Clockwise from left, the Beach Boys are Al Jardine, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson.
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1962
Wilson (second-left) performing with the Beach Boys in Pendleton outfits at a local high school in late 1962.
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1962
Wilson (second-left) performing with the Beach Boys in Pendleton outfits at a local high school in late 1962.
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1963
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait in 1963. Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1963
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait in 1963. Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
American rock group The Beach Boys, 1964. From left to right, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Brian Wilson. From Capitol Records. (Photo by Gems)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
London, United Kingdom
American pop group The Beach Boys on November 2, 1964 in London England. From left to right, Carl Wilson (1946 - 1998), Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Dennis Wilson (1944 - 1983). (Photo by Keystone)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
Paris, France
: Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" jump off a ledge in front of the Eiffel Tower in November 1964 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" rehearse at home in 1964 in Los Angeles, California. Mike Love, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Carl Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" sing around a piano. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait in 1964. Clockwise from bottom left: Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait in 1964. Top to bottom: Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love, Carl Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait on November 2, 1964, in London, England. Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson. (Photo by Cyrus Andrews)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait in front of some ruins in Europe in November 1964. Mike Love, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
London, United Kingdom
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" poses for a portrait on November 2, 1964 in London, England. Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson. (Photo by Cyrus Andrews)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" perform at the TAMI Show in October 28,1964. Other performers included James Browm, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Jan & Dean. Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1964
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" perform at the TAMI Show in October 28,1964. Other performers included James Browm, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Jan & Dean. Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1965
Los Angeles, California, United States
Rock and roll group "The Beach Boys" pose during a portrait session in 1965 in Los Angeles, California. Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1965
Los Angeles, California, United States
Band leader Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" poses for a portrait with his dog in circa 1965 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1965
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" poses for a portrait in front of a wall full of their gold records Novermber 1965; Mike Love, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1966
Los Angeles, California, United States
Al Jardine and Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band The Beach Boys recording 'Pet Sounds' at Western Recorders studios in the Spring of 1966 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1966
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait with an antique car in 1966. Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1968
Los Angeles, California, United States
Band leader Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" chomps variously down on a record, a shoe, other people's food, a pepper grinder and shares with his dog in this photo session from a restaurant in circa 1968 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Leaf)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1968
Los Angeles, California, United States
Band leader Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" chomps variously down on a record, a shoe, other people's food, a pepper grinder and shares with his dog in this photo session from a restaurant in circa 1968 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Leaf)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1976
Wilson at a 15 Big Ones session, circa 1976.
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1976
Singer Brian Wison of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" poses for a portrait with his questionable psychologist, Dr. Eugene Landy, in circa 1976. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1976
Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love, Brian Wilson (Photo by RB)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1980
United Kingdom
The Beach Boys, group portrait, England, June 1980, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston. (Photo by Michael Putland)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1982
Oslo, Norway
American rock group The Beach Boys, Oslo, Norway, 1982. Back row, left to right: Mike Love, Brian Wilson and Dennis Wilson (1944 - 1983). Front row, left to right: Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson (1946 - 1998) and Al Jardine. (Photo by Michael Putland)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1991
New York City, New York, United States
Musician Brian Wilson poses for a portrait at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in 1991 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Francesco Da Vinci)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1998
St Charles, Illinois, United States
Portrait of American musician Brian Wilson as he sits at a piano in his home, St Charles, Illinois, July 12, 1998. (Photo by Paul Natkin)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1999
Los Angeles, California, United States
Portrait of American Rock and Pop musician Brian Wilson as he poses outside his home, Los Angeles, California, September 12, 1999. (Photo by Paul Natkin)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1999
3 Chome-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
American Rock and Pop musician Brian Wilson plays keyboards as he performs onstage at the Kokusai Forum, Tokyo, Japan, July 13, 1999. (Photo by Paul Natkin)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1999
Search Results 3 Chome-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
American Rock and Pop musician Brian Wilson plays keyboards as he performs onstage at the Kokusai Forum, Tokyo, Japan, July 13, 1999. (Photo by Paul Natkin)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2000
9009 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, United States
American Rock and Pop musician Brian Wilson plays keyboards as he performs onstage at the Roxy Theater, Los Angeles, California, April 7, 2000. (Photo by Paul Natkin)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2007
1750 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028, United States
Brian Wilson during Brian Wilson Performs Songs From "Pet Sounds" to Support "Definitive 200" Campaign at Capitol Studios, Studio A in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Lester Cohen)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2012
Wilson performing with the Beach Boys during their brief 2012 reunion.
