Marcus King Honors Brian Wilson With Cover Of The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” At Bonnaroo

Honoring a legend.

Earlier this week, Brian Wilson, pop music genius and co-founder of The Beach Boys, died at the age of 82.

Wilson was an integral member of The Beach Boys, serving as the songwriter and co-lead vocalist, and also played bass guitar and keyboard alongside brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine, who were all part of the original lineup.

“We are heartbroken to announce 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 is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.”

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Although Wilson’s focal point was in the pop genre, all artists respect the music genius he was, with all walks of life, covering songs from The Beach Boys and his solo career. And he may not have ever explicitly been a “country” artist, his ties to country music were extensive, including collaborations with country artists like Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, Lorrie Morgan, Sawyer Brown and many more for their Stars & Stripes: Volume 1 album back in 1996.

While many artists are tipping their hat to the late, great Wilson, one artist is paying homage to the Beach Boys’ music without much showmanship… just laying down a beautiful cover.

Last night, Marcus King hit the main stage of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. During his set, King performed their 1966 song “God Only Knows.” While some artists might say a few words about how they admired Brian Wilson, King didn’t want to take away from the music of his set and just laid down a stunning performance.

“God Only Knows” was penned by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher and appears on their record Pet Sounds. The song has been praised as one of the group’s greatest of all time. The unusual instrumentation of the tune veers away from their traditional sound, but it works. The lyrics tell of a great love story in which the narrator does not know what or who he would be without the woman he loves by his side.

“God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me
Well life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me…”

This song choice feels very fitting for King given that his latest single, “Carolina Honey,” is dedicated to his wife, who is why he still lives today. In the throes of his addiction on tour, King had a plan to drink himself to death, but then his path crossed with Briley King, and as his lyrics say, he found “somebody that makes me want to stay.”

In another light, this song also highlights how he does not know where he’d be without his fans. Earlier in his set, The Tennessean reported that he told the crowd that he could not have gotten his “s*** together” without them and thanked them for always supporting him.

“I was meditating on this earlier today thinking about the good times and the bad times and being thankful for the bad times too. Because they got me right here. Those bad moments gave me the perspective I needed to get my s*** together and I sure couldn’t have done it without ya. I sure thank you.”

While “God Only Knows” might traditionally be a love song, it appears to have multiple meanings for him when King sings it. King’s vocals will knock your socks off during this cover…but that’s nothing new, he always lays down stellar vocal performances. This cover would make Brian Wilson proud.

Rest in peace.

@festiverse @Marcus King covers @The Beach Boys at @bonnaroo ###bonnaroo #bonnaroo2025 #roo ♬ original sound – Festiverse

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