The Smiley Smile Message Board

Does anyone know what happened to Kevin Leslie?  Did he ever speak out about the Landy years or his time with Brian in 1992?

Something else I have wondered about is what happened to all the video that Landy had of Brian?  Were these videos seized by the courts and used to appoint the conservator?

Many accounts talk about how if Landy was not around, video was taken of what Brian was up too.  I know that the video of Landy giving Brian meds is/was on youtube, and I seem to recall that there was at one time another video of Brian and Kevin Leslie watching a bird eat something on a balcony.

What was Kevin's role with Landy and how did he interact with Brian? I was very young when this went down so i am wondering what was the information on Kevin during the Landy years.

He was known as the "Surf Nazi," and would keep tabs on Brian when Landy was not around, and report back to Landy on what Brian was doing.  He would screen Brian's calls, let Brian known if Landy would approve of situations that they were in, etc.

Dang, sounds like if they could track him down, he would be a heck of an interview.... 8)

Here is an article from the Chicago Tribune in 1991.  It talks about concerns some had with Leslie sticking around after Landy was gone, and the process of getting Landy removed.  It is from 1991:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-11-17/entertainment/9104140084_1_eugene-landy-stan-love-separate-ways

By his own admission, Brian Wilson has been ``out of it`` for many years. Wilson, the so-called ``genius`` behind the 30-year success of the Beach Boys, was in Chicago to promote his controversial new autobiography,

``Wouldn`t It Be Nice`` (Harper Collins, $20), part of a nationwide publicity tour that has put the reclusive songwriter under the media microscope.

In New York, he passed out six times during an interview, the most dramatic episode on his tour and an indication that the prescription drugs he has been taking for nine years still influence his behavior.

In Chicago, Wilson didn`t pass out. He was quite lucid much of the time. He said that at that particular moment, he was on three medications.

Wilson`s speech is slightly slurred. The right side of his face and mouth seem dulled, and some interviewers as well as observers at a bookstore signing question if Wilson has had a stroke. He regularly closes his eyes and grimaces in mid-sentence.

Nervous breakdowns and drug abuse hastened Wilson`s retreat in the `60s,

`70s and early `80s. But since 1983, when he returned to the controversial 24-hour care of therapist Eugene Landy, Wilson has slowly begun to re-emerge in the public eye.

As he lounges on a couch in his hotel room, his feet propped up on a table, Wilson says his legal troubles may soon be behind him, too. The legal struggle pits Wilson against his own family members-brother Carl, mom Audree and daughters Carnie and Wendy-who are seeking to have a conservator named to manage Wilson`s finances. They want to keep Wilson away from Landy.

Both sides acknowledge that Landy saved Wilson`s life when he put Wilson under 24-hour care in 1983. He got Wilson off illegal drugs. He helped Wilson slim down from 340 pounds to about 185. But as Wilson recovered, doctor and patient did not go their separate ways.

Landy became Wilson`s business partner. His songwriting partner. His music-production partner. In 1989, the state of California stripped Landy of his license to practice psychology for illegally prescribing drugs for Wilson. The family took action in 1990. Stan Love (Wilson`s cousin and the brother of Beach Boy lead singer Mike Love) filed a conservatorship suit to gain control of Wilson`s affairs. Love alleges that Landy has brainwashed Wilson and has cut him off from his family and friends, and is seeking control of Wilson`s fortune. Brother Carl eventually took over the suit.

Although the case is scheduled to go to court Monday, Wilson says it may not get that far, partially because of a recent meeting between Wilson and Carl at a hotel near the Los Angeles airport.

``Just me and Carl . . .`` Wilson says. ``Just two brothers. We were singing. There was a piano there. We were doing our vocals.``

The brothers sang some old Beach Boys classics-including ``Wild Honey``

and ``Aren`t You Glad`` and ``Darlin` ``-that haven`t been heard much in the past 15 years as the group has become chiefly a surf-and-car nostalgia act.

It was a rare moment of harmony in the family`s stormy past. Wilson`s autobiography (penned with People magazine writer Todd Gold) cuts through the Wilson family with the same cool dispatch that Wilson claims to have suffered at the hands of his kin.

Among Brian Wilson`s charges: father Murry physically abused his children; mom Audree drank; cousin Mike Love is fueled by Transcendental Meditation and greed; Carl could have prevented the drowning death of brother Dennis, another Wilson victim of excess, if he hadn`t been reluctant to pay for Landy to treat Dennis as well. Those are strong charges. But Carl has said he doesn`t care if Wilson ever writes music again-he just wants his brother to be healthy and happy.

And it appears Brian Wilson will have that chance.