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2013
Washington D.C., United States
Wilson with his band and Jeff Beck following a 2013 performance in Washington D.C.
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2013
1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, FL 33314, United States
Brian Wilson performs at Hard Rock Live! in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on September 27, 2013 in Hollywood, Florida. (Photo by Larry Marano)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2015
8949 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, United States
Musician Brian Wilson arrives at the "Love & Mercy" Los Angeles premiere at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on June 2, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2015
103 Prince St, New York, NY 10012, United States
Musician Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys attends Meet the Filmmaker: "Love and Mercy" at Apple Store Soho on June 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Sagliocco)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2015
Search Results 529 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20045, United States
Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys speaks during the "Change Direction" event raising awareness for mental illness press conference at the National Press Club on September 17, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kris Connor)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2015
2930 Beverly Glen Cir, Los Angeles, CA 90077, United States
Musician Brian Wilson performs at Roadside Attraction's "Love and Mercy" DVD release and music celebration with Brian Wilson at the Vibrato Jazz Club on October 12, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2015
Search Results 2930 Beverly Glen Cir, Los Angeles, CA 90077, United States
Musician Brian Wilson performs at Roadside Attraction's "Love and Mercy" DVD release and music celebration with Brian Wilson at the Vibrato Jazz Club on October 12, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2016
Los Angeles, California, United States
American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for being the multi-tasking leader and co-founder of the Beach Boys Brian Wilson is photographed for Los Angeles Times on June 29, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brian Vander Brug)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
2017
Search Results 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028, United States
Musician Brian Wilson performs at the Pantages Theatre on May 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Harmony Gerber)
Gallery of Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Gallery of Brian Wilson
1221 6th Ave, New York, NY 10020, United States
Musician Brian Wilson visits SiriusXM Studios on June 5, 2015, in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Toth)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait in 1963. Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait in 1963. Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
American rock group The Beach Boys, 1964. From left to right, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Brian Wilson. From Capitol Records. (Photo by Gems)
American pop group The Beach Boys on November 2, 1964 in London England. From left to right, Carl Wilson (1946 - 1998), Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Dennis Wilson (1944 - 1983). (Photo by Keystone)
: Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" jump off a ledge in front of the Eiffel Tower in November 1964 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" rehearse at home in 1964 in Los Angeles, California. Mike Love, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Carl Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" sing around a piano. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait in 1964. Clockwise from bottom left: Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait in 1964. Top to bottom: Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love, Carl Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait on November 2, 1964, in London, England. Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson. (Photo by Cyrus Andrews)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait in front of some ruins in Europe in November 1964. Mike Love, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" poses for a portrait on November 2, 1964 in London, England. Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson. (Photo by Cyrus Andrews)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" perform at the TAMI Show in October 28,1964. Other performers included James Browm, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Jan & Dean. Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" perform at the TAMI Show in October 28,1964. Other performers included James Browm, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Jan & Dean. Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Rock and roll group "The Beach Boys" pose during a portrait session in 1965 in Los Angeles, California. Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Band leader Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" poses for a portrait with his dog in circa 1965 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" poses for a portrait in front of a wall full of their gold records Novermber 1965; Mike Love, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Al Jardine and Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band The Beach Boys recording 'Pet Sounds' at Western Recorders studios in the Spring of 1966 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" pose for a portrait with an antique car in 1966. Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
