Photo: Image Press Agency/Depositphotos

Life on the road as a musician isn't easy; not even if you’re part of the most successful acts in the planet. Singer Olivia Rodrigo knows this all too well, having toured the world since she was only 19. From the long hours of rehearsal and traveling to being away from home for months at a time, it can wear down even those who have done it for decades. To protect the mental health of her band and crew, guitarist Daisy Spencer reveals, Rodrigo paid for everyone in her touring party to get therapy.

“On the Guts World Tour, Olivia and our tour manager, Marty Hom, made accessible and free therapy for all of the touring personnel,” Spencer told The StageLeft Podcast. “I have never had anything like that. And that reignited the importance of therapy to me because I had just kind of fallen off for so long, and then suddenly I had this free resource of incredible therapists, and I utilized the crap out of that.”

Spencer added that this service included both the time they are on tour with Rodrigo and the breaks between the tour legs. “Honestly, that was one of the coolest things that has ever happened on tour,” Spencer added. “Like, seriously, one of the best things you can give to people is accessible free therapy, because it can get kind of expensive.” Rodrigo, whose father is a family therapist, is keenly aware of the importance of mental health.

Mind, a UK-based mental health charity, has reported that people in the music industry are “more prone to mental health problems than the general population,” due to the financial pressures and frantic lifestyles that come with touring. The organization has also found that musicians are “up to three times more likely to suffer from depression.”

For Spencer, therapy has allowed her to process not only her current lifestyle, but also everything that has brought her to this point. “It’s been a gift for real. I feel like it is such a gift to be able to look within yourself and have someone else help you bring some stuff out of you that you might otherwise on your own not be able to get there,” the guitarist added. “That’s the gift that therapy has given to me, is that I am able to really flesh out some stuff from my childhood that needed a voice.”

Rodrigo and Spencer are currently on the final leg of the Guts World Tour. Having wrapped their first Latin American tour in the spring, Rodrigo and her band are now playing festivals around Europe. They will return to North America later in the summer to perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago and Osheaga Festival in Montreal. To learn more and get tickets, visit Olivia Rodrigo's website.

To protect the mental health of her band and crew on tour, Olivia Rodrigo paid for all of them to have free access to therapy. The perk also covered the breaks between the tour legs.

Photo: Regina Sienra / My Modern Met

“On the Guts World Tour, Olivia and our tour manager, Marty Hom, made accessible and free therapy for all of the touring personnel,” Daisy Spencer, Rodrigo's guitarist, told The StageLeft Podcast.

 

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“Honestly, that was one of the coolest things that has ever happened on tour. Like, seriously, one of the best things you can give to people is accessible free therapy.”

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Daisy (@daisyspencer)

Olivia Rodrigo: Website | Instagram
Daisy Spencer: Instagram

Sources: Olivia Rodrigo paid for her entire touring crew to have therapy; Music sector guides at Mind

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READ: Olivia Rodrigo’s Guitarist Reveals the Singer Paid for Everyone on Her Tour To Go Therapy

When you picture Freddie Mercury, what is he wearing? The Queen legend is perhaps most remembered in his iconic white-and-yellow military-style jacket, posing with his fist in the air on stage. In tribute to that unforgettable moment from Queen’s 1986 Magic tour, LEGO set designer Takesz recreated the scene as a buildable 3D poster. Measuring 65 centimeters (25.6 inches) tall and 40 centimeters (15.7 inches) wide, the finished piece is nearly as show-stopping as Mercury himself.

Built entirely from classic LEGO elements like bricks, tiles, and slopes, Takesz designed the model using exactly 1,986 pieces—a clever nod to the year of the legendary concert at Wembley Stadium. The figure of Mercury appears to burst from the background, thanks to a layered design that gives the model a dramatic effect. His legs, torso, and left arm are solidly anchored, while the rest, like his head, feet, and outstretched arm, are created using dynamic, flexible joints. Takesz even captured impressive details like the fabric folds in Mercury’s jacket and the signature stripes on his sneakers.