A source close to the conservatorship case said the settlement will mean a final parting between Wilson and Landy, adding that a conservator will be named to handle Wilson`s business interests. ``The deal being discussed will take Landy out of Brian`s life within two years,`` the source said. Part of the conservator`s job, the source added, will be to ensure that Landy doesn`t have an alter ego in Wilson`s life who would act as a go-between for Landy and Wilson. Critics have raised concerns about the constant presence of Kevin Leslie, Wilson`s personal assistant originally hired by Landy, at the Beach Boy`s side for the past six years, charging that Leslie is a conduit for Landy.

But Leslie denies the charge-``I`m an employee of Brian Wilson``-and the source said that Leslie is not beholden to Landy and will cooperate with the Wilson-Landy separation. ``I think (Kevin) will do a good job,`` a source said. ``I don`t think Kevin will jeopardize his position.``

After Landy was required by the court to get the hell out of Brian's life in late 1991, guess who continued to live with Brian for almost another year...

I know it was Kevin Leslie.  Do you know anything about his time with Brian, or has he ever talked about it?

Nope - it's like he's vanished off the face of the earth. As was noted before, that would be one hell of an interview.

Any idea what happened to all the video he took of Brian during his time with Landy?

I'm guessing Alexandra still has it, if it's not been trashed.

The first time I ever ran into Brian Wilson, Kevin was there. This was at the KROQ building in Burbank in 1988--it was the day after Brian had been on Bingenheimer's radio show there. Why he was there the next day, I have no idea--maybe he forgot his sunglasses or something?

My impressions at the time: Brian was so slim and handsome I almost didn't recognize him. Then his mouth twitched at the corner, and I suddenly realized it was him. (We were riding down the elevator together--I worked in that building at the time.) Kevin was at his side--very short and cranky-looking. And as I recall, he was wearing a suit. The surf-nazi description seemed pretty apt.

This was, of course, right after Brian's solo album came out, so I was counting myself especially lucky to have run into him then!

Kevin was, to be polite about it, a nasty piece of work. Evan, Landy's son, was somewhat nicer.

I tried a Google Image search, but didn't see anybody who looked like the guy I saw.

In '88, he kinda looked like a short/angry version of the bass player from Styx.

It's not possible it would have been somebody else would it?

Googling, I came up with this site, where the employment field would make it appear it's the same person( not saying it's definite, but it could be): 

http://www.choopersguide.com/find-addiction-treatment/kevin-s-leslie-granbury-texas.html

What about Scott Steinberg, Landy's original surf nazi during the 1976-77 "Brian's Back" era? Any idea what happened to him?

I remember reading this very article two decades ago, and this part has stuck with me for all these years.  How incredibly cool would it have been to hear Brian and Carl banging out highlights of the Wild Honey album on a hotel piano in 1991?   Too bad that a recording of this has never surfaced (and, indeed, probably never existed), but, oh, man, to have been a fly on the wall for that one...

Interesting point, i wonder what Evan thought of his father being a controling monster of Brian's life. I would be highly disturbed if my dad acted like a creepy father to a adult middle aged man.

When I think of Kevin Leslie, I think of the guy with the pony tail hair shovelling Brian bottled waters to Brian at his book signing in S.F. People in line were real annoyed with the guy, who kept preventing certain collectibles from being signed.

I have a video somewhere - I think I saw it on Youtube once. One of the documentary/gossip/news programs (maybe Diane Sawyer?) or some reporter with a cameraman showed up at the front gate of Brains & Genius. Leslie was on the inside of the gate with his video camera pointed back towards the outside at the reporter and cameraman.  Shooting video of each other. I don't think the reporter was allowed in or Brian or Landy were not home or Landy wouldn't let them in. Leslie was being a big jerk.

Leslie also took the "Great Hotel Video", didn't he? With Brian, Bruce, Foskett, and Stamos?

Leslie also took a video that I've been wanting to get a copy of for years. It's a tour of Brian's Malibu house with Brian as the guide. Real funny, and a great insight to Brian's living arrangement and his life with Landy at the time.

I met Scott Steinburg at Brian's house in 1976. Exchanged pleasantries with him, then he decided to stand out of the way under the stairwell inside 10452 Bellagio and watch Brian and us closely. Not a big guy at all - actually a little scrawny. There was no way he could have been Brian's bodyguard. He was there as Landy's spy and that's it.

Yeah, vanished into that black hole where Tandyn Almer and that other matching sock have disappeared.    ???

I wanna make a dirty joke, but just can't.... :lol

Him & Carolyn Williams would make great interviews, IMHO.

