The Beach Boys star Brian Wilson dies as family 'at a loss for words'
Brian Wilson shot to fame as part of the much-loved band alongside two of his brothers
Brian Wilson
(Image: Getty Images North America )
Brian Wilson, co-founder of The Beach Boys, has passed away. The family of the 82-year-old singer-songwriter released a statement expressing their grief.
They said: "We are heartbroken to announced 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 grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world."
The statement finished 'Love & Mercy', a reference to a film about Wilson starring John Cusack.
Wilson shot to fame as part of the much-loved band alongside two of his brothers. He was an original member of the group, performing alongside his brothers Dennis Wilson and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
Article continues below
The band is most famous for hits such as Good Vibrations and Surfin' U.S.A..
Last year, it was reported that Brian, often hailed as a "genius," was suffering from dementia. The news of his "neurocognitive disorder" came after the death of his wife Melinda Ledbetter, reports the Mirror.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Inside JFK's first love, a suspected Nazi spy who stole Adolf Hitler's heart
omantic life might have turned out different had his father Joe Kennedy, allowed him to marry his first love, Inga Arvad, a woman Joe referred to as a 'Nazi b***h'. In the new book JFK: Public, Private, Secret, author J Randy Taraborrelli claims that JFK never truly got over the heartbreak and being forced to split from Arvad - and held it against his father until the day he died. The young Kennedy met Inga Arvad in October 1941. At 28, the Danish journalist was four years older than him and already twice married. But their attraction was electric, writes Taraborrelli. 'He had charm that makes the birds come out of the trees,' the book reports that Arvad wrote of Jack, 'natural, engaging, ambitious, warm, and when he walked into a room you knew he was there, not pushing, not domineering but exuding animal magnetism.' Arvad's son, Ron McCoy, told Taraborrelli: 'For my mom it was pretty much love at first sight. That's how she described it to me anyway. She called it an "awakening," her chemistry with Jack Kennedy being so instantaneous. 'It was as if they'd known each other in some other life and were now picking up where they'd left off. It felt natural. It felt organic. Above all, she said, it felt real.' For his part, Jack was apparently also smitten. She had it all: brains, beauty, and the uncanny ability to see him for who he truly was. And, according to Taraborrelli, Jack referred to her as 'Inga Binga,' and they spent every night they could... in bed. But just two months into their romance, America was on the brink of war, and Arvad was accused of being a Nazi spy. The source of the accusation was an alleged photograph of her with Hitler. Unsurprisingly, the FBI - and its powerful director J Edgar Hoover - got involved, and Hoover demanded nothing less than weekly updates on the case. Arvad was forced to admit that she had, indeed, met the Hitler in Berlin six years earlier, when she'd interviewed him for a Danish newspaper. The following year, Hitler invited Arvad to join him in his box at the 1936 Olympics, then to a private lunch, during which he'd given her a questionable gift: a framed photograph of himself. 'She accepted it,' said Taraborrelli, 'but it made her nervous because it was starting to feel to her that maybe he was interested in her.' She had reason to worry. Hitler was likely infatuated with her, having described her as 'the most perfect example of Nordic beauty'. Arvad told Jack - and the FBI - that, following the lunch, 'someone with strong Nazi connections suddenly tried to recruit her as a spy' but she 'immediately rejected the proposition'. Terrified at the implications of her refusal, she escaped to Denmark, then Washington, where she met Jack. While disturbed by the revelations, Jack believed his lover, according to Taraborreli. They'd been together only three months, but they'd already discussed marriage. He was determined to fight for her. But Joe Kennedy was reportedly having none of it. During a heated showdown with his son, he demanded that Jack break it off with the 'Nazi b***h' immediately. The FBI eventually dropped its investigation in August 1942, finding no evidence against Arvad. But, ultimately, it wasn't enough to save the affair. Jack had caved under pressure and broken off the relationship five months earlier. It would be 10 years before