REUTERS
The Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson is mourning the death of his beloved wife Melinda Ledbetter, who died at age 77 on Tuesday.
A cause of death is unknown at this time.
Wilson announced the news in a heartfelt post on social media, saying Ledbetter, who he’d been married to since 1995, was his “savior” and “anchor.”
“My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning,” Wilson wrote on Instagram.
“Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost. Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career.”
“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,” the two-time Grammy winner added.
During their nearly three-decade-long union, the pair had adopted five children together: Dakotah Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rae, Dylan, and Dash.
Wilson shared their children’s statement at the end of his post.
“It is with a heavy heart that we let everyone know that our mom, 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,” their kids wrote.
“She was not only a model, our fathers 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.”
“How to take care of the person next to you without 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. We love you mom. Give Grandma Rose and Pa our love,” they added.
Fans and celebs alike rushed to the comments section to share their condolences.
Alec Baldwin commented, “So sorry,” while musician Graham Nash wrote, “I’m deeply sorry for your loss, Brian, and for the terrible hurt you are all feeling. My heart, love, and prayers are with you and your family.”
Elsewhere, guitarist Brian Ray added, “I’m so very sorry to hear this news, Brian. She was a very special person and you were very lucky to have each other.”
This was the “In My Room” singer’s second marriage.
Wilson was previously married to Marilyn Rovell from 1964 to 1979.
The exes share daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, who are also musicians and are members of the group Wilson Phillips.