The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time,” the Beatle writes of the Beach Boy

Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ visionary and fragile leader whose genius for melody, arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression made him one of the world’s most influential recording artists, has died at 82.

"Farewell, maestro," he said of the late legend. "Nothing but love and a lovely lasting debt from all of us over here on E Street"