Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician,
singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys.
After signing with Capitol Records in 1962, Wilson wrote or co-wrote
more than two dozen Top 40 hits for the group. In addition to his
unorthodox approaches to pop composition and mastery of recording
techniques, Wilson is known for his lifelong struggles with mental
illness. He is often referred to as a genius and is widely
acknowledged as one of the most innovative and significant songwriters
of the late 20th century.The Beach Boys were formed by Wilson with his
brothers Dennis and Carl, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al
Jardine. Brian, who grew up influenced by 1950s rock and roll and
jazz-based vocal groups, originally functioned as the band's
songwriter, producer, co-lead vocalist, bassist, keyboardist, and de
facto leader. In 1964, he suffered a nervous breakdown and stopped
touring with the group, which led to more personal work such as Pet
Sounds (1966) and the unfinished Smile. As his mental health
deteriorated, his contributions to the band diminished, and over the
next decade, he was known for his reclusive lifestyle and substance
abuse. Following a 1992 court-ordered removal from the care of
psychologist Eugene Landy, Wilson started receiving conventional
medical treatment. Since the late 1990s, he has recorded and performed
consistently as a solo artist.Wilson was the first pop artist credited
for writing, arranging, producing, and performing his own material. He
is considered a major innovator in the field of music production, the
principal originator of the California Sound, one of the first music
producer auteurs, and among the first rock producers to use the studio
as its own instrument. The unusual creative control Capitol gave him
over his own records effectively set a precedent that allowed other
bands and artists to act as their own producers or co-producers.
Wilson's success also led to a proliferation of like-minded California
producers who helped supplant New York as the center of popular
records. The zeitgeist of the early 1960s is commonly associated with
his early songs, and he was a major influence on the
retrospectively-termed "sunshine pop" and Flower Power music that
proceeded.
singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys.
After signing with Capitol Records in 1962, Wilson wrote or co-wrote
more than two dozen Top 40 hits for the group. In addition to his
unorthodox approaches to pop composition and mastery of recording
techniques, Wilson is known for his lifelong struggles with mental
illness. He is often referred to as a genius and is widely
acknowledged as one of the most innovative and significant songwriters
of the late 20th century.The Beach Boys were formed by Wilson with his
brothers Dennis and Carl, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al
Jardine. Brian, who grew up influenced by 1950s rock and roll and
jazz-based vocal groups, originally functioned as the band's
songwriter, producer, co-lead vocalist, bassist, keyboardist, and de
facto leader. In 1964, he suffered a nervous breakdown and stopped
touring with the group, which led to more personal work such as Pet
Sounds (1966) and the unfinished Smile. As his mental health
deteriorated, his contributions to the band diminished, and over the
next decade, he was known for his reclusive lifestyle and substance
abuse. Following a 1992 court-ordered removal from the care of
psychologist Eugene Landy, Wilson started receiving conventional
medical treatment. Since the late 1990s, he has recorded and performed
consistently as a solo artist.Wilson was the first pop artist credited
for writing, arranging, producing, and performing his own material. He
is considered a major innovator in the field of music production, the
principal originator of the California Sound, one of the first music
producer auteurs, and among the first rock producers to use the studio
as its own instrument. The unusual creative control Capitol gave him
over his own records effectively set a precedent that allowed other
bands and artists to act as their own producers or co-producers.
Wilson's success also led to a proliferation of like-minded California
producers who helped supplant New York as the center of popular
records. The zeitgeist of the early 1960s is commonly associated with
his early songs, and he was a major influence on the
retrospectively-termed "sunshine pop" and Flower Power music that
proceeded.
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