Brian Wilson, the singer-songwriter who co-created the Beach Boys rock band, has died.
His family released a statement confirming the news on his website and social media pages on Wednesday, US time.
He was 82 years old.
"We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away," Wilson's family said in a statement.
"We are at a loss for words right now.
"Please respect our privacy at this time as our family grieving. We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world."
The statement did not disclose a cause of death.
Wilson had suffered from dementia and was unable to care for himself after his wife Melinda Wilson died in early 2024, prompting his family to put him under conservatorship.
Wilson's ear for melody, arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression inspired 'Good Vibrations', 'California Girls' and other summertime anthems, making him one of the world's most influential recording artists.
The pop visionary crafted hits whose success rivalled The Beatles throughout the 1960s.
Between 1962 and 1966 a seemingly inexhaustible string of feel-good hits including 'Surfin' USA', 'I Get Around', 'Fun, Fun, Fun' and 'Surfer Girl' made the Beach Boys into America's biggest selling band.
But after five years of prodigious songwriting, in which he produced 200 odes to sun, surfing and suntanned girls, Wilson sank into a deep, drug-fuelled depression for decades.
He would emerge 35 years later to complete the Beach Boys's unfinished album, Smile, widely regarded as his masterpiece.
The Beach Boys rank among the most popular groups of the rock era, with more than 30 singles in the Top 40 and worldwide sales of more than 100 million.
The band was voted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The Beach Boys a family affair
Born on June 20, 1942 in a Los Angeles suburb, music was a haven of safety and joy for Wilson after an upbringing in which he suffered abuse from his domineering father, who would go on to manage the group.
Music was Wilson's protection, as he gathered his brothers around a Hammond organ in the living room to teach them jazz and gospel harmonies.
He formed the band with his two brothers Dennis and Carl, his cousin Mike Love and neighbour Al Jardine when he was 19, who lived around the corner in Hawthorne.
Wilson did all the songwriting, arranging and sang and played bass guitar. His band mates just had to sing in harmony.
Their first song 'Surfin' in 1961 combined the rock styles of Chuck Berry and Little Richard and the preppy vocal harmonies of The Four Freshmen.
By late 1962, there was hardly a teen who did not know them thanks to 'Surfin' USA.'
Last year Wilson's family successfully pursued a legal conservatorship following the death of his wife Melinda, with his longtime manager and publicist being put in charge of his affairs.
Wilson suffered a "major neurocognitive disorder," the judge said.
Wilson's seven children were consulted by the conservators regarding major health decisions as a stipulation of the agreement.
Wires
