Watch Sting pay tribute to Brian Wilson with ‘God Only Knows’ cover
During a concert in Germany on June 11th, Sting honoured the late Brian Wilson by covering The Beach Boys’ classic ‘God Only Knows’.
Wilson’s children confirmed his death, aged 82, on social media, writing, “We are heartbroken to announced that 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 grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.”
Hours later, Sting took to the stage at the IGA Park in Rostock and used the show to honour his late musical hero.
During the encore, he told the crowd before playing ‘God Only Knows’: “Today, one of my heroes died; Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys. He’s gone to heaven, so I’m gonna sing a song that I love.”
According to Paul McCartney, ‘God Only Knows’ is the greatest song ever written. He once said of Wilson’s composition: “‘God Only Knows’ is one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it. It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian.”
The music world has been united in mourning following Wilson’s passing, with his former Beach Boys bandmate Al Jardine leading the tributes. Jardine emotionally wrote: “Brian Wilson, my friend, my classmate, my football teammate, my Beach Boy bandmate and my brother in spirit, I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives for as long as you were.”
The Beach Boy continued: “I think the most comforting thought right now is that you are reunited with Carl and Dennis, singing those beautiful harmonies again. You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever. Brian, I’ll really miss you…still I have the warmth of the sun within me tonight.”
Elsewhere, Bob Dylan paid tribute to Wilson, writing on X, “Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I’ve been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian.”
Sting’s cover of ‘God Only Knows’ is available to watch below.
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