Beach Boys' Brian Wilson Suffers Heartbreaking Loss Of His Wife, Melinda

The Beach Boys member Brian Wilson has suffered a tremendous loss with the death of his wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, at the age of 77. The musician and his kids broke the news in a lengthy Instagram post, divided into two parts. Brian was the first to speak, writing, "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." The "You Still Believe in Me" singer went on to call Melinda his "savior" before sharing parts of their life together. "She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career," Wilson said. "She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us."

In the same post, Brian and Melinda's children took the opportunity to write kind words for their mother. "She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by," they wrote. "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." 

Melinda's cause of death has yet to be revealed, but the caption stated that she died "peacefully" in her home. Without a doubt, Melinda was loved by those closest to her as she lived a beautiful life with her husband and kids.

Brian and Melinda Wilson's love story is unlike any other. According to The U.S. Sun, the couple met after Melinda sold the musician a Cadillac in 1986. Brian recalled the moment in an interview with ABC News, sharing, "I remember meeting her at her dealership, Cadillac, and I said, 'God, she's a pretty girl. That's a pretty girl.' I just said to myself, 'God, I think I'll see her again sometime.'" Brian was right — he did see Melinda again, and from then on there was no coming between the two. In 1995, the couple tied the knot in California.

Melinda and Brian had their hands full throughout their marriage. Melinda became the musician's manager, and the couple later welcomed five adopted children together, in addition to the two children Brian had from a previous marriage. While their life seemed picture-perfect on the outside, the couple dealt with some difficult situations. Melinda had to become a support system for Brian, who had dealt with a traumatic past, from drug use to struggles with his mental health. All of the couple's ups and downs were documented in the 2014 film "Love & Mercy," which Melinda was reportedly hesitant for people to see. However, even the difficult parts were part of their story, and Melinda stood by Brian's side throughout it all until her death.