Brian Wilson mourned by The Beach Boys, John Stamos, Carnie Wilson

Carnie Wilson, the Beach Boys, John Cusack, and more are grieving the death of Brian Wilson.

The legendary “God Only Knows” songwriter, whose death at age 82 was announced Wednesday, received numerous tributes on social media from past collaborators and admirers.

Wilson’s daughter, Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips, mourned her father on Instagram. “I have no words to express the sadness I feel right now,” she wrote. “My Father @brianwilsonlive was every fiber of my body. He will be remembered by millions and millions until the world ends.”

The singer continued, “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 Mom. I will post something else soon but this is all my hands will let me type. I love you Daddy….I miss so much you already.”

Al Jardine, a former Beach Boys member who continued touring with Wilson after his exit from the group in 2012, posted his own tribute to the songwriter on Instagram.

“Brian Wilson, my friend, my classmate, my football teammate, my Beach Boy bandmate and my brother in spirit, I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives for as long as you were,” he wrote, noting that the musician was preceded in death by his brothers and bandmates Carl and Dennis Wilson. 

“I think the most comforting thought right now is that you are reunited with Carl and Dennis, singing those beautiful harmonies again,” Jardine wrote. “You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever. Brian, I’ll really miss you…still I have the warmth of the sun.”

The official Beach Boys Instagram account — which represents the group now fronted by original lead vocalist Mike Love following a contentious split with Wilson in 2012 — shared a tribute to the band’s primary songwriter and bassist, who penned hits like “Good Vibrations” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”

“The world mourns a genius today, and we grieve for the loss of our cousin, our friend, and our partner in a great musical adventure,” the statement began. “Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys — he was the soul of our sound. The melodies he dreamed up and the emotions he poured into every note changed the course of music forever. His unparalleled talent and unique spirit created the soundtrack of so many lives around the globe, including our own.”

The statement continued, “Together, we gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom — music that made people feel good, made them believe in summer and endless possibilities. We are heartbroken by his passing. We will continue to cherish the timeless music we made together and the joy he brought to millions over the decades. And while we will miss him deeply, his legacy will live on through his songs and in our memories. Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and his loved ones during this difficult time.”

John Stamos, who was a Beach Boys superfan who eventually performed and collaborated with the group, posted a lengthy tribute to the musician on Instagram. 

“Brian Wilson didn’t just soundtrack my life…he filled it with color, with wonder, with some of the most unforgettable, emotional, joyful moments I’ve ever known,” he wrote. “It’s hard to put into words what it meant to stand beside him, laugh with him, play his music with him. Brian wasn’t just a musical genius, he was a gentle, soulful, funny, complex, beautiful man. He heard things no one else could hear.”

John Cusack, who portrayed Wilson in the 2014 biopic Love & Mercy, posted his own tribute to the later singer on X. “The maestro has passed — the man was a open heart with two legs — with an ear that heard the angels.  Quite literally,” the actor wrote.  Love and Mercy for you and yours tonight. RIP Brian.”

Cusack also shared a photo of handwritten lyrics for the singer’s 1988 single “Love and Mercy,” which the Say Anything star said Wilson wrote for him.

Bill Pohlad, who directed Love & Mercy, shared a tribute to Wilson with Entertainment Weekly. “Brian was a true genius and I was honored to have gotten to know him a bit in the making of Love & Mercy,” the filmmaker said. “What an extraordinary artist! I will miss his presence on this earth. So many of his songs come to mind when I think of him. God only knows what I’d be without (him).”

Elizabeth Banks, who played Wilson’s wife Belinda Ledbetter in Love & Mercy, posted her memories of the musician on Instagram. “My heart is heavy hearing the news of Brian Wilson’s passing,” she wrote. “I was blessed to spend a bit of time with Brian and his late wife Melinda, who I played in the film about their life and relationship, Love & Mercy. They were madly in love until the very end, always championing one another despite their private and public struggles. Together again, may they both rest in peace. I’ll be playing God Only Knows for the rest of the day and thinking of their terrific kids whom they adored.”

