Brian Wilson's Heartbreaking Tribute to Wife Melinda When She Died First

Yahoo

13-06-2025

Before Beach Boy frontman Brian Wilson died at the age of 82, he weathered the death of his wife, Melinda.
When she died, Wilson penned a loving tribute to her. In that tribute, he underscored her importance to him and their kids.
"My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost. Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior," Brian Wilson wrote on Instagram in January 2024. She was 77.
"She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart," the post added. "She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her. Love and Mercy Brian."
Now, Brian Wilson's kids are similarly mourning his death with a heartfelt post on his Instagram page.
"We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father, Brian Wilson, has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now," the June 11 post reads. "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."
The post about Melinda's death also contained a message from the couple's kids.
According to People, Brian Wilson had seven kids. His most famous children, Wendy and Carnie Wilson, were his daughters with his first wife, Marilyn Wilson. They broke up in 1969, and he married Melinda Ledbetter in 1995, and would adopt five kids with her, People reported. They are Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan and Dash.
"It is with a heavy heart that we let everyone know that our mom, Melinda Kay Ledbetter Wilson passed away peacefully this morning at home. She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by," the kids' post read.
"She was not only a model, our father's savior, and a mother, she was a woman empowered by her spirit with a mission to better everyone she touched. We will miss her but cherish everything she has taught us," the post continued.
"How to take care of the person next to you with out expecting anything in return, how to find beauty in the darkest of places, and how to live life as your truest self with honesty and pride. We love you mom. Give Grandma Rose and Pa our love," it says.
Wilson's Instagram page posted a series of wedding and other photos showing Brian and Melinda.
"Thirty years ago today in 1995, Brian and Melinda were married! Said Brian: 'Melinda and I got married at a chapel in Palos Verdes. There were about one hundred fifty people at the wedding,'" the post reads.
"There were only supposed to be about a hundred, but people kept coming, which was a little surprising for a Monday night in February. My brother Carl was my best man. Afterward, we went to the Hotel Bel-Air for music and food and danced and had a good time," it says.Brian Wilson's Heartbreaking Tribute to Wife Melinda When She Died First first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2025