“Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him,” John said. “He sang ‘Someone Saved My Life Tonight’ at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me. I played on his solo records, he sang on my album, The Union, and even performed for my AIDS Foundation.

“I was like, ‘Oh boy, I guess I better [tell him].’ I said, ‘Mike, your cousin passed away,’ and his face went blank.”