Yes... Carolyn would.  ;)

From my interactions with him (and for all I know he just didn't like me, might have been a wonderful guy, loves his mom and apple pie) he was Landy writ small and without the brains. Surf Nazi in all senses.

I find it utterly sad that a gentle, generous, talented, and troubled soul like Brian Wilson was dominated by this type of 'counselors' for long years. Incredibly tragic...  :( :( :(

Has she ever talked about her time with Brian?  I am guessing none of these people would talk about it for fear of being arrested.

I thought I remember hearing that while he was in the room, he was not the one that shot the video that many have seen, rather it was someone's girlfriend.

Well, there was a thread on the subject recently, and I told somebody that it was Stamos who shot the video. I just assumed that he put the camera down and turned it on, but then realized he was in the video a lot Off to the side) so he probably didn't shoot it. I think it was AGD who corrected me and said it was Leslie who shot it. Never heard it was anybody's girlfriend before.

Doesn't matter who shot the video - I'd just like at least a second generation copy of it! Who knows where the original tape is....

The Malibu house tour is the good one.  Anybody have a copy, please PM me, OK??

Anyone know what his voice sounds like?  The phone number listed at that link is Dr. Leslie's, I got his voicemail.

I figure it's a shot in the dark; maybe he COULD be a doctor? or calls himself one...

Yeah, just curious if it really is him.  Would be interesting to know.

And if it is him, lets grab Stan and Rocky and go and pay him a visit.........

Boy, am I glad there's nobody with my name connected with Brian.
Not like Kevin Leslie is a really unusual name.
Looking at LinkedIn I see 2 possible guys about the right age, one is working at a college campus in the SF area, the other is Professor of Pathology at the Mayo in AZ http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=116622823&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=efld&locale=en_US&srchid=d58e58c9-17c5-4324-9ba3-86e004231147-4&srchindex=2&srchtotal=134&goback=.fps_PBCK_kevin+leslie_

I would really assume that he'd be retired by now?

Or some Brianista already took him out

The Texas guy, however, is Kevin S. Leslie, which is a step towards him being the 'right' one.

Retired ? He'd be 50 at most.

There are hundreds of Kevin Leslie in Facebook.  Could be worth a try.
Where can I see a photo of how he looked like back then? Is he in the In My Car video?

(http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/surfnazis.jpg)

Best I can do - scan from the pseudobiography.

Is his voice available anywhere online?  We could compare it to his voicemail.

I suppose that means he didn't return your call?

I didn't leave a message.  I can't imagine him returning a message in regards to Brian Wilson if he is in fact the correct guy, unless it was very complimentary towards him.  I guess I could pose as a college student trying to write a paper about custom solutions towards patients and say that from my research it sounds like he & Landy did a great job, and I would love to get his thoughts.  Only problem is the only research that would support that is Landy's.

You could be right about responding, but who knows?  I just left a pretty straightforward message in that regard; (an off the cuff message, not thought out beforehand) I said I hoped he would respond at least to say whether he's the same person as the one that worked with Brian and Gene Landy.  Now I wait. 

The Kevin S Leslie in  Granbury, Texas is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor - so the odds are high that this could be the guy.  However, he might change his number with all these calls to his answering machine!   :p

Mr. Leslie, I am in the recording industry and play the footsteps, I was originally inspired to begin playing footsteps based on your work on the Brian Wilson LP from 1988.  I am working on an album of all footsteps and was wondering if you would be interested in guesting on my album?

Even if you find him, I'm pretty sure Leslie isn't going to grant any interviews or discuss Brian Wilson.

Is he credited on any of Brian's music along with Landy and Alexandria Morgan? Can't remember any, but he may have contributed a lyric or two. He was living all around the music every day for a few years.

Wonder if he still ties his hair back in a pony tail......

He is credited with footsteps on BW88, no songwriting credits though.

Evan Landy?

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/23249_1527673424_8627_n.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.facebook.com/pianoteacherevan&usg=__CZ95FDqqtzCwLEGGaXstHaOC2eA=&h=316&w=180&sz=11&hl=en&start=13&zoom=1&tbnid=7PoiqlN_MiSuCM:&tbnh=117&tbnw=67&ei=5ZsUTovBMe2ksQK9xeDUDw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Devan%2Bg%2Blandy%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1600%26bih%3D758%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1

Edit: Nevermind, not him

No, you ask him to PRODUCE your footsteps album!  A portion of the profits will go to rehab centers... :p

I will ask him to executive produce it, and he can video the whole recording process....of course I made that up and didn't leave a message for him, though it would have been fun.

