The cause of death for Brian Wilson, who passed away earlier this month, has been revealed. The iconic genius who wrote the soundtrack to summer for generations of music lovers passed away due to “respiratory arrest” according to TMZ who obtained the death certificate.
According to the American CPR Care Association, respiratory arrest occurs when the heart is still beating, but the lungs stop functioning, which means the person can’t get oxygen. TMZ also reports that other causes of death listed include sepsis and cystitis.
The Beach Boys legend passed away two weeks ago.
Brian Wilson’s musical genius shone through a lifetime of mental health and addiction struggles, as well as legal battles with the band he once led that helped redefine pop music.
Wilson was born in in Inglewood, California on June 20, 1942, the eldest of his siblings, including Dennis and Carl, who would later become The Beach Boys along with their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine.
Wilson maintained his creativity and passion for music even in his darkest times, releasing solo work off and on throughout the past 30 years, even returning to live performances a few times, including a brief tour for the 50th anniversary of The Beach Boys.
Towards the end of his life, he continued writing music and occasionally performing live until 2022.
Wilson’s ability to create and thrive despite a lifetime of struggles is best summed up in a quote from his 2016 memoir, per Vulture, “People can survive everything best if they remember who they were.”
Brian Wilson was 82.