Ronnie Wood has lead the emotional tributes to Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson following his tragic passing aged 82.
His family confirmed in a statement earlier today that he had died a year after it was revealed that he had been living with a degenerative disorder similar to dementia.
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Now, The Rolling Stones legend Ronnie has lead the tributes to the star and confirmed his world is “in mourning” following the passing of Brian and fellow musician, Sly Stone.
Ronnie wrote on X: “Oh no Brian Wilson and Sly Stone in one week ~ my world is in mourning. So sad x.”
Piers Morgan also paid tribute, writing: “RIP Brian Wilson, 82.
Co-creator of the Beach Boys, and the man who wrote one of the greatest pop songs in history, God Only Knows, when he was just 23.
“A complex man but a musical genius and showbusiness icon. What a legacy he leaves.”
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Radio DJ Tony Blackburn also wrote online: “So sorry to hear that Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys has passed away.
“So many hits and to me it was the sound of summer. RIP Brian and thanks for the music.”
Sean Ono Lennon has said he is “heartbroken” following the news.
The British-American singer and son of The Beatles star John Lennon and artist Yoko Ono, called Brian “our American Mozart” in a heartfelt post on X.
He wrote: “Anyone who really knows me knows how heart-broken I am about Brian Wilson passing.
“Not many people influenced me as much as he did. I feel very lucky that I was able to meet him and spend some time with him.
“He was always very kind and generous.
“He was our American Mozart. A one of a kind genius from another world.”
Rolling Stone Keith Richards has also paid tribute.
Keith posted an extract of his 2010 memoir, Life, about Wilson on Instagram with the caption “Rest in Peace!”.
In the excerpt, Richards recalls hearing The Beach Boys for the first time on the radio, and his reaction to their 1966 album Pet Sounds.
The extract reads: “When we first got to American and to LA, there was a lot of Beach Boys on the radio, which was pretty funny to us – it was before Pet Sounds – it was hot rod songs and surfing songs, pretty lousily played, familiar Chuck Berry licks going on…
“It was later on, listening to Pet Sounds, well, it’s a little bit overproduced for me, but Brian Wilson had something.
“In My Room, Don’t Worry Baby; I was more interested in their B-sides, the ones he slipped in.
“There was no particular correlation with what we were doing so I could just listen to it on another level. I thought these are very well-constructed songs. I took easily to the pop song idiom.”
In a post shared on Instagram on Wednesday, Wilson’s family wrote: “We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away.
“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. Love & Mercy.”
Celebrated as a spectacular songwriter, Wilson was responsible for initial successes including Surfin’ USA, Surfer Girl, and I Get Around.
Other famous tunes include All Summer Long, Don’t Worry Baby, and California Girls.
Born in Inglewood, California, Wilson formed the band – first called the Pendletones – as a teenager with his brothers Dennis and Carl.
Their first song, Surfin’, was released by Candix Records.
The record label changed the band’s name without their permission.
The Beach Boys inspired acts on both sides of the Atlantic, with the likes of Sir Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and Carole King revering their work.
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Content shared from www.the-sun.com.