From the living room of his parents’ house to the world stage, Brian Wilson worked to establish the classic California surf sound with his band, the Beach Boys. Wilson is well known for the sunny tunes he wrote, although he has struggled for years to overcome the pain of an abusive childhood.
Brian Wilson’s Early Days
Brian Wilson was born on June 20, 1942, in Inglewood, California to Murry and Audree Wilson. Brian was the oldest of three boys. The family was musical, but it was also tumultuous. Murry was reportedly violent toward his kids.
“He was a very mean man. He was our (the Beach Boys’) manager when we started but was so hard to live with that we fired him,” Wilson told the New York Times. Some, including Wilson’s wife Melinda Ledbetter, believe the artist’s emotional problems in adulthood were a result of his tempestuous relationship with his father. Wilson is deaf in one ear, which may also have been caused by beatings.
Sources in this Story
- Biography.com: Brian Wilson
- The New York Times: Rebuilding Brian Wilson’s ‘Smile’
- Rolling Stone: Brian Wilson
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The Beach Boys
- BBC: Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds
- PetBlog: Pet Sounds At 40
- YouTube: Brian Wilson Band + Al Jardine Live Pet Sounds 1/27/7
- BrianWilson.com: Brian Wilson Extends Pet Sounds The Final Performances World Tour with New Summer & Fall Dates for 2017!
Notable Accomplishments
The Beach Boys had released the hit song “Surfin’ Safari” in 1962, which kicked off Southern California’s burgeoning surf rock scene. In 1964, “I Get Around” became the band’s first number one hit.
After struggling with mental illness and becoming estranged from the Beach Boys, Wilson embarked upon a solo career that culminated with “Smile,” released in 2004, reveals his Rolling Stone biography.
The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The Man and His Work
The Rest of the Story
In 2002, after an extended hiatus and doubts concerning his ability to overcome stage fright, Wilson played concerts in London, the BBC reported. A DVD release of shows from January and July of that year showed Wilson playing his album “Pet Sounds” from beginning to end, and bringing some audience members to tears.
The “Pet Blog” notes that “Pet Sounds” drew praise from some of the music industry’s biggest names, including Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and Elton John. YouTube has a video of Wilson and Al Jardine performing “Pet Sounds” in February 2007.
Wilson’s career has continued into the present. In 2017, he extended a world tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Pet Sounds.”
This article was originally written by Sarah Amandolare; it was updated May 22, 2017.
