Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, the wife of musician and former Beach Boys member Brian Wilson, died on Tuesday morning, according to statements from Wilson and his family. She was 77.
A cause of death was not disclosed, though Wilson’s children said she passed “peacefully.”
“Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career,” Wilson said in a heartfelt Instagram post. “She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor.”
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Ledbetter Wilson had been instrumental in untangling Wilson from his therapist and legal guardian, Dr. Eugene Landy, who was sued by Wilson’s family in 1991 for exerting undue influence on the struggling musician.
In 1995, the two married, and later adopted five children; Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan and Dash.
After the two were married, Wilson was able to return to writing, producing, and performing music following a long struggle with mental health which had derailed his music career. Ledbetter Wilson is credited with facilitating much of his recovery.
The statement posted on social media also included a message from their children.
“She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by. 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,” they wrote.
“We will miss her but cherish everything she has taught us: How to take care of the person next to you with out 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.”
