A grieving Brian Wilson has announced the death of his wife Melinda Ledbetter.
The musician, 81, posted a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram to his wife of three decades.
“Our five children and I are just in tears,” Wilson wrote in a caption accompanying a photo carousel of vintage photos of his wife. “We are lost.”
Wilson, who has previously documented his mental-health struggles and drug use, went on to describe Melinda, who was 77 as having saved him.
“Melinda was more than my wife,” he wrote.
“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.”
Wilson and Melinda met when she sold him a car in 1986, however after dating on and off, the pair didn’t marry until 1995.
“I’ve never had a relationship with a girl like we have,” Wilson told People magazine in 1998.
“She’s a partner who’s also a best friend.”
The Beach Boys legend’s tribute included words from the couple’s five children, Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan and Dash.
“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,” they wrote.
“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.
“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.
“We love you mom. Give Grandma Rose and Pa our love.”
