Brian Wilson

The Profile

Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and producer, co-founder and principal songwriter of the Beach Boys, noted for his innovative arrangements and contributions to 1960s popular music.

Co-founder and leader of the Beach Boys; principal writer/producer on landmark works such as Pet Sounds and the song "Good Vibrations." Experienced mental-health struggles and drug use in the 1960s–1970s as documented in biographies and contemporary reports. Collaborated with Van Dyke Parks on SMiLE; officially completed and released SMiLE in 2004. Later solo albums include That Lucky Old Sun and Gettin' In Over My Head.

A selection of DeBaser reviews on Brian Wilson highlights his unmistakable pop personality, the long-awaited SMiLE project, and later solo work. Reviews praise his compositional gifts and arrangements while noting the limitations of his later singing and a nostalgic bent in some releases.