Brian Wilson's birthday: Tribute to music icon

Brian Wilson has been regarded as America's true classic music icon, who left behind a legacy that would be cherished by the upcoming generations at home and abroad.

Wilson was no doubt an artist by-birth, born in Inglewood on June 20, 1942, California in a family of three siblings. He was the eldest of three boys of Audree Neva and a Murry Wilson (frustrated songwriter).

Brian dealt with an unfortunate blow when he was diagnosed with a hearing loss in his right ear. It had often been pointed to his frustrated father, Murry Wilson, who strike him a blow to the head.

Wilson’s first song: The old soldier

At the age of nine, his inborn talent forced him to do some magic, and he couldn’t resist to it! Wilson, 9, at that time, sang his first song, The Old Soldier, which was written by his cousin Mike Love, at a family event.

Wilson loved playing football, baseball and ran tracks in his high school days. It was in those schooling days, that he used to teach his two brothers Carl and Dennis, (who had displayed affection till his last breath) harmony parts and played piano together, thus closely analyzing the harmonies of his favourite singing band.

The birth of Pendletones

Brian along with his two brothers; Love and Jardine, appeared first time as a music group in the summer of 1961, and named it, The Pendletones.

$250 well spent: The birth of The Beach Boys

When their Wilson's parents went for a summer vacation, they provided the young boys a sum of $250 to cope up their food expense. They instead of spending it on food items, decided to rent musical instruments, that paved the way for their first song, Surfin, the subject was suggested by his brother Dennis, the only band member who actually did surf. And that ‘Surf’in’ gave birth to ‘The Beach Boys’.

The very next year, With Surfin’ breaking new grounds with a popular debut, the group were signed by Capitol Records. In a short time, The Beach Boys were soon enjoying super chart success.

Songs such as Surfin’ Safari, Surfin’USA, Fun, Fun, Fun, I Get Around and Help Me Rhonda explored and celebrated themes like surfing, first romance and hot rod racing. Brian Wilson was the mastermind behind many of these early hits. The Beach Boys became the only band to challenge the status quo of The Beatles in early 1960s.

A prisoner of his own addiction

The first encounter off his fragile state developed in 1964 when he had a mental breakdown during mid-air.

Wilson at the age of 22, had decided to put a stop with band tours, so he could focus more on writing and producing.

But, from 60s and till late 70s, Wilson had limited himself at home in bed with his thoughts and his cocaine. In 1976, his younger brothers, Carl and Dennis had consulted Dr Eugene Landy, a psychiatric therapist. Landy started a 24-hour drug monitoring, overseen by a group of burly minders. This treatment had led to Wilson’ partial recovery from his drug dependence.

Wilson’s growing dependence on drugs suffered him some personal life blows, his wife Marilyn, had left in 1978. And in 1990s, Brian decided to marry for the second time, paving the way for his return to the studio once again!

The comeback of a legend!

After fighting depression for over 30 years, he made a stunning comeback with a revival of the legendary, long-lost Smile album.

Re-emerged in the millennium

In 2004, Wilson appeared for a live performance at the Royal Festival Hall in London and delighted audiences with Smile around the world. His fans and critics were struck with the ultimate joy on Wilson’s face as he performed.

The dawn of the new millennium marked a return of a legend, in the coming years, he started working on a series of recordings, including an interpretation of Gershwin classics, that becomes number one on the Billboards Jazz Chart. Wilson reunited with the band after a gap of 15 years, in 2012, both for a tour and an album, That’s Why God Made The Radio, which was Wilson’s first original recordings.

The re-union was short lived, and by 2014, Wilson was busy recording the songs he had written for the next Beach Boys record as a solo artist.

A biopic Love & Mercy on Wilson’s life and career was also produced which was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2014, starring John Cusack and Paul Dano. Wilson didn’t hang boots and continued to tour in his late 70s. But, in 2024, he lost his wife, Melinda, who died at the age of 77.

He was by all means, a towering figure of the 20 th century popular music scene, which he earned with his creativity as a writer and his epic technical skills in the studio.

The old soldier’s Final Journey

The genius of American popular music lost his fight against depression at the age of 82 on June 11, 2025 and didn’t live to celebrate his 83rd birthday. Wilson’s family announced his death on social media but refrained from speculating his cause of death. The old soldier who had fought many battles and won with grace but ultimately succumbed to wounds that left lasting scars!