Few musicians have soared as high or fallen as hard as Brian Wilson. After redefining American music with the Beach Boys and producing Pet Sounds, Wilson began working on a follow-up so ambitious it became his undoing. The project, SMiLE, pushed the boundaries of sound and pushed Wilson to the edge. For decades, he disappeared from the spotlight, battling mental illness and abuse under the care of those who claimed to help him. Only with the support of devoted fans and friends did he reclaim his music and his voice. David Leaf, author of SMiLE: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson, reveals how genius, pain, and redemption shaped one of music’s most complicated legends.
