Tributes have been pouring in this past week for Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys co-founder and pop music maestro, following his death aged 82.  But there have been possibly none so personal as the memories of writer David Leaf,

The Beach Boys have put out a statement, saying: “The world mourns a genius today, and we grieve for the loss of our cousin, our friend, and our partner in a great musical adventure. Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys - he was the soul of our sound.

Brian Wilson, the prodigious visionary engine behind the Beach Boys, composer of “teenage symphonies to God,” the big, gentle, sweet-voiced soul whose music touched generations, has died at 82.