"I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while," McCartney wrote Thursday, a day after Wilson died at age 82.

The Beatles member posted a thought tribute on Instagram to the Beach Boys founder who died on Wednesday, June 11. He shared an image of a young Wilson, along with more recent pictures of the rock legends together.

Singer Elton John posted a photo of him and Wilson, writing, “Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him. He sang ‘Someone Saved My Life Tonight’ at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me.”