Wilson's death was announced by his family on Wednesday, June 11 Elton John shared a heartfelt tribute about "musical genius" Brian Wilson In an Instagram post on Wednesday, June 11, the "Tiny Dancer" hitmaker shared how The Beach Boys co-founder was the "biggest influence" on his songwriting Wilson's death at the age of 82 was announced by his family on Wednesday,

As the music industry mourns the death of Brian Wilson, who co-founded the Beach Boys and an entire genre of California rock, Elton John paid special tribute to his friend on Instagram. "Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him,

There are almost no corners of the music world that Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson didn’t touch, so since news broke earlier today that he had died at age 82, there have been an outpouring of tributes from friends, fans, and fellow musicians. In many cases it’s all three in one person.

But what they created in their primes served as inspiration for legions of artists to come.

"I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while," McCartney wrote on Thursday, a day after Wilson died at age 82.

Brian Wilson's musical legacy influenced some of the biggest artists today, including Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.