The set also includes a tiny LEGO minifigure of Mercury at his Steinway grand piano, performing Bohemian Rhapsody to 72,000 fans in 1986. As well as Mercury’s outfit, this image of the artist at his piano became a defining image of Queen’s legendary tour.

The incredible LEGO build allows Queen fans to celebrate their love of Mercury and this historic performance, brick by brick. “The model is fun to build (and yes, it also takes time), and with the tandem setting with the minifigure it can be placed around the room any way you like,” says Takesz. “It’s not only a set to amaze others, it is a set to remind us of the limitless bond of music through generations.” The LEGO designer adds, “The Wembley show turns 40 next year. Bohemian Rhapsody was released exactly 50 years ago. The timing is Magic.”

The Freddie Mercury LEGO build is currently featured on the LEGO Ideas website, where fans submit creations and vote for their favorites. With just over 2,000 votes so far, it still has a long road to reach the 10,000 needed for LEGO to officially consider it for production. If you’d love to it become a real LEGO set, head over to the LEGO Ideas site and cast your vote.

Check out the Freddie Mercury LEGO set below and find more of Takesz’s designs on the LEGO Ideas website.

In tribute to Queen’s 1986 Magic tour, LEGO set designer Takesz recreated Freddie Mercury's famous pose as a buildable 3D poster.

Takesz designed the model using exactly 1,986 pieces—a clever nod to the year of the legendary 1986 concert at Wembley Stadium.

It captures Mercury in his iconic white-and-yellow military-style jacket, posing with his fist in the air on stage.

The LEGO build is currently featured on the LEGO Ideas website, where fans submit creations and vote for their favorites.

The set also includes a tiny LEGO minifigure of Mercury at his Steinway grand piano.

LEGO Ideas: Website | Facebook

Source: Freddie Mercury

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READ: 1,986-Piece 3D LEGO Poster Celebrates Freddie Mercury at Wembley

During Glastonbury 2023, Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi was forced to cut his set short due to difficulties managing symptoms of Tourette syndrome and anxiety on stage. He thought he’d never perform again, but after taking time away to focus on his mental health, Capaldi made a powerful return at Glastonbury 2025. Now, in a gesture of gratitude and support, he’s partnering with BetterHelp to donate 734,000 hours of free virtual therapy to anyone who needs it.

The 734,000 hours symbolize the 734 days Lewis Capaldi spent away from the spotlight to focus on his mental health. He’s offering 1,000 hours of free therapy for each day since he last performed. “Therapy is the reason why I am able to be a musician again,” the singer says in a video announcing his effort. “In partnership with BetterHelp and to reflect my experience of therapy and the importance I feel it has in my life and other people’s lives, we’re giving away 734,000 free hours of therapy.”

In the video interview with BetterHelp, Lewis Capaldi opens up about his experience with therapy and admits he’d neglected to look after himself in the past. Although he’s tried therapy before, it wasn’t until he found the right therapist that he really started to see an improvement in his mental health. In a reflection of how far he’s come, Capaldi shared that in the lead-up to this year’s Glastonbury he had “no anxiety or fear or impending doom.” He even did a series of “secret gigs” in Scotland to get comfortable with performing live again.

During his emotional return to the Glastonbury stage, Capaldi was met with an outpouring of love, as thousands of fans sang along to his iconic song, “Someone You Loved.”

“Therapy has been such a massive part of my last two years, and is a reason why I am able to be a musician again,” the artist admits. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop going to therapy… and giving access to online therapy to my fans who have supported me throughout my journey is so important to me. This is my way of giving back.”

Learn more about Capaldi’s partnership with BetterHelp and how you can access one month of free therapy to support your mental health.

Sources: Lewis Capaldi on Mental Health, Music and His Return to the Stage; Your Comeback Story Starts Now: Lewis Capaldi x BetterHelp

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READ: Lewis Capaldi Partners With Betterhelp To Donate 734,000 Hours of Free Therapy

Alvin Lucier (Photo: Non Event via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0))

What if death weren’t the end for human creativity, but instead the catalyst for a new kind of art? Revivification is a haunting and immersive installation created in collaboration with the late American composer Alvin Lucier that probes the liminal space between life and the afterlife. Speculative science fuses raw emotion to create a piece that invites us to question not just how far creativity can go, but whether it even should go that far.

