The Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson's wife, Melinda Ledbetter, has died at age 77.
Wilson, who has been married to Ledbetter since 1995, shared the news Tuesday on social media.
"My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning," he wrote on Instagram. No cause of death was revealed.
"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," he wrote.
The pair adopted five children together during their marriage that spanned nearly three decades — Dakotah Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rae, Dylan, and Dash.
"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. Love and Mercy Brian," Wilson continued.
The two-time Grammy winner added their children's statement at the end of his 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. She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by," they wrote.
"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," they 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."
Wilson was previously married to Marilyn Rovell from 1964 to 1979, and together they have two daughters, Carnie and Wendy Wilson, both musicians and members of the band Wilson Phillips, the New York Post reported.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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