 18, 2012 photo, The Beach Boys, from left, Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine, Mike Love, Brian Wilson and David Marks pose for a portrait in Burbank, Calif. After decades of prolonged separations, legal spats and near reunions, the core Beach Boys are back together, both on stage and for an upcoming new album. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Portrait, from left, of American Pop and Rock musician Sheryl Crow, Canadian Rock and Folk musician Neil Young, and American Rock and Pop musician Brian Wilson as they pose together backstage during the Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, California, October 30, 1999. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) (Paul Natkin)
Musicians Brian Wilson (L) and Al Jardine perform at Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds: The Final Performances at San Diego Civic Theatre on May 24, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images) (Daniel Knighton)
Band leader Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" chomps down on a record in this photo session c.1968 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
Band leader Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" poses for a portrait with his dog in circa 1965 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer Brian Wilson, of the American rock band The Beach Boys, sits behind his piano circa 1985 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images) (Lester Cohen)
Brian Wilson, along with the Beach Boys perform at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on January 1, 1987 . (Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Larry Hulst)
Rock and roll group "The Beach Boys" perform onstage at the Hollywood Bowl on October 19, 1963 in Los Angeles, California. (L-R) Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson, Mike Love. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
American pop group The Beach Boys pose in front of an earlier group portrait, London, 2nd November 1964. Left to right in both images: Dennis Wilson (1944 - 1983), Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Carl Wilson (1946 - 1998). (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Keystone)
Rock and roll group "The Beach Boys" pose during a portrait session in 1965 in Los Angeles, California. (L-R) Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
Musician/Singer/Songwriter Brian Wilson during rehearsal for the 3rd Annual Rock Awards, held at The Palladium, Hollywood CA 1977 (Photo by Mark Sullivan/Getty Images) (Mark Sullivan)
Singer and mastermind Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" directs from the control room while recording the album "Pet Sounds" in 1966 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives)
American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer, Brian Wilson, of The Beach Boys, Oslo, Norway, 1982. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) (Michael Putland)
The Beach Boys performing at Wembley Arena, London 1980(Sony Music Archive via Getty Images/Terry Lott) (Terry Lott)