Brian Wilson, visionary force behind the Beach Boys, dies at 82

WBUR | By Robin Young

Published June 12, 2025 at 12:03 PM EDT

Musician Brian Wilson poses for a portrait in Los Angeles on June 2, 2015. (Casey Curry/Invision/AP)

Brian Wilson, the primary songwriter and producer for the Beach Boys, influenced generations of musicians with his innovative approach to studio production, complex vocal harmonizations and genre-bending compositions, fusing elements of jazz and classical music with pop and rock in ways that were unprecedented at the time.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young reflects on Brian Wilson’s music, life and career.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Robin Young

Robin Young brings more than 25 years of broadcast experience to her role as host of Here & Now. She is a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker who has also reported for NBC, CBS and ABC television and for several years was substitute host and correspondent for "The Today Show."

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