ParksAsher, have you read this book?  There's two volumes - this is one of them:

http://www.beachboys.com/booksI.html#mcparland

Thanks, great!
So I'm gonna look for a bald guy with glasses.

Yes, I have that one, I don't have the second volume, why?

Just wonderin'.  Lotsa stuff about the Landy era in there.  Good book(s).

How is the second volume, and is it available anywhere for purchase?

The one you'd be looking for, a compliment to the first one, has a pink cover. The two volumes were conolidated into one around 1993 I think. It looks like it might be out of print now, but maybe the publisher knows where to get one. Steve McParland is a real good guy, and I'll bet he could round you up a copy.

http://www.garyusher.com/cmusic.html

Somebody here may have Steve's direct e-mail address - don't have it on me right now.....

 

I sent Landy a message saying I'm a fan of B.W. & his father. Hopefully he'll reply. Brains & Genius ftw!  No sarcasm intended (maybe at the time of posting but not anymore)

Well...
Do tell us when you get a reply.




 :tiptoe

Hmm this is interesting. I dont do Facebook so please keep us posted.

I conducted a massive interview with Alexandra Morgan (several hours long) for an upcoming project.
According to her, all audio tapes, files, and videos from her husband's archive are now in the possession of Brian Wilson.

Wow!  That's a scoop Howie!  Can you tell us please when the interview will be published?

Did you tell him your screen name was "The Ghost of Dr Landy"?

Lol. Yah, that'd get a response fast. The name's tongue-in-cheek.  

For anybody who was around during the old Mike Wheeler Cabinessence Board days...was it ever confirmed if the guy claiming to be Evan Landy who occasionally posted there was legit? Pretty much everybody called bullshit on it.

f=5

Pretty sure it was an imposter. As I recall he didn't know some simple stuff that he really should have.

This should be fascinating.  Please keep us posted.  Wonder when, if ever, some of the "audio tapes, files, and videos" will see the light of day.  Most of the stuff is probably sitting in a storage facility somewhere and will end up being junked, if it hasn't been already.

Interested to hear if Evan responds.  I wonder what he thinks about the upcoming movie.

Kind of figured.

In 2002 I was in Hawaii and knocked on the office door of Eugene Landy. No one answered and I really had no idea what I would have done if someone had.

Mr Mcparland  responds to email enquiries via the email address on the webpage as linked.

I bugged him about some sh*t earlier this year, and his reply noted that the  out of print stuff I was asking about would be available in e-copy later this year (but no specific day or month quoted)

Stephen's e-books can be found here - https://payhip.com/CMusicBooks  :)

However, The Wilson Project wasn't among them, at least last time I looked.

Trivia about Kevin: he and Landy's son Evan were known to occasionally wear tshirts with the respective legends "Surf Nazi" and "Surf Nazi (training)".

Just had a sniff around on the c-music site - it says:

"Two books not included in the series are THE WILSON PROJECT and OUR FAVOURITE RECORDING SESSIONS. Both have been picked up by French publisher Les Editions Berlot."

http://editionsberlot.com/

And that page says - "The Wilson Project is currently out of stock. Orders are available but copies will be dispatched on october 21th. Thanks!"

well i haven't heard back from him. probably for the best, really. who knows what kind of conflicted (i'd imagine) feelings he has about all that.

 .

Is he really short? Rode the KROQ elevator with once in '88...he looked to be just over 5 feet. That'd be your big clue!

Looks like him. Probably still has a pony tail too.

Dude, it's against the law to post someone's phone number like that!

 Guess I shouldn't have called it?

Posting personal contact info is not appropriate for the board and will not be allowed going forward. There is a line which cannot be crossed between posting public or business links to Facebook pages or Twitter feeds from public figures (like following various musicians, artists, etc), and those which are personal, including email addresses, personal and non-public Facebook pages, direct links to "LinkedIn" pages and other similar accounts. They can be searched elsewhere, but linking to any contact info beyond a public page is off-limits, and it should not be a part of a fan forum like this.

oh damn, sorry bout that. figured it was ok cause the # is openly available on a drug treatment website. but yah, i can see why i shouldn't have wrote it. won't post direct contact info like that again.

Ok, cool.

None other than Kevin Leslie posted “I was there” in the comment section of John Stamos’s Instagram about the hotel jam… https://www.instagram.com/p/BFnSplPih0t/

Damn! And judging from the picture from the autobiography, it looks just like him!

Scroll down on his page.  There's a picture of him, Brian and Landy.

Either I didn't look hard enough, or he deleted the photo  ???

nah, it's still there. for posterity's sake, i posted it in the pic thread.

btw, do any of you that are on instagram wanna ask him if he'd do a Q and A here?   ;D