The music industry is still mourning the loss of a giant. Brian Wilson, Beach Boys co-founder and musical pioneer, died on June 11, 2025, at 82 years old. Now, a Los Angeles County death certificate has shed some light on how the “Surfin’ USA” crooner passed away.
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Brian Wilson Was Battling Multiple Illnesses
Obtained by TMZ, the certificate lists respiratory arrest as Brian Wilson’s primary cause of death. Sepsis and cystitis also contributed, according to the document.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support training defines respiratory arrest as when a person stops breathing but still has a pulse. While it often occurs at the same time as cardiac arrest, this is not always the case.
The death certificate also noted multiple other potentially life-threatening conditions, including neurodegenerative disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic respiratory failure and chronic kidney disease.
Wilson would have turned 83 years old on June 20, 2025. His family confirmed the two-time Grammy Award winner’s death in a June 11 statement to social media. “We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” it read. “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.”
In May 2024, a Los Angeles judge placed Wilson under a legal conservatorship due to a “major neurocognitive disorder.” The pop icon had reportedly been suffering from dementia since the January 2024 death of his wife, Melinda Ledbetter.
Born June 20, 1942, in Inglewood, California, Wilson was writing songs by age 9 and teaching himself to play piano by 12 years old. He and his brothers, Dennis and Carl Wilson, along with cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine, formed the Beach Boys in 1961. Releasing their debut album, Surfin’ Safari, the next year, the band quickly became synonymous with breezy, laid-back California culture. They are best known for songs like “Good Vibrations,” “God Only Knows,” and “Surfin’ USA.”
Two years later, Wilson left the Beach Boys in pursuit of a solo career. He would not perform with his former bandmates again until their 50th anniversary in 2012.
Featured image by MediaPunch/Shutterstock
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