Brian Wilson famously churned out era-defining summertime hits, all while battling mental illness and personal demons.

The actor spoke to PEOPLE at the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction, where he inducted Beach Boy Mike Love

Saying farewell to Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys visionary who created a perfect tableau of Southern California heartbreak

Brian Wilson and his family were open about his health, from his needing a conservatorship for his dementia to his battle with substance use.

The Beach Boys member’s family sought a conservatorship for Brian following the death of his late wife, Melinda.

"Caroline, No" was released as the first solo Brian Wilson song in 1966, and then appeared as the closing track on the legendary Beach Boys album Pet Sounds. The melancholy lyrics and creative instrumentation—including harpsichord, vibraphone, a tambourine hit with a wood block and a water jug hit with a mallet—is classic Wilson.

The sunshine in so many of his songs was his way of dealing with the pain of his personal life.