he was ready to commit again. Like Arvad, Jacqueline Bouvier was incredibly intelligent, and independent. And, while her dark hair and close attention to her perfect makeup were in stark contrast to the free-spirited Dane, what she had on her side was timing. The family was all in agreement: Jack needed a wife if he was ever going to be president. They worried that he was 'obviously lukewarm' about Bouvier - but if not her, then who? Joe reportedly responded: 'I actually don't care who, so long as she didn't go to Hitler's funeral.' Jack proposed the following summer, but the author suggests that it took a long time before it became a love match. He reports Bouvier's mother, Janet Auchincloss, asked her daughter, upon hearing of their engagement: 'Do you love him?' 'It's not that simple,' she replied. 'It is, Jacqueline,' her mother shot back. 'Do. You. Love. Him?' The future First Lady's response remained non-committal: 'I enjoy him.' Taraborrelli also claims Bouvier confided in Betty Beale, the society columnist at the Washington Evening Star, around the same time, saying she felt 'Jack had been pulling away ever since the engagement was announced'. 'True to his character,' writes Taraborrelli, 'while they had been dating, he was interested in her on some days, less interested on others. She said she saw in him what she often noticed in his father toward his mother: indifference.' Just a few weeks before his wedding, Jack insisted on going on a boys-only vacation to the famous Cap-Eden-Roc hotel in Cannes where, if he'd had his way, he would have begun a torrid affair with a woman who bore more than a passing resemblance to Inga Arvad, according to Taraborrelli. Gunilla von Post was Swedish, and just 21 when she met the future president in the south of France. She was 'definitely young,' writes Taraborrelli, 'but he didn't see that as a problem.' Both blondes also bear an uncanny resemblance to the woman who would be forever inextricably linked to the Kennedy: Marilyn Monroe. On Jack's return to the U.S., he made the unusual step of asking his future mother-in-law to add his first love, Arvad, to the wedding guest list. But under questioning about this last-minute addition, he let it drop. Taraborrelli notes: 'While Jack hadn't seen Inga in six years, apparently he was still in touch with her. Maybe it shows the bond he still had with her that he wanted her at his wedding, but it also shows a foolish lapse in judgment. Certainly not much good would come from Inga's presence.' Two years after his wedding, however, it seems Gunilla von Post's rejection of his sexual advances was still very much on his mind. And, in the wake of a devastating miscarriage, which left his now-wife with crippling anxiety attacks, Jack made the astonishingly selfish proposition that they go on separate trips: she to visit her sister in England, while he would attempt once more to get von Post into bed on her home turf. Kennedy and von Post reportedly spent a week together in Sweden, with Jack's partner in crime Torbert Macdonald as fixer. And this time, he got what he wanted, says Taraborrelli. 'Some of Gunilla's descriptions of her time with Jack that week - "We were wonderfully sensual. There were times when just the stillness of being together was thrilling enough" - sound a great deal more like some sort of starry-eyed, fictional version of JFK than a realistic one,' reasons Taraborrelli. 'Much of what she'd recall… sounds unlikely given what we now know of his remote personality of the 1950s. It does, however, maybe sound like the JFK of the 1940s, the more romantic version of him back in the days when he was with Inga Arvad. Maybe, in this case, the devil isn't in the details, though. 'There are enough witnesses to Jack and [Gunilla von Post's] public outings, including close friends and relatives she identified by name, to confirm that they were definitely together.' On the flight home, Macdonald told a friend that Jack suddenly felt the weight of what he'd done, and was filled with remorse. 'This was a s****y thing to do to Jackie,' the book reports him as saying. 'This was a mistake.' While von Post was convinced it was just the start of their affair, in the end, the two never saw each other again. 'Jack told intimates… that he'd been rationalizing his bad behavior for so long, it had become second nature to do so,' writes Taraborrelli. 'His father was to blame, he'd sometimes reason. After all, if not for Joe, he would've ended up with Inga Arvad, someone he truly loved, instead of Jackie, someone he married for political purposes and then grew to love.'
