Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Brian Wilson
Public opinion and media debates around Brian Wilson—discover key moments of controversy.
Brian Wilson is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the co-founder of the Beach Boys. He is celebrated for his innovative approach to pop composition, musical talent, and mastery of recording. Wilson's work is characterized by high production values, complex harmonies, layered vocals, and introspective themes. His vocal range and struggles with mental illness are also notable aspects of his life and career.
1965: First LSD Experience and Creation of "California Girls"
Early in 1965, shortly after moving to a new apartment, Wilson took LSD for the first time under supervision. The experience profoundly affected him and inspired the riff for "California Girls." However, for the remainder of 1965, he experienced paranoia attributed to his LSD consumption.
1965: Drug Use and Hallucinations
In 1965, Brian Wilson's hallucinations began shortly after his first experience with psychedelics; he later crashed his car into a 7-Up machine.
1965: Religious Experience with LSD
In 1965, Wilson described having a "very religious experience" after taking LSD, saying he learned about patience and understanding.
1965: Friendship with Loren Schwartz and Drug Use
In 1965, Wilson formed a close friendship with Loren Schwartz, who introduced him to literature, mystical topics, and marijuana and hashish. Wilson's drug use strained his marriage and influenced his songwriting, starting with "Please Let Me Wonder".
1965: LSD Experience
In mid-1965, Brian Wilson played a single piano note for someone at Studio B, describing it as a sound he heard while on LSD, marking the point when his inner circle realized he was in trouble.
1966: Introspection with Pills
By 1966, Brian Wilson used "pills" for introspection, viewing psychedelic usage as benign.
1966: Phil Spector's Retirement
In 1966, Phil Spector's self-imposed retirement was identified by sociomusicologist Simon Frith in 1981 as one of the catalysts, along with Brian Wilson's withdrawal in 1967, for the "rock/pop split that has afflicted American music ever since".
1967: Second experience with LSD
Around 1966 or 1967, Brian Wilson consumed LSD for a second time.
1967: Wilson's Withdrawal
In 1967, Brian Wilson withdrew, which sociomusicologist Simon Frith identified in 1981 as one of the catalysts for the "rock/pop split that has afflicted American music ever since".
1968: Decline in Songwriting and Self-Medication
In 1968, Brian Wilson's songwriting output declined, and his emotional state worsened, leading him to self-medicate with excessive food, alcohol, and drugs. He began using cocaine and expressed suicidal wishes, marking a significant decline.
1969: Affair with Debbie Keil Begins
From 1969 to 1970, Brian Wilson began having an affair with Debbie Keil, who worked for the Beach Boys.
1970: Affair with Debbie Keil Continues
From 1969 to 1970, Brian Wilson continued having an affair with Debbie Keil, who worked for the Beach Boys.
1976: Wilson on Religion and Drugs
In 1976, Brian Wilson stated that he still believed, as he did in the 1960s, 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, so positively".
1978: "My Diane" Song
In 1978, Brian Wilson wrote the song "My Diane" about an affair he had with his wife's sister.
1978: Drug Overdose and Disappearance
In 1978, following a disastrous tour of Australia, Brian Wilson overdosed on a combination of drugs and disappeared from his family. He hitchhiked, played piano at a gay bar, traveled to Mexico, and was eventually found by police in Balboa Park before being hospitalized for alcohol poisoning.
1980: "Cocaine Sessions" Collaboration
In 1980, Brian Wilson engaged in clandestine recording sessions with his brother Dennis at Garby Leon's home studio, which were later dubbed the "cocaine sessions" or "hamburger sessions" due to Dennis's encouragement with McDonald's hamburgers and cocaine.
1981: "Cocaine Sessions" Collaboration
In 1981, Brian Wilson continued clandestine recording sessions with his brother Dennis at Garby Leon's home studio, which were later dubbed the "cocaine sessions" or "hamburger sessions" due to Dennis's encouragement with McDonald's hamburgers and cocaine.
1981: Assault Conviction of Pamplin and Love
In early 1981, Pamplin and Stan Love were convicted of assaulting Dennis Wilson after hearing that he had been supplying Brian Wilson with drugs.
1981: Frith Identifies Wilson's Withdrawal as Catalyst for Rock/Pop Split
Writing in 1981, sociomusicologist Simon Frith identified Brian Wilson's withdrawal in 1967, along with Phil Spector's self-imposed retirement in 1966, as the catalysts for the "rock/pop split that has afflicted American music ever since".
1982: Re-enlistment in Landy's Program
In 1982, after overdosing, Brian Wilson's family and management orchestrated a ruse to convince him to volunteer back into Dr. Landy's program. Wilson was falsely told he was penniless and no longer a member of the Beach Boys unless he re-enlisted Landy.
1983: Annual Charges by Landy
In 1983, Dr. Landy charged about $430,000 annually (equivalent to $1.32 million in 2023) for his services to Brian Wilson, and Landy's influence extended to being Wilson's creative and financial partner.
1986: Landy Charged About $430,000 Annually
In 1986, Dr. Landy charged about $430,000 annually (equivalent to $1.32 million in 2023) for his services to Brian Wilson, and Landy's influence extended to being Wilson's creative and financial partner.
August 1989: $100 Million Suit Against Irving Music
In August 1989, Brian Wilson filed a $100 million suit against Irving Music to recover song publishing rights sold by his father.
1990: LSD and Jesus Christ Complex
In 1990, Brian Wilson attributed his development of "a Jesus Christ complex" in the mid-1960s to LSD.
1990: Conservatorship Attempt
In 1990, Brian Wilson's cousin Stan Love sued Wilson, attempting to gain conservatorship, citing Wilson's mental health issues. The court ultimately ruled against Love.
May 1991: Conservatorship Suit Filed
In May 1991, a conservatorship suit was filed by Brian Wilson's family, leading to the dissolution of his partnership with Dr. Landy in December.
October 1991: Publication of Memoir
In October 1991, Brian Wilson's memoir, Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story, was published, prompting defamation lawsuits from bandmates and family.
May 1992: Lawsuit Filed by Mike Love
In May 1992, one month after being awarded $10 million from his Irving Almo lawsuit, Brian Wilson was sued by Mike Love for decades-long neglected royalties and songwriting credits.
December 1994: Verdict in Favor of Mike Love
In December 1994, the jury ruled in favor of Mike Love in his lawsuit against Brian Wilson, awarding Love $5 million and a share of future royalties.
September 1995: Lawsuit Against Jerome Billet
In September 1995, Brian Wilson filed a lawsuit against his former conservator, Jerome Billet, seeking $10 million for alleged failure to supervise the lawyers overseeing the suits between Wilson, Irving Music, and Love.
1997: O'Hagan on Rock Music Stifling Pop Composers
Speaking in a 1997 interview, musician Sean O'Hagan felt that rock music's domination of mass culture following the mid-1960s had the effect of artistically stifling contemporary pop composers who, until then, had been guided by Brian Wilson's increasingly ambitious creative advancements.
August 1999: Lawsuits Against Joe Thomas
In August 1999, Brian Wilson filed suit against Joe Thomas, seeking damages and freedom to work on his next album without Thomas's involvement. Thomas reciprocated with his own suit. The case was settled out of court.
2004: Ledbetter Claim on LSD Use
In 2004, Ledbetter claimed that Brian Wilson had only taken LSD thrice in his life.
2016: Memoir on LSD Use
Brian Wilson's 2016 memoir stated that he abstained from consuming LSD for a second time until he was 23, around 1966 or 1967.
