The Smiley Smile Message Board

Dear friends,

It is with great regret that I need to postpone my upcoming June tour.

It is no secret that I have been living with mental illness for many decades. There were times when it was unbearable but with doctors and medications I have been able to live a wonderful, healthy and productive life with support from my family, friends and fans who have helped me through this journey.

As you may know in the last year or so I’ve had 3 surgeries on my back. The surgeries were successful and i’m physically stronger than i’ve been in a long time.

However, after my last surgery i started feeling strange and it’s been pretty scary for awhile. I was not feeling like myself. Mentally insecure is how I’d describe it. We're not sure what is causing it but i do know that it’s not good for me to be on the road right now so I’m heading back to Los Angeles.

I had every intention to do these shows and was excited to get back to performing. I've been in the studio recording and rehearsing with my band and have been feeling better. But then it crept back and I’ve been struggling with stuff in my head and saying things I don’t mean and I don’t know why. Its something i’ve never dealt with before and we cant quite figure it out just yet.

I’m going to rest, recover and work with my doctors on this.

I’m looking forward to my recovery and seeing everyone later in the year.

The music and my fans keep me going and I know this will be something I can AGAIN overcome.

Love & Mercy,

Brian Wilson

Bummer.  Oh well the dude is pushing 80 years old.  Hopefully he recovers and can get back at it though.  I am intrigued at what it is he's been recording though...

All the best wishes to Brian! I hope he'll be feeling better soon

I question the "physically stronger" part...he was in a wheelchair during the streamed concert a couple of weeks ago, and at the Christmas show, he was struggling to walk, wincing in pain.

Let the man retire with grace and grant him some peacefull last few years of his life.

I'm glad he's taking this action.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Zombies tour is canceled too.  This doesn't sound like the type of thing you kick in a few months.
We shall see.

Prayers for Brian.

He's given us so much.. he's the greatest.. Put yourself first, bro.

Knowing how back stuff works, while I always carry a healthy amount of skepticism, I woudn't pretend to know or characterize how Brian *feels* in terms of his back stuff. One can heal and have much better core strength but still have a level of weakness or take precautions that would dictate a wheelchair.

But I can't fathom that anybody would want to use mental/emotional issues as a cover story for a physical ailment.

I'm not saying anything here is a "cover story", but when that sort of stuff occurs, it would tend to be using a seemingly "normal" physical ailment like continuing back problems and surgeries (which is not to downplay the seriousness of back problems; it can ruin lives) as a cover for a more serious health issue, mental or physical.

This is a terrible thought, and I hate myself for even entertaining the idea, but it almost sounds like the onset of dementia. I hope I’m completely wrong; it’s just that the symptoms described sound familiar to those of us who’ve had to say a long goodbye to a loved one.

I'll admit that I had that thought too. "Saying things I don't mean." But we shouldn't speculate. I'm glad Brian is doing what he needs to do to take care of himself, and I hope he recovers soon.

No one else walks in this man's shoes and knows what's going on.

Maybe the best course of action is to simply wish him the best on the most basic human level, and let the public statement stand as what it is, rather than trying to find conspiracies or other hidden "facts" to challenge or dispute it. We've had more than enough of that nonsense to last several lifetimes in recent years...

Agreed. Health first!

While I think wild conspiracy theories and specific armchair diagnoses are a bad idea, I don't think some respectful speculative discussion is out of line. Admittedly, there's a fine line to walk here, and there is a limit to how much we can even speculate based off of little information.

But I'm confident we can keep it respectful. I mean, to be honest, if there's anything many of us are trying to quash or suppress at this moment, it's not inflammatory conspiracy theories but rather a more pointed expressing of our deepest fears of what this could mean or portend.

But he's a friggin' human being and he's being surprisingly open about the situation, and that should always be respected.

I am honestly glad to see this, even if it cancels the show I bought tickets to. It's been hard not to be concerned for Brian after some of the recent reports and knowing that another grueling summer/fall tour was starting up for him. I love the guy and he's brought us so much happiness. I'm glad to see he is putting his health first.

Mike just posted on Facebook:

Today, I read a message shared by my cousin Brian. My heart is swollen with love, compassion, concern, and thoughtful well wishes for a speedy recovery. Brian, you have fought bravely your battle with mental illness, I have no doubts that you will triumph and move gracefully past this speed bump. Let the music that lives deeply inside you carry you to your highest beautiful self, I will carry you in music every night we perform. I am cheering for you!”

I Love You Cuz and I hope and pray to see you soon.

Peace & Love
Cousin Mike

Wow. I don't know where this Mike has been hiding all these years but we need to see more of him. That's a lovely sentiment.

