Paul McCartney Pays Tribute To Brian Wilson in Emotional Message: ‘I Loved Him’

Paul McCartney has paid tribute to the late Brian Wilson, 82, whose death was announced on Wednesday (June 11), calling his songs “achingly special” and that “I loved him.”

Yesterday, news broke that the Beach Boys leader had died, but a cause and date of death has not yet been announced. A post on Wilson’s official Instagram account wrote, “We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.” 

Tributes have been shared by a number of musical greats who were inspired by Wilson’s songwriting genius, including Bob Dylan, Elton John, Questlove and more.

On his Instagram account on Thursday (June 12), McCartney 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.”

He added, “I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, ‘God Only Knows’. Thank you, Brian. – Paul.”

Wilson’s work on the seminal LP Pet Sounds (1966) was hugely influential on McCartney and The Beatles’ subsequent studio albums, particularly Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). McCartney cited “God Only Knows” as one of “the best songs ever written” and in 2000, inducted Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Speaking during the ceremony, McCartney declared his admiration for Wilson’s work. “In the ’60s, particularly, he wrote some music that when I played it, it made me cry and I don’t quite know why. It wasn’t necessarily the words or the music, it’s just something so deep in it, that there’s only certain pieces of music that can do this to me… I think it’s a sign of great genius to be able to do that with a bunch of music and a bunch of notes. And this man, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, that’s for sure.

He added, “So thank you, sir, for making me cry. For having that thing you can do with your music – you just put those notes, those harmonies together, stick a couple of words over the top and you’ve got me, any day.”

Following the release of Pet Sounds, Wilson was increasingly impacted by mental health struggles and he was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. In February 2024, it was announced that he was diagnosed with dementia. Wilson is survived by his daughters Carnie and Wendy from his 1964 marriage to Marilyn Rovell, as well as his five adopted children with his wife Melinda Ledbetter, who passed in early 2024. Read Billboard’s full obituary here.