"She was everything": Beach Boys' Brian Wilson shares devastating news
The Beach Boys singer-songwriter Brian Wilson has shared that his wife of nearly 30 years has passed away.
The 81-year-old musician broke the news on Instagram on Wednesday morning, saying that his "heart is broken" after his wife Melinda Ledbetter Wilson died aged 77.
"Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost," he wrote in his post, underneath two pictures of his wife.
"Melinda was more than my wife. She was my saviour. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career," he said.
"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."
In his post, he also shared a tribute that appeared to come from their five children collectively, which read, "It is with a heavy heart that we let everyone know that our mum, Melinda Kay Ledbetter Wilson passed away peacefully this morning at home."
"She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by. She was not only a model, our fathers [sic] savior, 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," the statement read.
"How to take care of the person next to you with out 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."
They added, "We love you mum. Give Grandma Rose and Pa our love."
Brian and Melinda first met in 1986 and married in 1995, before adopting their five children.
Their love story and relationship was portrayed in the 2014 biographical drama film Love & Mercy, which starred John Cusack and Elizabeth Banks.
Image credits: Getty Images