Brian Wilson, a founding member of the legendary Beach Boys, has sadly passed away today, June 11, at the age of 82.
If you’ve ever driven down the California coast with the windows down, you’ve likely enjoyed one of the band’s biggest hits, “California Girls.”
The Beach Boys are primarily known as a surf rock band. In an unexpected development, Wilson has been working on a country album since the 1970s, and as reported by Rolling Stone, fans might be able to hear it in the coming months.
Wilson’s family announced his passing on his website and social media, but they did not disclose the details of his cause of death.
However, it is publicly known that he has suffered from dementia since 2024. In the family’s post, they requested privacy during this time. They also acknowledged that they share their grief with the world.
“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”
Brian Wilson’s Unreleased Country Album
This unreleased country album project started in the 1970s when Brian Wilson invited The Beach Boys manager Fred Vail to work with him on an album titled Cows in the Pasture.
The project is unique in that it deviated from the typical Beach Boys sound. It was also notable because Wilson wanted to produce it himself.
He asked Vail to take the lead vocals, which was unusual since Vail had no previous singing experience and was primarily the band’s manager.
Rumors suggest that the unreleased album contains 14 tracks and features exceptional collaborations, including one with Wilson himself. There are also claims that several members of Elvis Presley’s TCB band contributed to the project.
Unfortunately, Wilson put the project on hold when he began experiencing serious mental health challenges.
Vail confirmed this in an interview, saying,
“He was dealing with a lot of issues. He had gained a lot of weight and was sleeping late in his big bed. There was a lot of things going on with him personally, and he didn’t have any interest in finishing it at that point, so the tapes went into the vault at the Beach Boy office.”
On February 13, 2024, the team announced that they would finally release the long-anticipated album titled Cows in the Pasture in 2025.
Rolling Stone published an article updating fans, stating the album is back on track for its release. The album will feature a docuseries that chronicles Vail’s life story.
Vail expressed his enduring love for country music and humorously shared stories about picking up the band from the airport, mentioning a story about his time with The Beach Boys.
“Whenever I would pick them up at the airport, I’d have a country music station on, because that was my background, I’d been a country DJ when I was 17. I’d be singing along to Johnny Cash or Marty Robbins, and they’d flip it to the pop station, just playing their new music. And then I’d tease them and I’d flip it back to the country station, and it was kind of like an ongoing gag.”
Currently, there is no specific release date for the album. We only know that it is expected in 2025.
Tragically, Brian Wilson will not be able to experience the release of the album he produced and sang on. Still, fans will find comfort in hearing unreleased music from some of their favorite artists, hopefully later this year.
Nearly 55 years after its initial recording.
Our hearts go out to all those affected by this loss.
