Paul McCartney Shares Emotional Tribute To Brian Wilson: 'I Loved Him'

When news broke of Brian Wilson's passing on June 11, some of the biggest names in rock took to social media to pay tribute to the immensely influential singer-songwriter. His Beach Boys bandmates Mike Love and Al Jardine shared emotional messages about how Wilson impacted their lives both personally and musically, and Paul McCartney shared a heartfelt tribute about how much he "loved" him.

"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, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, ‘God Only Knows.’"

Although his cause of death has yet to be revealed, Wilson was diagnosed with dementia in 2024 and put in conservatorship. He delivered what would be his last live performance on July 26, 2022. Wilson was 82 years old.

See McCartney's tribute below.

To honor Wilson iHeart60s Radio on iHeartRadio is celebrating his imprint in music with Beach Boys music at the top and bottom of every hour all day today (June 12th). Listen on the free iHeartRadio app.