Brian Wilson has died at the age of 82

In a statement posted to his official Instagram page, his family said: "Our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away.

"We are at a loss for words right now.

"Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving.

"We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.

"Love and Mercy."

Brian - who was married to the late Melinda Ledbetter and had five adopted children with her but also has Carnie, 57, and 55-year-old Wendy with his first wife Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford - was brn in Inglewood, California and began writing songs at an early age.

When he was 11 years old, it was discovered that he was deaf in his right ear and developed a habit of speaking from the side of his mouth.

Brian underwent corrective surgery in the late 1980s, but this was unsuccessful and the exact cause of the issue remiained unclear throughout his lifetime.

Along with his brother Carl and Dennis Wilson, Brian, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine, Brian formed The Beach Boys and they were managed by the Wisons' father.

They enjoyed their first hit with Surfin' U.S.A and went on to huge success with other tracks such as I Get Around, Good Vibrations and California Girls.

The group has never disbanded, and they have so far released 29 albums and sold over 100 million records, with the current lineup - which consists of Love, Jardine, and Bruce Johnston - continuing to tour to this day.

Away from The Beach Boys, Brian had a solo career which saw him release 13 studio albums in total, the last of which came out in 2021.

Upon releasing his 11th studio album in 2012, Brian reflected that he was feeling really good" about life in general at the time.

He told PEOPLE: "I feel good. I really do feel good these days. This whole year has been very emotional and - what do you call that word? - sentimental."