Revivification is an immersive installation in the Art Gallery of Western Australia that, according to the gallery, has been “four years in the making.” The concept was developed by artists Nathan Thompson, Matt Gingold, and Guy Ben-Ary, in collaboration with neuroscientist Stuart Hodgetts and Lucier.

One of the most respected experimental composers of his time, Lucier’s compositions were known for drawing from principles of physics in sound. He often took a curious and playful approach to creating music; one particularly memorable example is his 1969 piece titled “I Am Sitting in a Room,” where he read a passage multiple times over while recording on the same tape. Lucier repeated the process until it became nearly impossible to pick out the words of his phrase in the cacophony.

Lucier began working with the artists and scientists on this project in 2018, three years before he died in 2021. Ever the risk-taker, the composer provided the group with his blood. White blood cells from this sample were “reprogrammed into stem cells,” then into organoid structures that are meant to resemble and mimic a developing human brain.

In Revivification, these cerebral organoids run the show, physically and metaphorically. Placed in the center of the installation space in an incubator, the organoids represent Lucier’s “in-vitro brain” that lives beyond his earthly and departed body. Electrical signals derived from this brain matter then send impulses that trigger mallets to periodically hit 20 brass plates mounted to the installation space.

The result is a haunting experience that prompts us to think deeper about the creation of art that occurs during and after our lifetimes. University of San Francisco cognitive neuroscientist Indre Viskontas has one way of framing it. “Creativity really has to have a conscious element to it,” she says in an interview with NPR. “I don’t think this particular piece of art is conscious. Those cells have no intention.”

Revivification doesn’t offer an easy answer or way out; rather, it lingers in this uncertainty, much like the reverberations of Lucier’s compositions. By animating remnants of a life once lived, the installation challenges us to confront questions of agency, authorship, and legacy. Is the music produced by Revivification a continuation of Lucier’s work, a resurrection, or something completely new and original?

Revivification is on view at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth now through September 21, 2025.

The late experimental composer Alvin Lucier is still creating music three years after his death, thanks to science and brain matter derived from his white blood cells.

Photo: iLexx/Depositphotos

In the immersive installation Revivification, cerebral organoids developed in a lab send out electrical impulses to mallets, which then periodically hit brass plates lining the gallery's walls to create sound.

The installation prompts us to ask questions about agency, authorship, and legacy in creating art after life.

Sources: Artificial ‘Brain’ Aims to Allow Composer to Keep Making Music Three Years After His Death; Revivification; A Musician’s Brain Matter Is Still Making Music—Three Years After His Death

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READ: Musical Composer’s Brain Matter Is Still Making Music Three Years After His Death

Daniel Popper, “Lumen” (Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met)

Nestled into the forests of Rothbury, Michigan, is an immersive event where music, art, and nature converge. Known as Electric Forest, the multi-day music and arts festival offers an otherworldly experience in a lush, wooded area called Sherwood Forest. Attendees camp onsite, making the event feel like its own little world for four days.

While the music often takes center stage, the art installations are a can’t-miss part of the overall experience. My Modern Met attended Electric Forest 2025 and interacted with the artwork firsthand. “Electric Forest may be known as a music festival,” shares Eugene Kim, co-founder and editor-in-chief of My Modern Met, “but the amount of high-quality art installations found in Sherwood Forest and beyond was absolutely incredible.”

Daniel Popper’s sculpture Lumen was among Kim’s favorites. The monumental artwork features a face cradled by sweeping forms that mimic tree branches or vines. By day, you could admire its handcrafted textures. At night, it was transformed. “The beautiful figure came alive at night with projection mapping by Jasper Mosher,” he says, referring to the faces, colors, and textures projected onto the surface, which changed the appearance at any given moment.

Brothers Alexander and Aric Waldman brought ethereal butterfly art to the forest with their beautiful installation titled Metamorphosis. “Vibrant with color and alive with movement, festival goers drew positive energy from Metamorphosis and were attracted to it like a moth to a flame,” Eugene recalls. “What also stood out was the positive energy and meaning that the Waldman brothers clearly displayed about their passion for Electric Forest. It’s all about the people, energy, creativity, and experience. And that love is apparent in this exquisitely crafted work of art.”

