Love was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on Thursday, June 12NEED TO KNOWMike Love is remembering his cousin and Beach Boys bandmate Brian Wilson, who died on June 11Speaking with PEOPLE ahead of the 2025 Songwriters' Hall of Fame induction ceremony,

Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys' visionary and fragile leader whose genius for melody, arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression inspired "Good Vibrations," "California Girls" and other summertime anthems and made him one of the world's most influential recording artists,

“Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time. I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, ‘God Only Knows.’”

For the last quarter-century, no one shared more musical moments with Brian Wilson than Darian Sahanaja, who was part of the Beach Boys architect's solo band from his return to live shows in 1999 through his final tour dates in 2022.