Beach Boys 'genius' Brian Wilson honored by fellow stars as tributes pour in following his death aged 82
Daily MailJUN 9
Brian Wilson, Beach Boys Songwriter, Dies at 82
Above: Musician Brian Wilson performs at the Vibrato Jazz Club on Oct. 12, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Image copyright: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Brian Wilson remade popular music whole cloth and left an indelible impact on the music world. With his songwriting, the Beach Boys crafted truly transcendent music that was more emotionally, thematically, and technically complex than anything heard before. The tumult of his life story can never overshadow the legacy he left behind, and he shall live on forever in his many remarkable compositions.
Narrative B
The Beach Boys wunderkind eventually became more myth than man, as the pressure placed on a public that dubbed him a musical genius precipitated his decline in mental health and played no small role in his troubled life. Wilson also tried to downplay the songwriting role of some of his bandmates, culminating in court battles, as the media crafted a mythos around a fragile, flawed, yet immensely talented man. The story of his life is as much a warning of the impacts of fame as it was remarkable for musical achievement.