One of the most surreal experiences of Electric Forest 2025 was in the Dream Emporium, a multi-sensory experience that has been a staple of the forest since 2023. Imagined as a place for people to play and connect, every step had you questioning where the rabbit hole goes. Some found themselves stepping onto a talk show television set or into a room under the sea. “The Dream Emporium was filled with unlimited amounts of imagination and creativity,” Kim explains. “The interactive art drew people in, making them part of the art itself.”

The thoughtful vision that goes into making Electric Forest happen is a true labor of love, and we can’t wait to experience the art and music next year. “So much credit goes to Creative Director Nova Han, Forest Production Manager Brad Lyman, and the entire Electric Forest team for taking on such a massive project and executing at the highest level.”

Electric Forest is a multi-day music and arts festival that offers an otherworldly experience in a lush, wooded area called Sherwood Forest.

Alexander and Aric Waldman, “Metamorphosis” (Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met)

While the music often takes center stage, the art installations are a can’t-miss part of the overall experience. Take a peek:

 

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One of the most surreal experiences was in the Dream Emporium, a multi-sensory experience imagined as a place for people to play and connect, every step had you questioning where the rabbit hole goes.

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Eugene Kim, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of My Modern Met, attended Electric Forest and captured footage inside of Dream Emporium.

 

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“Electric Forest may be known as a music festival,” Eugene says, “ but the amount of high-quality art installations found in Sherwood Forest and beyond was absolutely incredible.”

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Daniel Popper, ‘Lady Vine' (Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met)

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

The thoughtful vision that goes into making Electric Forest happen is a true labor of love, and we can’t wait to experience the art and music next year.

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

“So much credit goes to Creative Director Nova Han, Forest Production Manager Brad Lyman, and the entire Electric Forest team for taking on such a massive project and executing at the highest level.”

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Electric Forest: Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Electric Forest.

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Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

This past weekend, the Michigan woods were filled with art, magic, and music. The annual Electric Forest festival took over the forest in Rothbury for an immersive experience that drew thousands who came together as a Forest Family. With a background of EDM superstars, live bands, and everything in between, festivalgoers were treated to an immersive experience that brought together art, music, and culture.

My Modern Met was on the ground to partake in the experience, with Editor-in-Chief Eugene Kim blown away by what he saw. “The experience at Electric Forest surpassed any expectations I had going in,” he shares. “It was a cataclysmic combination of high-quality music, art, and culture all mixed in one. I talked to so many people who felt that Electric Forest was their home away from home. You could feel the positive vibes swirling around the forest, centered around an appreciation of creativity.”

Musical highlights include the iconic French electronic duo Justice and the indie musical trio Khruangbin. With headlining sets that bookended the weekend, the acts highlighted Electric Forest's varied musical selections. Over at the immersive Honeycomb Stage, Arc de Soleil, led by composer and producer Daniel Kadawatha, and Dombresky brought good vibes with their sets.

But Electric Forest isn't just about music; it's also an artistic showcase designed to nourish the soul. My Modern Met favorite Daniel Popper had a strong presence with one of his signature sculptures, which transformed in the evening thanks to projection mapping by Jasper Mosher. His was one of many incredible installations that captured the imaginations of festival goers, who enjoyed this open-air museum all weekend.

Special add-on experiences rounded out the event, providing an opportunity to bond with the Forest Family over food, drinks, and wellness activities. From drag brunches to sacred sound baths, there was much to explore. Highlights for us were the Food Tour, which featured exclusive bites by the festival's restaurant partners, and the annual Buena Vida tequila tasting. More than just a tasting, it's also a competition, with bartenders showing their creative skills to create the best cocktail.

After enjoying the music, art, and food, we took a moment to unwind with a much-needed forest yoga session. This was one of many thoughtfully planned wellness events that catered to the needs of all festival goers. A sober support session, a grief workshop, and an energy cleansing session were just some of the many offerings designed to honor everyone's journeys.

