Melinda Wilson, wife, manager and ‘savior’ of musician Brian Wilson, is dead at 77

NEW YORK (AP) — Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, the longtime wife and manager of Brian Wilson whom the Beach Boys co-founder often credited for stabilizing his famously troubled life, has died at age 77. Wilson struggled for much of his life with mental health and substance abuse issues that upended his career in the 1960s and left him dependent on others. Melinda Wilson was cited by Wilson and others for getting him proper medical treatment, and encouraging her husband to complete his intended masterpiece from the ’60s, “Smile.” She and Brian Wilson adopted five children and lived in Beverly Hills, California.