Brian Wilson has written one of the happiest, sunny and playful soundtracks in rock. However, the singer, songwriter and bassist of the Beach Boys has also always fought the demons of mental illness which caught up with him at 81 years old. The musical genius shaped the Californian sound of the sixties through immense songs.
Good Vibrations, California Girls, I Get Around, Wouldn’t it Be Nice, or Surfin’ USA celebrate partying and surfing with vocal and melodic polyphony of extreme sophistication under a limpid appearance. Artisan of this harmonious sound, Brian Wilson was hailed as the prodigy of American pop from the beginning of the 1960s. John Lennon considered Pet Sounds (1966) as one of the best albums of all time.
In 2022, a final recording
For the Beach Boys singer’s 80th birthday, on June 20, 2022, the American group She & He, composed of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, managed to bring him out of retirement. He sang with the tandem Do It Again on a tribute disc, Melt Away : A Tribute to Brian Wilson.
By the late 1960s, Brian Wilson’s dissatisfaction, isolation at home, hard work and notorious drug use had exposed his mental health problems. The artist had given up performing on stage with the Beach Boys and ruminated on the loss of youth by moving his group towards more psychedelic rock.
Saved by his wife, Melinda
After a long slump, Brian Wilson explained that he was saved by his wife Melinda, whom he met in the 1980s. He described her as a “savior”which allowed him to have a second career and to finish his unfinished masterpiece, the album Smile.
The death of Melinda Wilson in January 2024 prompted the Beach Boys singer’s request for guardianship. Brian Wilson was “diagnosed with dementia”, explained his agent Jean Sievers to the New York Times. She should soon serve as his tutor, jointly with his manager LeeAnn Hard. This decision was made “following death” by Melinda Wilson and “after careful consideration and consultation between Brian, his seven children (…) and Brian’s doctors”.
This placement under guardianship must still be ratified by a judge. The family filed the request this week in a Los Angeles court. Brian Wilson has a “major neurocognitive disorder” et “is unable to meet his or her personal physical health needs”according to court documents filed by the family and cited by American media.
Brian Wilson remains one of the most respected musicians in the world for his creative genius, his knowledge of melody and harmonies. Author of more than 200 songs, he is hailed by his peers as the soul of the Beach Boys, the American group having sold the most records in the world.
2024-02-17 17:22:51
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