I know it's nothing but speculation at this point but I took the "saying things I don't mean" to mean the pain has caused him to become irritable to the point that he's snapping at those around him. I'm hoping that's the case vs. the alternative. 

I could be mistaken, but this may be the very first time I've *ever* heard Mike publicly refer to the term "mental illness" with regards to Brian, without bringing up drugs. Like literally I don't think he's ever ever done that before. I'm really glad to hear him talk that way.

My own heart aches reading Brian's statement. I wish him well like the rest of us.

Those are certainly two possible interpretations. I obviously hope for the best of interpretations, but my takeaway/interpretation upon reading that statement was not that pain is causing lashing out and saying things he doesn't mean. I hope it's not the "alternative", but that's where Brian's statement led me in my interpretation.

I think we can all agree that his statement indicates he's having more than physical problems, and in fact he seems to feel his back physically is doing better.

I think Mike has, to varying degrees, addressed Brian's mental illness and how the band/others back in the olden days weren't aware/familiar with those issues as much, and Mike has sometimes done so without bringing up drugs. It's usually only when he does a more thorough, thoughtful sit-down. Here's a bit from Jason Fine's 2012 C50 Rolling Stone article:

“When we were younger,” Love continues, “no one really knew what was wrong with Brian. Nobody knew about mental illness. We just had no clue about that as kids, as cousins and brothers, growing up. . . . I think there’s probably a tad bit more compassion that goes into our being together now. And I think there’s sensitivity to the fact that there’s only a limited amount of time left for this cast of characters to do what they do. There’s a lifespan involved here.”

This seems plausible, not dementia which definitely doesn't read like the right interpretation. In fact, it's wrong.

My heart sank when I saw the message that the upcoming shows are cancelled.  For months I have been looking forward to seeing Brian, Al and the band in Burlington on Sunday.  I am really sad that that's not happening.  But I am far more sad about why it's not happening.  The message from Brian is heartbreaking.  It is definitely the right decision to prioritize health over work/touring and I sincerely hope that Brian gets better very soon.  

Speaking as someone who has had mild depression and severe anxiety for 20+ years - sometimes the anxiety will cause me to lash out at loved ones and say things I don't mean and later regret.  When I read Brian's statement, I felt like that was what was happening to him - not pain or even dementia. 

I really do no like this.

Take all the time you need and feel better Brian   :(

You know, I'm thinking that for those who are very worried (count me among them) it could be that Brian just mentally knew he couldn't handle these upcoming dates. He just didn't have it in him. I remember when I was 19 I knew that I wasn't going to be able to handle another college semester away from home. I freaked, I guess I'd say I had a breakdown. And that was that. I dropped out (just for that semester) and later went back to school after getting my head back in shape. Or shoot, just while typing this, perhaps it was another 1964 plane type deal for Brian. He just realized he couldn't do it. The brain is a crazy thing and who knows what pushes us to certain points.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but who knows?

I’m at a loss right now and I really don’t know what  to say really.  The man’s my idol and not just musically, but  glad he’s taking time for himself.  I could tell it wasn’t just his back , that he was dealing with some sh*t.  I admire the fact that he’s saying what’s really going on, because it would’ve been easy to say it was his back.  But he’s got this, I know he does.  From what he said it seemed like it got real bad after his third back surgery. I wouldn’t be surprised if his pain medications were messing with his other medications. From current personal experience I know there can be interference , and if an adjustment had been made he may need time off for that. If you’re in medication for mental illness it can be a crapshoot.

Nobody can even being to say whether anything involved in this amounts to dementia. We don't have enough details, and even if we did, we're not doctors who could say what criteria would need to be met to use that term.

But I do think "mental issues causing Brian to say things he doesn't mean", while certainly open to interpretation, is something that, the way I read his statement, seems to potentially be beyond essentially the "mental pain" equivalent of yelling at people because of physical pain. Meaning, I read his statement as meaning he's saying things beyond his control and understanding, rather than being fed up with mental (or physical) pain and just lashing out.

But I think it's a good idea not to get bogged down at this time with using the specific term like "dementia." It potentially incorrectly characterizes what's going on, and also can lead to sort of the opposite effect where someone (potentially rightly) may point out that that term is incorrect, but then some take that to mean there is nothing serious going on. There may be (well, there *is* I think by Brian's own indication) something serious mentally going on, and it's important to keep the characterization of that as being as serious as it needs to be by *not* trying to ascribe one specific term/condition to it.

I'm a strong believer in mindbody issues, and lingering (chronic) pain, often back pain, having a psychosomatic origin often times. Even when doctors say otherwise and claim that a physical abnormality detected on an X-ray is causing pain. At the end of the day, doctors (even super experienced ones with the best of intentions) are really just guessing. They're not necessarily by definition correct.