Band leader Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" chomps variously down on a record, a shoe, other people's food, a pepper grinder and shares with his dog in this photo session from a restaurant in circa 1968 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Leaf)
Band leader Brian Wilson of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" chomps variously down on a record, a shoe, other people's food, a pepper grinder and shares with his dog in this photo session from a restaurant in circa 1968 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Leaf)
Singer Brian Wison of the rock and roll band "The Beach Boys" poses for a portrait with his questionable psychologist, Dr. Eugene Landy, in circa 1976. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives)
American rock group The Beach Boys, Oslo, Norway, 1982. Back row, left to right: Mike Love, Brian Wilson and Dennis Wilson (1944 - 1983). Front row, left to right: Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson (1946 - 1998) and Al Jardine. (Photo by Michael Putland)
Portrait of American Rock and Pop musician Brian Wilson as he poses outside his home, Los Angeles, California, September 12, 1999. (Photo by Paul Natkin)
3 Chome-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
American Rock and Pop musician Brian Wilson plays keyboards as he performs onstage at the Kokusai Forum, Tokyo, Japan, July 13, 1999. (Photo by Paul Natkin)
Search Results 3 Chome-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
American Rock and Pop musician Brian Wilson plays keyboards as he performs onstage at the Kokusai Forum, Tokyo, Japan, July 13, 1999. (Photo by Paul Natkin)
9009 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, United States
American Rock and Pop musician Brian Wilson plays keyboards as he performs onstage at the Roxy Theater, Los Angeles, California, April 7, 2000. (Photo by Paul Natkin)
1750 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028, United States
Brian Wilson during Brian Wilson Performs Songs From "Pet Sounds" to Support "Definitive 200" Campaign at Capitol Studios, Studio A in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Lester Cohen)
8949 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, United States
Musician Brian Wilson arrives at the "Love & Mercy" Los Angeles premiere at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on June 2, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards)
Musician Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys attends Meet the Filmmaker: "Love and Mercy" at Apple Store Soho on June 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Sagliocco)
Search Results 529 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20045, United States
Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys speaks during the "Change Direction" event raising awareness for mental illness press conference at the National Press Club on September 17, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kris Connor)
2930 Beverly Glen Cir, Los Angeles, CA 90077, United States
Musician Brian Wilson performs at Roadside Attraction's "Love and Mercy" DVD release and music celebration with Brian Wilson at the Vibrato Jazz Club on October 12, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Search Results 2930 Beverly Glen Cir, Los Angeles, CA 90077, United States
Musician Brian Wilson performs at Roadside Attraction's "Love and Mercy" DVD release and music celebration with Brian Wilson at the Vibrato Jazz Club on October 12, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for being the multi-tasking leader and co-founder of the Beach Boys Brian Wilson is photographed for Los Angeles Times on June 29, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brian Vander Brug)
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. he is one of the most influential songwriters in rock 'n' roll history, best known as the frontman for the Beach Boys.
Background
Brian Douglas Wilson was born in Inglewood, California, United States on June 20, 1942. But while the Wilson family lived an outwardly normal, middle-class suburban life, at home Brian and his younger brothers - Dennis and Carl - endured a rough childhood. They were subjected to regular physical and mental abuse by their father, Murry, and their mother, Audree Wilson, was by all accounts an alcoholic. Despite this background of turmoil, the Wilson home was a musical one. Murry was an aspiring - though only vaguely successful songwriter and both he and Audree played piano. Brian and his brothers would often sing along with them in the living room, developing an early ability to harmonize with one another, a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that Brian was mostly deaf in one ear.
Education
Brian Wilson attended Hawthorne High School. Later Wilson enrolled at El Camino College in Los Angeles, majoring in psychology, in September 1960. He continued his music studies at the community college as well.
Along with his two younger brothers and their cousin, Mike Love, Wilson began performing at parties and small gatherings. In the late 1950s the four relatives joined with Hawthorne High School friend Al Jardine to form a band called the Pendletones, a name chosen because of the popular Pendleton flannel shirts that became the group’s uniform in the early days. The group featured Brian on bass, Carl and Al on guitar and Dennis on drums. Though Mike and Brian would take most of the lead on vocals, every member lent his voice to their layered harmonic sound.
