From Metallica to McCartney: Which tribute to Brian Wilson truly captured his impact?
Metallica's James Hetfield, Elton John, Carole King, Sting and Paul McCartney are among the music luminaries to pay tribute to the late Brian Wilson. As tributes continue to flow in, who truly captured the impact of the Beach Boys linchpin?
In an interview with The Associated Press, Metallica frontman James Hetfield said: 'I think God Only Knows — that song is like one of the best written songs ever — and thank you, Brian, for that. May you rest in peace, we're going to miss you.'
On Wednesday, Wilson's family confirmed his death in a statement to Instagram.
'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now,' they wrote. 'Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world.'
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Among the outpourings of grief from the music and entertainment industries has been multiple onstage tributes from acts like Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and The Police frontman Sting.
'Today, one of my heroes died,' Sting said during a concert in Germany just hours after the announcement of Wilson's passing.
'I want to sing a song that I love,' The Police frontman said before playing an acoustic rendition of the Beach Boys' God Only Knows.
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong paid tribute to Brian Wilson by releasing a previously unreleased punk-leaning cover of I Get Around, calling it 'one of my all-time favourite songs ever'.
He revealed the track had been shelved for years, sharing it on Instagram with a message of thanks.
The cover reimagines the 1964 Beach Boys hit with a gritty guitar riff and a faster tempo, honouring Wilson's legacy through a modern punk lens.
Paul McCartney took to Instagram, calling Wilson a 'musical genius'.
'Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. 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. Thank you, Brian. – Paul.'
Beach Boy and Wilson's cousin Mike Love, who co-founded the band in 1961 with Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine, has also paid tribute.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, he said: 'I'll miss you forever.'
'Brian, you once asked, 'Wouldn't it be nice if we were older?' Now you are timeless,' Love wrote in the post. 'May you rest in the peace you so deeply deserve, surrounded by the heavenly music you helped create. May your spirit soar as high as your falsetto, may your wings spread in effortless flight.
'Thank you for the harmonies, the memories, and the love. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal.
'I'll miss you forever, my beloved cousin.'
Bruce Springsteen's post across his social media dubbed Wilson 'the most musically inventive voice in all of pop, with an otherworldly ear for harmony'.
'He was also the visionary leader of America's greatest band, the Beach Boys. If there'd been no Beach Boys, there would have been no Racing In The Street. Listen to Summer's Gone from the Beach Boys' last album That's Why God Made The Radio and weep. Farewell, Maestro. Nothing but love and a lovely lasting debt from all of us over here on E Street.'
Elton John's tribute named Wilson the 'biggest influence' on his songwriting.
'Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him. He sang Someone Saved My Life Tonight at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me. I played on his solo records, he sang on my album The Union, and even performed for my AIDS Foundation,' John wrote.
'I grew to love him as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever; he was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever. A true giant.'
Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood wrote on X/Twitter:
'Anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for Brian Wilson's genius magical touch!! And greatly saddened of this major worldly loss!! My thoughts go out to his family and friends.'
Meanwhile, Carole King took to Facebook to share that Wilson was her 'brother in songwriting'.
'Brian Wilson was my friend and my brother in songwriting. We shared a similar sensibility, as evidenced by his 4 over 5 chord under 'Aaaah!' in Good Vibrations and mine under I'm Into Something Good. We once discussed who used it first, and in the end we decided it didn't matter. The world will miss Brian, but we are so lucky to have his music.'
John Lennon's son, the genre-blurring musician, producer and avant-garde artist Sean Ono Lennon, wrote his tribute on X/Twitter.
'Anyone who really knows me knows how heartbroken 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.'
Meanwhile, Bob Dylan called him a 'genius' on X/Twitter: 'Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian.'
Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley said Wilson's work will influence generations to come.
'Brian Wilson has died. 'Genius' is a term used too often and too loosely. 'Tortured genius' even more so. Brian's astonishing output of musical brilliance will bring joy while it influences generations to come. Thank you Brian and rest in peace.'
Grammy-winning musician, producer, author, filmmaker and cultural commentator Questlove used his tribute to honour Wilson's secret power in songwriting.
'I know Orbison is the king of emo, but man if there was a human being who made art out of inexpressible sadness… damn it was Brian Wilson.
'I hate he went through what he went through to create Pet Sounds (also: Smile outtakes in my North Star) but man — without him I dunno how so many that came after felt safe to express a feeling of sadness that most humans would be otherwise ridiculed or punished for.'
From music's hallowed icons to Wilson's longtime familial collaborators, each tribute adds a stitch in the enduring tapestry of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
However, in this journalist's opinion, the most accurate portrayal of Wilson's impact is made clear in a post by his daughter, Carnie Wilson.
The 57-year-old wrote on Instagram that he was 'every fibre' of her body.
'I have no words to express the sadness I feel right now. My father @brianwilsonlive was every fibre of my body. He will be remembered by millions and millions until the world ends.
'I am lucky to have been his daughter and had a soul connection with him that will live on always. I've never felt this kind of pain before, but I know he's resting up there in heaven … or maybe playing the piano for Grandma Audree, his mum. I will post something else soon but this is all my hands will let me type. I love you Daddy … I miss you so much already.'
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