For Kim, this first Electric Forest experience was a memorable one. “The first forest experience is one to be treasured, but I met many others who keep going back over the years because the place is so special. The amount of hard work, thought, and love that goes into this music festival is unlike anything I've ever seen.”

This past weekend, Electric Forest brought art, magic, and music to the Michigan woods.

 

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Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Thousands of festival goers came together as a Forest Family for an unforgettable immersive experience.

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Justice and Khruangbin were standout headliners who bookended the event with their sets.

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

EDM superstars, live bands, and everything in between kept the good vibes going.

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

But Electric Forest isn't just about music; it's also an artistic showcase designed to nourish the soul.

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Special add-on experiences, such as a food tour, tequila tasting, and yoga, rounded out the event.

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

“The amount of hard work, thought, and love that goes into this music festival is unlike anything I've ever seen.”

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Electric Forest: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Electric Forest.

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Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

Instruments are a crowning human achievement. For many thousands of years, we've engineered ways to create music and have then learned to master the instruments that enable us to do so. The oldest object identified as a musical instrument is a simple flute dating back between 50,000 and 60,000 years. If you’re fascinated by musical instruments, especially as a way to examine traditions and culture, then you’ll want to visit the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, Arizona.

MIM is an institution showcasing instruments on a global scale. Founder Bob Ulrich realized that most musical museums, up until that point, featured primarily Western classical instruments. This inspired him to create a museum that would focus on everyday instruments played by people worldwide. Now, MIM has more than 7,500 instruments in its collection representing more than 200 countries and territories.

The museum has special exhibitions that spotlight extraordinary instruments. Its current exhibition, titled Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars, features over 70 string instruments from European makers of the 16th to the 19th centuries, particularly the great craftsperson Antonio Stradivari. His work, along with others, highlights the exceptional craft that went into making violins, guitars, lutes, and bows. The results are timeless instruments still cherished today.

“The name Stradivarius is synonymous with the pinnacle of violin making,” says Matthew Zeller, MIM’s curator for Europe. “Other European instrument makers achieved similar levels of excellence. This exhibition will introduce guests to these influential makers and reveal many fascinating connections between violin making and guitar making, providing guests with an opportunity to relate centuries-old masterworks to modern instruments in their own lives.”

Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars is now on view at MIM.

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) has an exhibition celebrating over 70 string instruments from European makers of the 16th to the 19th centuries.

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

Titled Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars, the exhibition highlights the exceptional craftsmanship of Antonio Stradivari and other stringed instruments.

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

The results are timeless instruments still cherished today.

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

Musical Instrument Museum: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Musical Instrument Museum.

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READ: Musical Instrument Museum Showcases the Extraordinary Craft of 16th Century Stringed Instruments

Left: Mozart at age 14 (Photo: attributed to Giambettino Cignaroli via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain) | Right: Interior of the Sistine Chapel (Photo: Snowdog via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

We all know that Mozart was a genius, but did you know that his musical memory helped smuggle a secret song out of the Vatican? Originally composed for Pope Urban VIII during the 1630s, Gregorio Allegri's “Miserere mei, Deus” (“Have mercy on me, Oh God”) was a closely guarded secret. It was only played in the Sistine Chapel during Tenebrae services of Holy Week, and it gained fame for the use of a particular ornamentation that was largely unknown outside the Vatican.

It's said that, to preserve this secrecy, the pope forbade the transcription of the song at the risk of excommunication. Later, rumors circulated that only three transcriptions existed, one for the Holy Roman Emperor, one for the king of Portugal, and one for Mozart's mentor, Padre Martini. A popular story states that when a young 14-year-old Mozart visited Rome in 1770, he went to the Sistine Chapel with his father for Holy Week services and listened to Allegri's song.

Thanks to a letter that his father, Leopold, wrote to his wife, we know what happened next. “You have often heard of the famous Miserere in Rome, which is so greatly prized that the performers in the chapel are forbidden on pain of excommunication to take away a single part of it, to copy it or to give it to anyone. But we have it already. Wolfgang has written it down.”