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Oasis gig sees unusual mix of A-list celebs descend on London for electric night
A-list celebs flocked to London for Oasis' iconic concert, including Tom Cruise and Dua Lipa, as Noel and Liam Gallagher returned to the stage during their Love '25 show A host of familiar faces descended on London as they turned out in force Oasis's live Wembley show. The iconic Britpop band - Noel and Liam Gallagher backed by ex‑mates Bonehead, Gem Archer and Andy Bell - drove the crowd wild in a triumphant reunion show, their first as a band in over 16 years. The reunion tour, Oasis Live '25, began July 4 in Cardiff and includes shows at Heaton Park, Manchester, Wembley, London, Murrayfield, Edinburgh, and Croke Park, Dublin, before heading to North America later in the year. It's the first time the Gallagher brothers have performed together since their split in 2009. Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise, comedian Ricky Gervais, chart star Lewis Capaldi, and pop sensation Dua Lipa Music producer and DJ Golide were all spotted in the London crowd at Oasis's sold‑out gig on Saturday, July 26, as the band played at Wembley Stadium. Cruise and Goldie were all smiles as they quickly snapped a selfie together. Meanwhile, Lewis Capaldi appeared in high spirits as he made his way to the stadium. Dua Lipa looked cheerful as she shared the huge moment on social media, filming herself in the crowd alongside fiancé Callum Turner. It comes as Tom Cruise recently celebrated as his newest film Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning grossed over 372million worldwide. With an incredible career under his belt, the action legend insists retirement's off the table as he's already cooking up sequels for Top Gun and Days of Thunder. He just finished filming Alejandro González Iñárritu's dark comedy Judy, set to hit screens in late 2026. Meanwhile, in his love life, Cruise was spotted vacationing with actress Ana de Armas in Spain, fuelling dating rumours. He also reunited with Brad Pitt at the F1 London premiere - their first public meeting in 24 years. Cruise will also receive an honorary Oscar later this year, marking his first-ever Oscar win after decades of blockbuster success. Meanwhile, Dua Lipa has been dominating headlines with her romantic getaways and chart-topping music. The 29-year-old pop sensation is currently dazzling fans on her Radical Optimism Tour, which kicked off in November 2024 and is set to conclude in December 2025. The tour has already grossed over $112 million, with sold-out shows across Asia, Europe, and North America. Due to overwhelming demand, she added a second Liverpool date to her UK leg. When she's not performing, Dua is recently soaking up the sun in Sicily with her fiancé, actor Callum Turner. The couple was recently spotted on a yacht near Palermo, sharing selfies and enjoying a romantic day at sea. Ricky Gervais has been fronting his stand-up tour, Mortality, which started in late 2024 and will run through 2025. This follows his previous hit special, Armageddon, which topped Netflix charts and earned him a Golden Globe. The Mortality tour is also being filmed for a Netflix special, continuing Gervais's trend of turning live shows into major streaming events. The tour covers both UK and international dates.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Corrie's Tina O'Brien seen for first time with new man as they pack on PDA after Jack P Shepherd's wedding
CORONATION Street star Tina O'Brien looked loved up with her new man as she left costar, Jack P Shepherd's wedding. The Sarah Platt actress, 41, was one of many Corrie stars to attend the nuptials of Jack and new wife Hanni Treweek at Manchester Cathedral on Saturday. 7 7 7 Tina brought her new boyfriend, interior designer Adam Fadlé, to star-studded bash and the pair couldn't keep their hands off each other as they left the wedding reception. The new couple walked hand-in-hand as they left the wedding party at Hallé St Peter's in Ancoats following the celebration for her on-screen brother's wedding. Tina looked stunning in a plunging, blue floral dress and leaned in close to Adam in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple embraced and kissed before they actress looked up lovingly at her boyfriend while holding his arm. Tina found love again with the interior designer just four months after the end of her marriage to personal trainer Adam Crofts. The pair were understood to have met through friends in Cheshire where they both live. Tina, 41, who has played Sarah Platt on the ITV soap in two stints over 26 years, split with 40-year-old Adam No1 in March. The pair, who were married for six years, share son Beau together. Tina also has a 16-year-old daughter from her relationship with her former Corrie co-star Ryan Thomas. Adam No2, aged 38, studied architecture before opening his interior design business in 2010 and is a millionaire design guru loved by footballers like Paul Pogba. He overhauled the former Manchester United star's lavish Cheshire pad after he signed for the club. Jack's wedding festivities carried on late into the night as he and his Corrie costars celebrated his long-awaited nuptials. Some of the other Coronation Street stars spotted at the big do, included soap legend Helen Worth who played his onscreen mum, Gail Platt, Samia Longchambon (Maria Connor), Lucy Fallon (Bethany Platt), and Julia Goulding (Shona Platt). Also in attendance were Jack's former Celebrity Big Brother housemate Chris Hughes and his co-star Alan Halsall, who was joined by new girlfriend Ellie Dolan. 7 7 7
