By Daniel Arkin, NBC News | Brian Wilson, the musical visionary who captured the optimism of early 1960s youth culture as co-founder of The Beach Boys and created some of the most stylistically adventurous pop of the era with the seminal album “Pet Sounds,” has died, his family confirmed on Wednesday. He was 82.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” Wilson’s family confirmed in a post on Instagram. “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.”
Wilson’s legal representatives said last year that he was suffering from a “major neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia)” and suggested he be placed in a conservatorship. Wilson was widely known to have struggled with mental illness and substance abuse.
Wilson is widely considered one of the most gifted singers, songwriters, and producers in the history of American pop music. The Beach Boys topped the charts and achieved global acclaim, becoming synonymous with the spirit of summertime escapism with hits like “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “I Get Around,” and “Good Vibrations.” (In truth, Wilson was not much of a surfer.)
The band embodied the popular image of Southern California as a lush paradise on earth, but it also produced wistful, introspective tracks such as “In My Room.” Wilson’s brothers were part of the founding lineup: Carl played lead guitar, and Dennis sat behind the drums. Wilson’s cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine rounded out the original group.
In the middle of the ’60s, inspired by the ambition of the Beatles and guided by his own psychedelic visions, Wilson created the landmark concept album “Pet Sounds,” an idiosyncratic and symphonic fusion of pop, jazz, and avant-garde genres that reached for sonic perfection and helped cement his legacy.
“Pet Sounds” was not originally a commercial success. Still, it dazzled rock critics and wowed many of the recording industry’s leading lights — including the members of the Beatles, who credited it with stirring them to make “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
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Read more about Mr. Wilson’s accomplishments here:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/brian-wilson-founding-member-beach-boys-dies-82-rcna212400
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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Inside Brian Wilson’s Net Worth and How Much Went to Conservatorship with Eugene Landy
By Melody Rivera, The Daily Express
Brian Wilson has left behind a multi-million dollar legacy.
The former lead singer of The Beach Boys has passed away at the age of 82 after an ongoing battle with dementia.
Before facing health struggles, he created a net worth of $100 million, made primarily from his time with the 1961 rock band.
It wasn’t long after the singer created the group, with his younger brothers, Carl and Dennis, cousin, Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine, that he rose to fame.
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His net worth of $100 million could have been a lot higher if his father Murry hadn’t sold the publishing company, Sea of Tunes, which controlled the rights of the majority of Brian’s biggest hits. In 1969, he had made a deal with Irving Alamo Music for just $700,000.
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Before he settled his legal disputes, a portion of his earnings were already being given to his psychologist Eugene Landy, who had a conservatorship over him.
In 1991, Eugene had claimed he was paid $430,000 a year since the time the singer entered the psychologist’s intensive therapy program.
Allegedly, he also worked out a deal with The Beach Boys’ attorney, which agreed to pay him 25% of any music Brian wrote in the future.
During an interview with NPR’s Weekend Edition, the singer admitted Eugene had near-total control over his life, stating: “He had power over me.”