In a follow-up letter, perhaps to ease his wife's worries, Leopold clarified that “even the Pope knows” that he transcribed it and that there was no cause for concern. While this makes Mozart's transcription the first unauthorized version of the song, there is actually evidence that “Miserere” wasn't completely a secret by this time. Scholars believe there were already authorized copies of the song circulating in Europe, with Mozart possibly even hearing the piece in London several years earlier.

What we do know is that Mozart's version was eventually published in 1771 by British music historian Dr. Charles Burney and that this version does not include the ornamentation the piece was known for. The piece is still performed today, but what we currently hear is not the same as Allegri's original version, and not even the same as what was performed before 1900, according to author Graham O'Reilly. Today's version combines aspects of later transcriptions and includes the difficult “top C” note that was not in the original. Even with these changes, Allegri's “Miserere” remains a popular a cappella choral work with a fascinating past.

Listen to “Miserere mei, Deus” performed by the King's College Choir in Cambridge, England.

Source: ‘Allegri's Miserere' in the Sistine Chapel; Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere mei

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READ: When Mozart Was a Teen, He Pirated a Secret Song From the Sistine Chapel

Brian Wilson in Santa Monica, Calif., in 1990, photographed by Ithaka Darin Pappas. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons, CC 4.0)

Brian Wilson, the cofounder, singer-songwriter, and creative genius behind the legendary pop and rock band The Beach Boys, has died at 82 years old. His family announced his death on June 11 with a statement shared on Instagram.

“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” they write. “We are at a loss for words right now.”

That same day, Wilson’s bandmates from the Beach Boys also paid tribute to the “soul of our sound,” writing: “The world mourns a genius today. The melodies he dreamed up and the emotions he poured into every note changed the course of music forever. Together, we gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom—music that made people feel good, made them believe in summer and endless possibilities.”

Born in Inglewood, Calif., in 1942, Wilson had always been precocious when it came to music. When he was a baby, he could deftly imitate melodies sung to him and, by ages 7 and 8, he began singing solos at church, prompting his choir director to declare that he had perfect pitch. Later, in 1961, Wilson, his younger brothers Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardin formed what would eventually become one of the world’s most enduring and illustrious bands: The Beach Boys.

As the de facto leader of The Beach Boys, Wilson wrote and produced dozens of the band’s chart-topping songs, including Good Vibrations; I Get Around; Help Me, Rhonda; California Girls; and their first major hit, Surfin’ U.S.A., which was originally released in 1963. From there, The Beach Boys quickly gained recognition for their carefree and breezy lyrics, psychedelic sound, and layered vocals, each of which embodied the optimism, youth, grandeur, and, at times, melancholy of mid-century California. Much of this success can be traced back to Wilson, whose distinct vision and talent for studio production, musical arrangement, and vocal harmonization further propelled The Beach Boys into pop stardom.

In 1964, under the stress of touring and increased substance abuse, Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown while on the road in Europe. His decision to stay in the United States as his bandmates toured the world would turn out to be a pivotal one. By the time they all returned to California, Wilson had created the groundwork for Pet Sounds, often considered to be one of the best albums ever made (Rolling Stone, for instance, ranked it Number Two in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time). The 1966 album features such iconic tracks as God Only Knows, Sloop John B, and Wouldn’t It Be Nice, and was inspired by The Beatles’ Rubber Soul, which was released a year before. In turn, The Beatles cited Pet Sounds as the driving force behind Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, with Paul McCartney dubbing God Only Knows as his favorite song of all time.

Even so, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Wilson. He experienced symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as schizoaffective and mild bipolar disorders, hearing voices in his head and spending time in psychiatric institutions during the late 1960s. Throughout the 1970s, he once again became isolated from his bandmates as a result of his mental health issues and substance abuse, landing him in the care of his psychologist, the controversial and controlling Eugene Landy. The arrangement between the two survived until 1992, when Landy was legally barred from contacting Wilson again.

“[Wilson] was a man so lonely and so abused and maligned, ostracized,” Van Dyke Parks told Rolling Stone in 2004. “It was an outrage what he suffered.”

