Brian Wilson sang of a sun-drenched, carefree world that stood in striking contrast to his tormented inner life. In songs like "Fun, Fun, Fun," "California Girls," "Surfin' U.S.A.," and "I Get Around," the Beach Boys leader wrote of a Southern California idyll where eternal surf beckoned and there were "two girls for every boy." Their more than 30 Top 40 hits made the Beach Boys America's top band of the mid-1960s. But in reality, Wilson was a troubled introvert who preferred the isolation of his bedroom to parties on the beach. He took a turn toward moody introspection—and made a quantum artistic leap for pop—with the 1966 album Pet Sounds, a masterpiece that influenced countless bands to follow. But his genius was eclipsed by a descent into drug abuse and psychological turmoil, as he grew paranoid and began hearing voices. "I have been living with mental illness for many decades," he told fans when canceling a 2019 tour. "I've been struggling with stuff in my head and saying things I don't mean, and I don't know why."
Wilson grew up in Hawthorne, Calif., an L.A. suburb, said The Washington Post. His father, a frustrated songwriter who sold heavy machinery, was a "tyrant and heavy drinker" and abused Brian physically and emotionally. Brian was a musical prodigy, teaching himself piano and writing his first song at age 5. Captivated as a teen by the intricate vocalizing of the Four Freshmen, Wilson enlisted his younger brothers Dennis and Carl to harmonize, making tapes on a portable recorder. The three formed a band along with their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine; Dennis, a surfer, suggested that Wilson write them a surfing song. The result, "Surfin'," was issued by a small label and became a local hit. Signed to Capitol Records, the Beach Boys won nationwide acclaim with the 1963 Chuck Berry homage "Surfin' U.S.A.," said Rolling Stone. With Brian as chief writer, producer, and arranger and often lead singer, they "rolled out hits like convertible Thunderbirds coming off an assembly line."
Wilson's musical sophistication shone through in the band's "harmony-drenched" arrangements, said The New York Times. But "signs of instability" emerged as well. After suffering a breakdown in 1964, he quit touring to focus on writing and "immersed himself in the studio." Fueled by pot and LSD, he composed increasingly complex, intricate songs and recorded them using "a broad sonic palette" incorporating French horns, strings, and timpani. The result, Pet Sounds, was "an album of staggering technical and musical virtuosity," said The Times (U.K.). Its "pocket symphonies" explored loss of innocence and disorientation—and inspired the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper. Wilson followed it with the electrifying 1966 No. 1 single "Good Vibrations," an "epic sound collage" featuring theremin and elaborately layered vocals.
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