Beach Boys Founder Brian Wilson’s Complicated Childhood
Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson acted as founding members of the Beach Boys, with the brothers enjoying music during their childhood. According to Brian Wilson, however, his relationship with his father wasn’t always positive. The singer even called Murry Wilson “violent” and “cruel.”
Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys’ childhood
Before becoming an award-winning songwriter, Brian Wilson sang in his childhood home with his brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson. As kids, the brothers grew up with both parents — Murray and Audree Wilson. However, this was a tumultuous time for the young musicians, as noted by Brian Wilson.
“They were subjected to regular physical and mental abuse by their father, Murry, and their mother, Audree Wilson, was by all accounts an alcoholic,” Biography reported. As he got older, Wilson commented on his relationship with his parents.
“My dad was violent. He was cruel,” Wilson said, according to All That’s Interesting. “Whenever I got afraid, he would yell at me or slap me or call me a p****. When he didn’t put his hands on us, he tried to scare us in other ways. He would take out his glass eye and make us look into the space where they eye used to be.”
Brian Wilson said his father was ‘violent’ and ‘cruel’
Their family home was filled with “turmoil,” but the same Biography article reports that his home was filled with music. Murray Wilson was an aspiring songwriter, even if music wasn’t his day job. He and Audree both played the piano.
Although Wilson was mostly deaf in one ear, he and his brothers would harmonize with each other in their living room. This foundation led Wilson to be a musician, with Dennis, Carl, and Brian appearing as founding members of the Beach Boys. Murry even acted as their first band manager before he was dismissed. He died in 1973.
Brian Wilson formed the Beach Boys with his brothers — Carl and Dennis Wilson
After forming the band with cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine, the surf rock group rose in popularity. Brian Wilson took on an added role as a songwriter for the group, creating original songs for the group and as a solo artist.
Wilson listed some of his personal favorite Beach Boys songs during an interview with Esquire, including “In My Room,” “Surf’s Up,” and “God Only Knows.” He mentioned “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” was a “social statement,” featuring the track among his favorite songs that he wrote.
Even years after the Beach Boys formed, Wilson dealt with the emotional impact of his father on his childhood. This eventually led to substance abuse — the musician self-medicated with marijuana, cocaine, and LSD.
As noted in I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir, the artist eventually received professional help. Despite stage fright, Wilson appeared on tour with Al Jardine in 2022, performing co-headling concerts with Chicago.
How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
