In a deeply emotional statement shared on social media, Paul McCartney has paid tribute to Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, who passed away at age 82 on June 11, 2025. The Beatles legend described Wilson as a “musical genius” and a “bright shining light,” celebrating a bond between two icons that stretched across decades and genres.
“Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special,” McCartney wrote. “The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time. I loved him.”
The tribute was accompanied by a series of photos reflecting their mutual admiration. Their creative rivalry in the 1960s was legendary—Wilson’s Pet Sounds was famously inspired by Rubber Soul, which then influenced the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. That friendly competition raised the bar for pop music worldwide.
McCartney has long called “God Only Knows” his favorite song of all time—a testament to Wilson’s unmatched ability to blend complex harmonies with emotional depth. In 2000, McCartney inducted Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, calling him “one of the great American geniuses.”
McCartney’s final words in his tribute—“How we will continue without Brian Wilson, ‘God Only Knows’”—echo with the weight of personal loss and global admiration.
As the music world mourns, fellow legends including Elton John, Carole King, and Mick Fleetwood have also paid homage to the man who shaped pop music with what he once called his “teenage symphonies to God.”
Brian Wilson’s legacy, like his music, will remain timeless.