In October 1961, the Pendletones recorded demos of two surfing-themed songs, “Surfin’” and “Surfin’ Safari.” Although Dennis was the only member of the group who actually surfed, the band sought to tap into the rising popularity of the sport and, more importantly, its accompanying lifestyle. The small label that released the single liked the idea so much that it even went as far as to rename the group the Beach Boys, much to its members’ surprise. Released that December, “Surfin’” cracked Billboard's Hot 100, eventually peaking at No. 75 while remaining on the chart for six weeks. They followed a few months later with “Surfin’ Safari,” which reached the Top 20 and earned the Beach Boys a contract with Capitol Records, who released their first full album, Surfin’ Safari, later that year. It reached No. 32 on the album charts, launching the group on its first wave of success.
With Brian Wilson as the primary creative force, the Beach Boys released a slew of hit singles and top-charting albums during the early 1960s, featuring a bright and cheery music that would come to represent the California youth culture of the period. They released three albums in 1963 alone - Surfin' U.S.A., Surfer Girl and Little Deuce Coupe - all of which cracked the Top 10. They followed that breakout year with hit releases like All Summer Long (1964) and Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!) (1965). Among the band’s many iconic hit songs from this era are “Surfin’ U.S.A.” (No. 3), “Fun, Fun, Fun” (No. 5), “I Get Around” (No. 1), “Help Me Rhonda” (No. 1) and “California Girls” (No. 3), to name a mere few.
But by the mid-60s, Brian Wilson had begun to experiment musically, conceptually and chemically, and he sought to push the group’s sound beyond the light and accessible sun-and-fun formula that characterized its early music. By late 1964, he had quit touring with the Beach Boys, due in part to a nervous breakdown he had suffered on the road, and he used his time at home to begin work on the band’s next album. Initially inspired by the Beatles’ Rubber Soul (1965), Wilson’s goal was to create an album where “every song mattered” and that would “make people feel loved.” After collaborating with his friend Tony Asher on the lyrics, and writing and arranging the music almost entirely on his own, Wilson then employed the famous session group known as the Wrecking Crew to commit his vision to tape.
Released in 1966, the resulting album, Pet Sounds features such memorable songs as “God Only Knows,” “I Just Wasn't Made for these Times,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and "Caroline, No.” With its complex arrangements, innovative recording techniques and mind-bogglingly dense vocal harmonies, it is ranked by many critics among the greatest records ever recorded. Rolling Stone magazine, for example, placed Pet Sounds at No. 2 on their list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” and Paul McCartney named it his favorite album, also citing it as a primary influence for the Beatles seminal 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and calling “God Only Knows” one of the most beautiful songs ever written.
Ironically, considering its later success, Capitol Records and the other members of the Beach Boys initially resisted the musical direction Wilson took on the album, preferring to stick with the safer, proven sound that had brought them so much success. The name Pet Sounds was born when band member Mike Love quipped, “Who’s gonna hear this sh**? The ears of a dog?” Arguably far ahead of its time, it received mixed reviews and did not sell as well as many of the band’s previous albums, further adding to the strain between Brian and the other members, particularly Love.
But Wilson was undeterred and immediately followed with what is considered to be one of the greatest rock songs of all time, the 1967 single “Good Vibrations,” which he had begun work on during the Pet Sounds sessions. The track hit No. 1 on the charts and encouraged Wilson to employ many of the same recording techniques he had used on a new project that he hoped would reach even greater musical heights. Collaborating with songwriter Van Dyke Parks on the lyrics and enlisting many of the musicians who had appeared on Pet Sounds, the album was initially titled Dumb Angel and later renamed SMiLE. Conceived by Wilson as a “teenage symphony to God,” it would not be released until more than 37 years later. One of the most famous unfinished albums of all time, SMiLE was shelved when Wilson’s personal life took a sharp turn for the worse - though reworked versions of a few of the songs would appear on 1967’s Smiley Smile and 1971’s Surf’s Up.
While he struggled with his personal problems, the Beach Boys continued to tour without him (with only a few exceptions), relying more and more heavily on a nostalgia for their early work to carry their live shows. They continued to record as well, though with diminished involvement from Brian, and with consequently underwhelming results.