I say this because I myself was greatly helped by reading books by Dr. John Sarno (in particular, "The Mindbody Prescription"). Sarno was a doctor who had no problem dismissing other doctors' findings - and Sarno was usually right on the money with his own diagnoses.

I certainly don't want to sound like an informercial, just stating my own experience here, as I believe it very well could relate to Brian's issues.

Having gone through lingering pain myself, I would not be at all surprised if much of Brian's back pain had an emotional origin (this is not in *any* way dismissing the pain - I completely believe Brian was/is experiencing pain), but I just hope that doctors operating on his back for a *third* time in about a year would have taken this in to consideration beforehand. Sadly, the medical industry is largely very dismissive of the teachings of Sarno (there's an episode of 20/20 - not the BBs album, but the ABC news show - from 1999 on Youtube that goes into detail about Sarno's methods).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsR4wydiIBI

In any case, I hope Brian's spirits are lifted by knowing how many people are pulling for him right now.

While I'm very much not into trying to wring some sort of pie in the sky scenario out of this where it isn't as serious as it seems to be, I do think a connection to his surgery could indicate that some of his issues could have been exacerbated by that surgery, either directly or indirectly. The issue with having to change around medications could certainly be a cause or at least something that inflames whatever else is going on. And, while I'm no doctor, I have heard of cases where people go in for surgeries for some sort of physical malady, and they come out of it with some mental after-effects due to a huge spectrum of possible reasons (anesthesia, not enough medication, too much medication, PTSD-type trauma).

I can only guess this is a hugely challenging situation for all involved, as there are lot of conditions and issues that are co-morbid, and also the opposite. I'm not saying he has anything along the lines of dementia, but if someone had a pre-existing mental illness and then *completely separately* developed some other mental condition (whether age-related or otherwise), that would make everything more complicated and murky.

Not even going to try to be an armchair analyst here -- I'm sending my love and prayers out for Brian and his well-being.

 :love  :bw

I love your contributions here, and I know a long while back some other Brian-related thread already hashed out the "psychosomatic" issue/debate. So while I don't want to dredge all that up again, I can only reiterate that while what you're describing can certainly be a factor in some types of non-specific, general "chronic back pain", and while fame of mind and psychology can absolutely impact how someone deals with pain and how they feel pain, I also think when it gets to the the point where there's a long family history of diagnosed, documented back maladies (as is the case with the Wilsons), and a detailed CT and other scans (in addition to x-rays) show outright physical injuries/problems (e.g. bulging/herniated discs, genetic deformations, etc.), it's not really a "mind over matter" situation on the front end of dealing with it.

In coping with the aftermath of surgeries and painful conditions (all surely done in consultation with what I can only imagine are top specialists in those fields), attitude and emotional well being play a crucial role, no question.

But no, if someone does scans that show blown-out or herniated discs pressing up against nerves, which in turn specifically cause secondary problems (including leg strength, walking, potentially bowel/bladder control, etc.) the doctors are not really just guessing.

I'm sure Brian's doctors are not only well aware of his back condition, but also aware of the pros and cons of putting a near-80-year-old under multiple surgeries. I'm not saying doctors can't make mistakes; I have no idea how "elective" any of Brian's surgeries have been. I'd guess not so much, considering it is a big deal to put someone of his age through such surgeries.  

Agreed. Prayers for Brian and his family, I hope he gets the treatment he needs.

Yes, definitely, surgery can have an impact on mental health.  People often underestimate the effects of general anaesthesia, for one thing, and then you have issues such as medication interaction, or having to stop one medication to avoid an interaction with another, etc... The average 76-year old is on a lot of medication to start with; add medications to treat mental health issues and back pain and I would imagine you've got a very complicated situation, medication-wise.  

Also, ongoing physical health issues can have an impact on mental health as well.  Issues like pain and, perhaps even more problematic, increasing physical limitations, can have a profound effect on mental health.  

HeyJude is right that none of us is Brian's doctor and we can't do anything more than guess at what is going on.  But it's obvious that a 76-year old with a well-documented history of severe back issues as well as mental health issues makes for a very complicated medical situation.  It also makes you realize how strong Brian is to have been touring as much as he has the past few years.  

I'm pretty farklempt, to be honest.  Not because my show was canceled (though I will miss seeing him, Al, Blondie, and the band), but because of the significance of his message.  He has been dealing with mental issues for most of his life.  Up until about 25 years ago, those issues either went untreated, or were treated with ineffective or harmful methods.   His mental issues weren't even spoken of publicly in any way until the stuff about Landy started coming out in the 80s/90s.   But now, he's in a place where he can speak openly and honestly about what is going on.  The message could have easily just been about having back problems, or just even say it's health-related without going into detail.  This is consistent with how so many other celebrities have spoken about their own mental health - the more the public hears things like this, the more normalized it becomes.  He knows we can handle it, and that we still love him.  

