Melinda Ledbetter, the wife of Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, passed away at the age of 77.
Wilson, who had been married to Ledbetter since 1995, announced her death on Jan. 30 through an Instagram post, which also featured a statement from their children.
In his post, Wilson shared two photos of Ledbetter. The first, a sepia-colored picture, showcased his wife, who was also a talent agent. The second image captured Ledbetter posing behind Wilson, her hands resting on his shoulders.
“My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning,” Willson’s caption begins. “Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost. Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior.”
“She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career,” his statement continued. “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.”
Concluding his caption with “Love and Mercy,” Wilson did not disclose the cause of death.
Before her relationship with Wilson, Ledbetter had worked as a model and a car salesperson.
The title “Love and Mercy” refers to a 1998 song by Wilson, featured as the opening track of his debut album. In 2014, their love story and Wilson’s music career were depicted in the biographical film “Love & Mercy,” starring John Cusack and Elizabeth Banks as Ledbetter.
Wilson and Ledbetter, married in 1995, shared nearly 30 years together before her passing. This was Wilson’s second marriage; his first was to Marilyn Rovell from 1964 to 1979, with musician daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson of the trio Wilson Phillips.
The couple, Wilson and Ledbetter, adopted five children: Dakotah Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rae, Dylan, and Dash. Their joint statement regarding their mother’s death was included in Wilson’s post.
“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,” their statement reads. “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,” their statement continued. “How to take care of the person next to you without 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,” their statement concluded.