By the mid-1970’s Wilson’s substance abuse and deteriorating mental state led his family to enlist the help of psychologist Eugene Landy, from whom he received treatment on and off for the next decade and a half. But while Landy would help Brian reign in his drug addiction and take charge of his mental and physical health, he also exploited Wilson’s dependency on him, even going as far as to convince Wilson to list him as a collaborator on several songs on his 1988 debut, self-titled solo album, as well as a beneficiary in his will. In 1991, Wilson’s family sued Landy, resulting in a restraining order and the loss of Landy's license to practice psychology in California.
Brian Wilson has credited the mid-90s renaissance of his personal and professional life to one thing - his wife, Melinda Ledbetter, whom he married in 1995. (Wilson had previously married Marilyn Rovell in 1964, and the couple had two children before divorcing in 1979). Since that time, Wilson has released numerous solo albums, including Orange Art Crate (1995) and Imagination (1998). He was also the subject of the 1995 documentary I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times. In 2004, 37 years after its initial recording, Wilson finally released a complete version of SMiLE to wide acclaim, and since reviving his career has even overcome his legendary stage fright, performing on his own and occasionally with the Beach Boys in concerts throughout the United States and Europe.
For his immeasurable contributions to music, Wilson has won numerous honors and awards. In 1988 he and the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2000 Wilson was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He won the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental for the song “Mrs. O'Leary's Cow,” and in 2007 he received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime contribution to the performing arts.
In 1999, when Wilson was asked if he was a religious man, he responded: "I believe in Phil Spector," later clarifying that while he had spiritual beliefs, he did not follow any particular religion, also adding that he believed "music is God's voice". When asked by The Guardian in 2004 if he believed in life after death, Wilson replied "I don't."
Views
Quotations:
"My mother used to tell me about vibrations. I didn't really understand too much of what that meant when I was just a boy. It scared me, the word "vibrations." To think that invisible feelings, invisible vibrations existed, scared me to death. But she told about dogs that would bark at people and then not bark at others, that a dog would pick up vibrations from these people that you can't see, but you can feel. And the same existed with people."
"Being single is like liking a Phil Spector record."
"All of us have the privilege of making music that helps and heals - to make music that makes people happier, stronger and kinder. Don't forget: music is God's voice."
"I wanted to write joyful music that made other people feel good."
"Being called a musical genius was a cross to bear. Genius is a big word. But if you have to live up to something, you might as well live up to that."
"A voice or a song can be so comforting to someone who really needs it."
"I think because I felt so sad I had to bring out my feelings, and try to create music that would make me and all my friends feel better."
"It's funny how people are pickin' up on our music now, you know? I think it's wonderful that people like our music."
"We wanted to bring some love to the world. I thought we were good at doing that. Bringin' love to the world."
"I'm doing good. I've had a slight nervous breakdown in the '60s. I got through that. And I got through the '70s. And I was in a doctor's program during the '80s and then I met Melinda and we've been together ever since. I've got a happy life."
"Did I suffer from depression? Yes, a little, from time to time. Yes. … I'm not as depressed as I was. I get depressed now and then but not very much anymore. … At the height of it it was just God-awful. It was really bad."
"Dennis surfed. I couldn't surf. I never learned how."
"The sound was essentially background sound, myself, and Carl, Dennis and Al Jardine, Mike was our lead singer. The four of us put our voices together. We had done it really beautifully. We had a beautiful blend. We really did."
"Humor - it helps to make the vibe better - it loosens up the vibrations."
"I think about God, yes, and I wonder if there is a God. And if there is a God, will God please help me through my hard trips."
Personality
Wilson suffered numerous nervous breakdowns and grew obese. He famously began wailing in the aisle of an airplane, played his grand piano in a sandbox he had built in his home and claimed to hear voices in his head. Attempting to deal with his addiction and mental illnesses, Wilson spent about two decades in seclusion.
Quotes from others about the person
“He’s got a great family life now, he goes to basketball games, he seems happy. He's leading as normal a life as Brian Wilson can.” - Sir Elton John.
Connections
From late 1964 to 1979, Wilson was married to Marilyn Rovell. Together, they had two daughters Carnie and Wendy. In 1995, Wilson married Melinda Kae Ledbetter, a car saleswoman and former model whom he met in 1986. They dated for three years before Landy put an end to their relationship. Wilson and Ledbetter reconnected in 1992 and married in 1995.
