Wilson, Brian Douglas (20th June 1942-Present)

He is a singer-songwriter and musician born in Hawthorne, California and is the brother of Carl and Dennis Wilson. He was a founder member, composer, arranger and producer for The Beach Boys. He has been acknowledged as one of the most significant musicians and composers of the 20^th Century who was influenced by The Four Freshmen and Chuck Berry. He collaborated with Phil Spector although their music was never officially released except as a public service announcement in later years.

He was known to upset the other members of the group in his strive for perfection. He suffered from partial deafness but preferred to work with a “mono” sound as he believed stereo was not accurate unless you were directly in between the speakers. He produced records for Glen Campbell and The Honeys and co-wrote many of Jan and Dean’s hits. He collaborated with Van Dyke Parks on the unreleased SMiLEalbum which was never released, although he released it as a solo work in 2004.

He was the owner of a health food shop called “Radiant Radish” in Hollywood from 1969-1970. He suffered from depression, drug dependency and obesity which caused him to withdraw from being in the line-up of the group and he mainly composed and arranged for them. Following treatment by Eugene Landy that involved him being fired from the band and isolation from his family, he gave him what has now been discovered to be an illegal use of psychotropic drugs. Years later he was diagnosed with suffering from bi-polar and schizo-affective disorder.

He eventually returned to make a re-appearance with the band for Live Aid in 1984 and record a new Beach Boys album. He launched a solo career in 1988 and in 1998 appeared as a guest artist with Jimmy Buffett in four of his concerts at venues in Ohio and California.

He amazed the world in 2004 by performing the previously unreleased SMiLE live at the Royal Festival Hall in London in February 2004.

He was married to Marilyn Rovell (who was a singer with The Honeys) and had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who made up two members of the group Wilson Phillips. He married again to Melinda Ledbetter and they have adopted three children.

He recorded an album in June 2004 with collaborations with Paul McCartney, Elton John, Eric Clapton and material he had worked on with his brother, Carl Wilson, now deceased. Other arists he has worked with over the years include Jeff Barry, Curt Boettcher, Belinda Carlisle, The Gap Band, The Honeys, Julio Iglesias, Jan & Dean, Johnny Rivers, Ryuichi Sakomoto, Nancy Sinatra, Styx and Three Dog Night. H e has been named in songs by Barenaked Ladies, John Cale, Jackie DeShannon, Tears for Fears and Elton John in his song “Since God Invented Girls”. He sang with his wife Marilyn Rovell on Jackie DeShannon’s “Boat to Sail” and cameoed in the film Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century as Daffy Duck’s spiritual surfing advisor.

The albums he has worked on as a musician, singer, arranger and/or producer are countless but a few of them include his own Gettin’ In Over My Head, I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times, Imagination, Live at the Roxy Theatre, Melt Away, What I Really Want for Christmas and Brian Wilson, as well as California Girls, Disque D’Or, Friends, Fun Fun Fun, Hawthorne, CA, Good Vibrations: 30 Years of The Beach Boys, Perfect Harmony, Pet Sounds, Sunshine Dream, Surfin’ Girl, Surfin’ Safari, 20/20 and Wild Honey by The Beach Boys, Human Conditions by Richard Ashcroft, Too Much Heaven; Songs of the Brothers Gibb by the Bee Gees, Essential, Vol. 3 by Glen Campbell, 12 Songs by Neil Diamond, My Lives by Billy Joel, Best of The King’s Singers by The King’s Singers, Cry Like a Rainstorm – Howl Like the Wind by Linda Ronstadt, Back to Mono (1958-1969) by Phil Spector, Time Takes Time by Ringo Starr and the soundtracks of Arctic Tale, Bean: The Album, Big Chill,Happy Feet, Love Actually, The Nutty Professor, Orange County, She’s Out of Control andThat Darn Cat. He has also been quoted as an “inspiration” on Wizzard: Greatest Hits and More – The EMI Years by Roy Wood. He performed in the Live 8 Concert in Berlin in 2005. He organized a campaign where he said he would telephone fans if they donated $100 for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In 2005 Mike Love sued him for “shamelessly misappropriating” his lyrics and the SMiLE album and the Beach Boys trademark, the case continues. In 2007 he performed the song “God Only Knows” for a special fundraising production by the English National Ballet in London and can currently be heard performing and touring with his Brian Wilson Band.

Beach Boy Recordings
Wendy (Brian Wilson)
Little Honda (Brian Wilson/Mike Love)

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Wilson, Brian Douglas (20th June 1942-Present)

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