Legendary Beach Boys co-founder dies aged 82

Entertainment Editor Peter Ford on music icon Brian Wilson passing away aged 82.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The entertainment world is mourning the loss of a music icon,
with the Beach Boys legendary co founder Brian Wilson dying
at the age of eighty two legend. For more, we're
joined by entertainment editor Peter Ford hygh Pete. Brian leaves
behind a truly incredible legacy. No, he sure does. I
mean that music it sounds. I'm sure a lot of
people today have already been listening to Beach Boys stuff,

(00:21):
and it sounds as fresh and as crisp as it
did back in the sixties. I mean, Brian Wilson was,
in many ways, I think a tortured genius. The work.
We know of his work, we know of all the
hit songs. But of course through his life he's had
a lot of sadness. You know, his brothers Dennis and
Carl both died many many years ago. They were in
the original lineup of the Beach Boys. But he and

(00:43):
his own life was really mired by all sorts of
mental health issues. He was constantly hearing voices in his head,
and nothing that they could really do or get him
was helping him. In fact, he got involved with a
very strange doctor for about twenty years called doctor Eugene Landy,
who basically took over his whole life, including artistically and financially,

(01:06):
and the family at the end had to take legal
action to stop this doctor getting anywhere near him. I
actually had a friend who was dating Brian at one
point and they would go on a date and he
would bring his psychotherapist with him, who would sit at
another table, but would actually be on call if Brian
needed some sort of advice on how he was meant
to react to something. But you know, when you hear

(01:27):
the songs, you only need to hear the first six
or seven seconds and you know instantly what you're listening to.
Like this listening to people, right, yeah, it is good. Look,

(01:56):
Brian did have mental health issues, but he also didn't
help himself, I would have to say, by the use
of drugs through the years. Now, some people, including himself,
at various points, did go on to say that you know,
that really gave him great artistic expression and license. But
in the end, did this interview grave All show you
he clearly felt it was a mistake for him. It

(02:17):
may have brought some immediate benefits, but long term it's
been dangerous for him. This is Brian Wilson talking about that.
Do you think the source of the problems that you
had was a psychedelic drugs? Yes, yeah, the psychiogo drugs
mashed my lafe up, but they made you more creative too. Yeah.
I got good varations to California girls, you know, so

(02:41):
they helped me rnderr or of those role after I
took the circus, I could but it wasn't worth it,
no or not work. So where are the Beach Boys now? Well,
of course some have left us. Mike Love is still
out there touring as the Beach Boys, obviously with a
brand new younger lineup. Al Jardine is also out there

(03:01):
performing as well. It's almost like a tribute show to
the Beach Boys. So yeah, today we remember that great music,
those catchy tunes, fun times and you know sometimes we
say rest in peace. Well, in this case, I think
it's truer than ever because Brian's life was so tumultuous
and so many challenges and now he does rest in peace. Yeah. Well,

(03:22):
I mean maybe you know, I grew up as a
surfer bumm at Bondai and the Beach Boys are absolutely
everything to me. It was absolutely the soundtrack and I
will be listening on the way home in the car.
Thank you, Pete,