Frank Marshall, who directed the 2024 documentary film The Beach Boys, shared a statement on Wilson’s passing with EW. “Brian Wilson didn’t just add lyrics to surf music, he left us with an extraordinary musical legacy that could have only been created by a true musical genius,” the filmmaker said. “I feel very lucky to have known him and my thoughts go out to his family and friends.”

Zooey Deschanel — whose duo She & Him collaborated with Wilson on his 2015 album No Pier Pressure and on their own Wilson tribute album Melt Away in 2022  — remembered the “I Get Around” songwriter in an Instagram post. 

“Rest in peach Brian Wilson,” she wrote. “Getting to know and work with him has been one of the greatest honors of my life. His generosity of spirit and truly incandescent creativity has brought me so much joy and inspiration over the years and I’m grateful for all the time I spent with him. He was my true musical hero.”

Bob Dylan expressed gratitude for Wilson’s artistry on X. “Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I’ve been listening to him and admiring his genius,” he wrote. “Rest in peace dear Brian.”

Ringo Starr shared a brief tribute to the late musician on social media. “God bless Brian Wilson,” the Beatles drummer wrote. “Peace and love to all his family.”

Sean Ono Lennon compared Wilson to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in his tribute to the singer. “Anyone who really knows me knows how heart broken I am about Brian Wilson passing,” the musician and son of John Lennon wrote. “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.”

Carole King noted similarities between her songwriting and Wilson’s in a Threads post. “Brian Wilson was my friend and my brother in songwriting,” she wrote. “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.”

Questlove shared his memories of hearing Pet Sounds for the first time while struggling with the Roots’ lack of superstar success in the mid-1990s. “I let my emo depression kick in hard——and NO album spoke to me more than Pet Sounds,” he wrote on Instagram. “I know [Roy] 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.”

The drummer added, “Without him, I dunno how so many that came after [would feel] safe to express a feeling of sadness that most humans would be otherwise ridiculed/punished for.”

John Cale highlighted Wilson’s musical genius in his own post. “To me, Brian Wilson was not merely about surf music, rather a true musical genius toiling away at melding POP into startling sophistication,” the Velvet Underground musician wrote on X. “He will he be missed mightily.”

Nate Ruess, who also collaborated with Wilson on No Pier Pressure, shared a tribute to the singer on X. “A true legend. Getting to record with him and then having him invite me to come and perform and have the honor of singing lead on “god only knows” is a top 10 lifetime moment of mine,” the former fun. frontman wrote. “Btwn Him and Sly [Stone], music is losing the best of what’s left. May they both Rest In Peace.”

Christopher Cross, who contributed to Wilson’s solo albums Brian Wilson and Imagination, memorialized the musician. Words can’t express what Brian Wilson meant to me as a songwriter,” he wrote. “I was so fortunate to call him a friend. He was a genuine hero who taught me everything I know about music. Rest in peace, my friend.”

Cameron Crowe, who used “Good Vibrations” near the climax of his 2001 film Vanilla Sky, shared his appreciation for Wilson on social media. “Those transcendent words and happy/sad melodies will be there for all-time, waiting for each new generation,” the filmmaker wrote. “Mighty love and thanks always to the great Brian Wilson.”

Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac also honored Wilson on X. “Anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for Brian Wilson’s genius magical touch!!” he wrote. “And greatly saddened of this major worldly loss!! My thoughts go out to his family and friends.”

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Edgar Wright, who used the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds track “Let’s Go Away for Awhile” in his 2017 film Baby Driver, penned a tribute to the musician on Instagram. 

“How can one measure the scale and depth of Brian Wilson’s influence? To estimate how many hearts and minds have been changed by his genius is impossible,” he wrote. “His work radiates profound heartbreak and rapturous joy like no other. His talent burned so brightly, and at a certain point, his songwriting and production craft was so impressive that he alone managed to inspire, and even intimidate, The Beatles into creating some of their finest work.”