In 2011, Wilson reunited with The Beach Boys for a tour and the album That’s Why God Made the Radio, and, throughout the years, also released solo albums, including the eponymous Brian Wilson from 1988 and the unfinished Smile. When Wilson finally finished Smile, in 2004 and against all odds, the Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow LP earned him his first-ever Grammy Award. As a testament to his remarkable career, Wilson, alongside Thr Beach Boys, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Shortly after his second wife, Melinda Kae Ledbetter, died in January 2024, Wilson’s family announced that he had dementia and had been placed under a conservatorship. Wilson’s cause of death has not yet been revealed, but news of his passing has garnered heartfelt reactions and tributes from the public at large, including those from fellow musicians.

“Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I’ve been listening to him and admiring his genius,” Bob Dylan wrote on social media. “Rest in peace dear Brian.”

Nancy Sinatra, in her own tribute, added: “His cherished music will live forever as he travels through the universe and beyond. God bless you, sweet Brian.”

Per a post by Sean Lennon, not many others “influenced [him] as much as [Wilson] did.” He even called Wilson our “American Mozart.”

Brian Wilson, the cofounder, singer-songwriter, and creative genius behind the legendary pop and rock band The Beach Boys, has died at 82.

The Beach Boys in September 1965. (Photo: Capitol Records via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

 

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Wilson wrote and produced dozens of the band’s chart-topping songs, including Good Vibrations, I Get Around, Help Me, Rhonda, and their first major hit, Surfin’ U.S.A.

Brian Wilson in the 1960s. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

Wilson also spearheaded much of the material for Pet Sounds, released by The Beach Boys in 1966 and often considered to be one of the best albums ever made.

Brian Wilson, David Marks, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston and Al Jardine performing at a Beach Boys concert in May 2012. (Photo: Louise Palanker via Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.0)

Sources: Brian Wilson, visionary creative spirit for the Beach Boys, dies aged 82; Brian Wilson, legendary Beach Boys singer-songwriter, dies at 82; Brian Wilson, Beach Boys Co-Founder and Architect of Pop, Dead at 82

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READ: RIP Brian Wilson: The Beach Boys Cofounder and Singer-Songwriter Dies at 82

Photo: Sarfatims via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

The music world is mourning the loss of a pioneer with the death of Sylvester Stewart, better known as Sly Stone. As the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, he fused soul, rock, psychedelia, and gospel in the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing the music landscape. Stone was 82 when he passed away in his Los Angeles home on June 9, 2025. His death comes after a long battle with C.O.P.D., or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a statement released by his family.

Credited as the founder of the progressive soul movement, Stone was musically inclined from a young age, mastering several instruments. While he was born in Texas, he was raised in the Bay Area of Northern California, where he performed gospel music with his siblings, Freddie and Rose. In 1966, the siblings formed Sly and the Family Stone, a revolutionary mixed-race, mixed-gender group that achieved a string of hits in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Many of the group's recognizable hits, from “Family Affair” to “Everyday People ,” would later be sampled by hip-hop artists. His eccentric personality, flamboyant style, and willingness to experiment in multiple musical genres made a lasting impact long after the group disbanded in the mid-1970s amid his drug use.

Stone's influence can be seen in later artists like George Clinton, Michael Jackson, Outkast, and Prince, with critic Joel Selvin boldly stating, “There was Black music before Sly Stone, and Black music after Sly Stone.”

While Stone released several solo albums, he was unable to replicate the success he had within the group. Unfortunately, erratic behavior and addiction kept him largely out of the spotlight. He continued to perform sporadically and was present with his bandmates when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and performed at the 2006 Grammy tribute to the group.

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in Sly and the Family Stone, in part thanks to Questlove, who released the documentary Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius) in 2025.

“Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music,” his family said in a statement. “His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable. In a testament to his enduring creative spirit, Sly recently completed the screenplay for his life story, a project we are eager to share with the world in due course, which follows a memoir published in 2024.”

Musical pioneer Sly Stone passed away at 82 years old on June 9, 2025.

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As the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, he was a pioneer who fused soul, rock, psychedelia, and gospel.

While he faded from the spotlight due to addiction issues, his influence remains strong.

 

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READ: RIP Sly Stone: The Eccentric, Trailblazing Frontman of Sly and the Family Stone Dies at 82