Brian Wilson, the iconic leader of the Beach Boys, is mourning the loss of his beloved wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson. He passed away at the age of 77 on Tuesday morning. Wilson took to Instagram to confirm the news, sharing that he had died peacefully at his home. The couple married in 1995.
“My heart is broken,” Wilson wrote alongside a portrait of his wife and a photo of the two of them together. “Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are crying. We are lost.”
Brian Wilson expressed that Melinda was not only his wife but also his greatest source of salvation. “[Melinda] It gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. [My wife] “He encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart,” he wrote. “She was my anchor. She was everything to us. Please pray for her.”
“She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you can find,” her children wrote beneath Brian Wilson’s Instagram message. “She will be missed but we will appreciate everything she has taught us.”
Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson credited his wife for protecting his mental health
Born in Pueblo, Colorado, and raised in Whittier, California, Ledbetter pursued a career in modeling and car sales before crossing paths with Wilson in 1986.
At the time, Wilson, who had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and mild bipolar disorder, was under the close supervision of psychologist Eugene Landy.
However, in 1989, Ledbetter took the brave step of reporting Landy to the attorney general. Although the case was ultimately dismissed, it marked a turning point in their relationship, leading them to separate at Landy’s insistence.
However, after two years, Wilson’s family filed a guardianship lawsuit, resulting in his removal from the psychologist’s care. Ledbetter and Wilson subsequently rekindled their relationship and eventually married in 1995.
Together, they embarked on the journey of parenthood by adopting five children. Additionally, Ledbetter took on the role of Wilson’s manager beginning in 1999.
In 2014, his life story was portrayed in the biographical film. Love and Mercy, with John Cusack and Elizabeth Banks as Brian and Melinda. The film delved into Wilson’s mental health challenges and his complex dynamic with therapist and legal guardian, Dr. Eugene Landy.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn