Early life

Wilson grew up in Hawthorne, a suburb of Los Angeles. He was raised in a music-filled home, where his mother played piano and his father, a machinist, had a passion for writing songs. In particular, his mother played pieces, such as George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” which attracted his attention from a young age.

As Wilson grew older, he and his younger brothers, Dennis and Carl Wilson, frequently would sing together, and the brothers learned to harmonize their voices. Harmonies were initially a challenge for Brian Wilson, since he was almost completely deaf in his right ear from having been struck in the head with a lead pipe by a child in his neighborhood.

– To know about your favorite celebrities visit CelebsWikipedia

Later, inspired by artists such as Chuck Berry, the Four Freshman, and Rosemary Clooney, Wilson learned to play piano and to write music. When he received a reel-to-reel tape recorder for his 16th birthday, he taught himself how to overdub, which became one of his hallmark recording techniques. About the same time the three Wilson brothers began performing with their cousin Mike Love at small gatherings.

In the early 1960s Wilson formed a band called the Pendletones, which featured himself on lead vocals and bass guitar, Dennis Wilson on drums, Carl Wilson and high school classmate Al Jardine on vocals, and Love on additional vocals. The band recorded two song demos, “Surfin’ ” and “Luau.” “Surfin’ ” was released in late 1961 by Candix Records, which, unbeknownst to the band, changed the group’s name to Beach Boys before the song’s release.

The Beach Boys

When “Surfin’ ” first played on the radio in the greater Los Angeles area, it attracted the attention of executives at Capitol Records, who subsequently offered the band a seven-year contract, which they signed. The second single the band initially recorded, “Surfin’ Safari,” was released by Capitol in June 1962; it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The band’s first full studio album, Surfin’ Safari, was released in October. Wilson wrote 9 of the 12 songs on the album, often collaborating with Love, who proved to be a master at penning lyrics.

– To know about your favorite celebrities visit CelebsWikipedia

The Beach Boys subsequently released several hit singles and chart-topping albums, featuring cheerful, fun-loving, harmonious music with lyrics about surfing, cars, and girls. In 1963 they released three albums—Surfin’ U.S.A., Surfer Girl, and Little Deuce Coupe—each of which made it to number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart. The single “Surfin’ U.S.A.” peaked at number 3.

The title songs from Surfer Girl and Little Deuce Coupe were hits as well, peaking at number 7 and 15, respectively. The band’s next two albums, Shut Down, Volume 2 and All Summer Long, were released in 1964. The single “I Get Around,” off All Summer Long, was the band’s first song to top the Billboard 100 chart.

That same year the band fired Wilson’s father, who had been their manager. Wilson had spent most of his youth being afraid of his father, who was emotionally and physically abusive and had proved to be overbearing for the band.

In December 1964, while touring with the Beach Boys—who were enjoying massive success—Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown. The incident marked a turning point for Wilson, prompting him to stop touring and to instead concentrate solely on songwriting and producing. He began experimenting musically in the studio to move the group’s sound beyond its happy-go-lucky surf music aesthetic.

The result delivered the band’s second number one hit, “Help Me, Rhonda,” released in 1965, as well as the hits “California Girls,” “Do You Wanna Dance?,” and “Barbara Ann,” also released in 1965.

After the string of hits produced in 1965, Wilson continued to expand his abilities in the studio, with his efforts culminating in Pet Sounds (1966), considered to be the Beach Boys’ best and most significant work. For the album, Wilson collaborated on lyrics with songwriter Tony Asher and wrote and arranged almost all the music on his own. His arrangements were considered some of the most complex and adventurous in pop music at the time.

– To know about your favorite celebrities visit CelebsWikipedia

The album spawned multiple hits, including “God Only Knows,” “Sloop John B,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Pet Sounds ranks number two on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

In October 1966 the Beach Boys released the single “Good Vibrations.” The song was originally intended to be included on Pet Sounds, but Wilson felt it needed more work. He and Love rewrote Asher’s original lyrics to the song, and the band spent numerous hours in the studio, attempting to achieve the perfect sound—one that Wilson described as a “pocket symphony.” The work resulted in “Good Vibrations” being a number one hit. Rolling Stone later proclaimed it to be among the 20th century’s most significant songs in rock and roll.

The Beach Boys’ next project was SMiLE, an album that, despite months of recording, was set aside after Wilson became frustrated artistically. Alcohol and drug use featured prominently in Wilson’s life during this time, and his mental health deteriorated. Although his decision to not tour with the band left him with time to produce and arrange new songs, the lyrics for his compositions were increasingly drug-infused, to the frustration of some of the other band members, especially Love.

Wilson became increasingly reclusive through the 1970s. In the mid-1970s, with his substance use and mental health worsening, his wife hired psychologist Eugene Landy to help Wilson. With Landy’s assistance, Wilson was able to curb his addictions.

– To know about your favorite celebrities visit CelebsWikipedia

In the process, however, Landy took advantage of Wilson, convincing Wilson to give him a substantial portion of songwriting royalties and to name him as a beneficiary in his will. Landy also effectively became Wilson’s business manager and adviser. In 1991 Wilson’s family, recognizing the severity of situation, filed a lawsuit against Landy, which resulted in a restraining order, preventing Landy from contacting Wilson.

Solo Career

Wilson released his first solo album, the self-titled Brian Wilson, to critical acclaim in 1988; that same year the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In the mid-1990s Wilson experienced a resurgence in creativity that led to the release of several well-received albums, among them I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times (1995), which provides the soundtrack to a documentary about Wilson’s life that was directed and produced by Don Was; the album features new songs written and sung by Wilson as well as new versions of several Beach Boys songs. 

– To know about your favorite celebrities visit CelebsWikipedia

Orange Crate Art (1995) followed, the product of a collaboration with Van Dyke Parks, featuring lyrics by Parks and vocals by Wilson. Imagination (1998) includes songs cowritten with Carole Bayer Sager, Jimmy Buffett, and J.D. Souther.

In 2000 Wilson was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Four years later, working with Parks and supporting band member Darian Sahanaja, he released the completed version of SMiLE. The album peaked at number 27 on the Billboard 200 charts, and Wilson won the 2004 best rock instrumental performance Grammy Award for the album’s song “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow.”

In 2007 he was named a Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honoree. In 2013 The Smile Sessions (2011) was recognized with a Grammy for best historical album. Other highlights of Wilson’s solo recording career include That Lucky Old Sun (2008) and Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin (2010), which hit number one on the Billboard jazz album chart.

In 2014 a biopic of Wilson’s life, Love & Mercy, was released; the film was a critical success. In 2016 Wilson published his memoir, I Am Brian Wilson (written with Ben Greenman).

At age 11, during a Christmas choir recital, it was found that Wilson had significantly diminished hearing in his right ear. The issue was diagnosed as a nerve impingement. The exact cause remains unclear.

Due to this infirmity, Wilson developed a habit of speaking from the side of his mouth, giving the false impression that he had suffered a stroke. He also experienced tinnitus. In the late 1960s, he underwent corrective surgery that was unsuccessful in restoring his hearing.

Wilson’s first serious relationship was with Judy Bowles, a high school student he had met at a baseball game in mid-1961. The couple were engaged during Christmas 1963 and were to be married the following December. She inspired his songs “Judy” (1962), “Surfer Girl” (1963), and, according to some accounts, “The Warmth of the Sun” (1964), the latter being written shortly after they had separated. 

Around then, he had gradually become romantically involved with singer Marilyn Rovell, whom he had met in August 1962. Inspired by a remark from Marilyn’s older sister Diane, Wilson wrote “Don’t Hurt My Little Sister” (1965) about his early relationship with Marilyn.

– To know about your favorite celebrities visit CelebsWikipedia

Wilson and Marilyn were married in December 1964. They had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy (born 1968 and 1969, respectively), who later had musical success as two-thirds of the group Wilson Phillips. His daughters inspired his songs “Roller Skating Child” (1977) and “Little Children” (1988).

Much of the lyrical content from Pet Sounds reflected early marital strains that later intensified. Wilson later described himself as a neglectful father and husband during his first marriage. He had encouraged his wife to pursue extramarital affairs, including one with songwriter Tandyn Almer, while he engaged in an affair with her sister, the subject of his song “My Diane” (1978). Concurrently, Wilson maintained an affair with Debbie Keil, who inspired his song “The Night Was So Young” (1977).

In July 1978, Wilson and Marilyn separated, and he filed for divorce in January 1979. Marilyn received custody of their children and a half share of Wilson’s songwriting royalties. Wilson continued his relationship with Keil until 1981. After the separation, Wilson dated one of his nurses, Carolyn Williams, until January 1983. Singer Linda Ronstadt, in her 2013 memoir Simple Dreams, implied that she had briefly dated Wilson in the 1970s.

— Visit — CelebsWikipedia

Wilson initially dated Melinda Kae Ledbetter from 1986 to late 1989. Ledbetter attributed the premature end of their relationship to interference by Landy. After 1991, he and Ledbetter reconnected and married on February 6, 1995, Ledbetter became Wilson’s manager. They adopted five children. 

By 2012, Wilson had six grandchildren, two daughters of Carnie and four sons of Wendy. Ledbetter died on January 30, 2024. In his social media, Wilson declared she “was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closer to my heart”.

Wilson was raised in a Presbyterian family. In many interviews, he emphasized the spiritual essence of his music, particularly with Pet Sounds. He was also intrigued by astrology, numerology, and the occult, as reflected in his original concepts for Smile. In 1966, Wilson expressed his belief that all music “starts with religion”, and while he recognized a “higher being who is better than we are”, he was not traditionally religious.

– To know about your favorite celebrities visit CelebsWikipedia

In the late 1960s, Wilson and his bandmates promoted Transcendental Meditation (TM). By 1968, he had equated religion and meditation, though he ultimately abandoned TM. He described himself in 1976 as having over-diversified his readings, maintaining then that he still believed that the coming of “the great Messiah […] came in the form of drugs” while acknowledging that his own drug experiences “really didn’t work out so well”.

In 2011, he said that while he had spiritual beliefs, he did not follow any particular religion. Asked in 2004 for his favorite book, Wilson answered “the Bible”, and questioned if he believed in life after death, Wilson replied “I don’t”.

Wilson admitted to having a poor memory and occasionally lying in interviews to “test” people. In later years, many writers found Wilson challenging to interview, as his responses were usually curt or lacking in substance. 

– To know about your favorite celebrities visit CelebsWikipedia

Edgers wrote in 2000 that “no writer will ever understand Brian Wilson”, highlighting his often “clipped and conflicting” responses, adding that he “generally makes it clear to interviewers that he would rather be somewhere else – and that’s when he’s feeling good.” Salon‘s Peter Gilstrap wrote in 2015 that Wilson had been known to end interviews abruptly.

Wilson’s death at the age of 82 was announced on June 11, 2025. He was only nine days shy of his 83rd birthday. His family did not provide any further details, including a cause of death.

Actor John Cusack, who portrayed Wilson in the 2014 biopic Love and Mercy, wrote, “The maestro has passed – the man was a [sic] open heart with two legs – with an ear that heard the angels. Quite literally. Love and Mercy for you and yours tonight.” Sir Elton John honored Wilson by citing him as one of his “biggest influences” and described him as being a “musical genius” and “revolutionary”. 

– To know about your favorite celebrities visit CelebsWikipedia

Other musicians and artists who paid tribute to Wilson included Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Carole King, Keith Richards, Mick Fleetwood, Ronnie Wood, Maggie Rogers, Gracie Abrams, Clairo, Nancy Sinatra, Julian Lennon, Sean Ono Lennon, Diane Warren, John Cale, Stephen Bishop, Questlove and Cameron Crowe.