Brian Wilson’s wife of nearly three decades has died aged 77.
Brian Wilson’s wife of nearly three decades has died aged 77
The Beach Boys icon, 81, announced Melinda Ledbetter Wilson’s passing in an Instagram post on Tuesday (30.01.24), saying his “heart is broken” at the loss.
He said in a caption alongside a throwback photo of Melinda: “Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost.
“Melinda was more than my wife. She was my saviour. 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. She was my anchor. She was everything for us.
“Please say a prayer for her. Love and Mercy Brian.”
The post also included a message from the pair’s children, who said she died peacefully at home on Tuesday morning.
They wrote: “She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by. She was not only a model, our father’s saviour, 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.
“How to take care of the person next to you without 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.”
Brian married Melinda in 1995, and the couple adopted children Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan and Dash.
They first met when she sold him a Cadillac in 1986, and they dated on and off for three years.
The pair the met again in 1992 in Los Angeles and rekindled their romance.
Brian told People about Melinda, who is credited with helping save Brian from his struggles with mental illness: “I’ve never had a relationship with a girl like we have.
“She’s a partner who’s also a best friend.”
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