I tend to remain pretty rooted in staying realistic about things, so I'm not particularly into trying to find some far-fetched interpretation of all of this that indicates it's *not* serious.

However, one *very minor* "glass half full" point I can think of is that, if *up until* a few days ago they all thought Brian maybe *could* do the shows, then that's a sliver of hope that the overall situation is not as drastic/dire/far-gone as our worst fears might lead us to wonder about.

HeyJude, thanks and I understand what you're saying - and I won't claim to be any sort of authority on the subject whatsoever. I'm no doctor. And of course, I could be completely wrong in even assuming this could be what's going on here.  

I'd add that my hunch is that it *could* possibly be a contributing factor to Brian's pain lingering, and not necessarily the root cause.  I certainly won't claim to know the true answer here though.

My only two cents regarding what you mentioned (X-rays showing bulging/herniated discs, genetic deformations, etc.) would be to watch the Youtube 20/20 video link I posted above, and see what Sarno said on video directly addressing that sort of subject. It's really worth watching. To briefly paraphrase what Sarno actually said, sometimes abnormalities that are called out on an X-ray by a doctor actually mean nothing whatsoever.

Again, this is just some assuming on my part that it could have bearing in Brian's case.

Yet I just don't happen to think that nearly enough people take Sarno's teachings seriously enough, especially when an expert doctor says "this here x-ray clearly visually shows what's causing your pain"... it's very hard for someone to hear that from a team of respected doctors, and to then outright poopoo that diagnosis and take a chance on the teachings of Sarno, whose methods are not exactly accepted by the mainstream.  

Possibly it could be extra especially hard for Brian or Melinda to be able to even consider a non-mainstream doctor like that (Sarno is dismissed as a quack by some) being that Brian dealt with so much awful stuff from an actual unquestionable quack named Landy. Hell, if I'd went through the Landy crap myself, I might be extra hesitant to lean into the teachings of someone else whose methods are unorthodox (even though in a completely different way/context).

Lastly, I'll also add that if I hadn't personally been cured using the Sarno method (same with my coworker, after I lent her my book!), I'd also likely be equally as reluctant to believe Sarno's ideas could potentially apply to Brian's case. I'll admit I'm a bit biased in my beliefs of what is possible in this case.

I think the main thing to take away from the statement is that it specifically states that his back problem is getting better. As we've been saying, an easy out would be to say it's a case of continuing back problems, end of story.

The statement, amazingly potentially frankly and openly, seems to specifically outline that post-surgery Brian is having mental/emotional issues.

It's sort of potentially the opposite of the "emotions causing physical pain" theory. It sounds more like pain led to diagnosis of injury and subsequent surgery, surgery helped to fix the pain/strength/mobility, and the surgery may have caused or exacerbated an emotional/mental issue.

I'm not even sure the statement means to draw a direct corollary between the surgery and his current problems. I would imagine one of many possibilities doctors would look into is not only that surgery-related things are causing this, but that the surgery is unrelated to these issues.

Either way, whatever is currently causing him problems seems, by all indication and accounts, to not be caused directly by physical pain from his back problems.

I hear ya. In any case, it’s remarkably brave for Brian to be so candid in his post. I hope this sets a precedent for people in general to further de-stigmatize mental illness.

In addition to the many musical accolades that Brian has rightfully received in his career, the guy should be known as a pioneer (along with Melinda) in terms of bravely talking about his mental illness in great detail. Especially for a guy born in 1942, most people from that generation probably wouldn’t be so candid.

I’m reminded about the Beautiful Dreamer documentary, where Brian was in a super bad place emotionally at band practice for the then-upcoming Smile debut performance.  Brave of him to allow that footage to be used in a documentary, warts and all, and brave of Brian in 2019 to be so candid about what he’s going through now.

Sure hope he gets better soon.

I'm sad and frightened. I love the man and I wish him the best and more.
When it comes to back problems, I can't help but remember Prince and Tom Petty, and how dangerous these meds can be, specially if they happen to have interaction with Brian's meds for his mental illness. On the other side, I´m pretty sure that Brian is in a more controlled environment than them. But what worries me more is that dreared D-word, I remember Peter Falk slipped into it after going through some dental procedures (that's the kind of cases HeyJude was referring to)
Anyway, I'm hoping/wishing/praying for a temporary state brought by the aftermath of his last surgery.

BTW, anybody knows when Brian did have his last back surgery?

 
Is there a recent interview, or do we know of any interview coming out soon, where Brian might have said something he didn't mean?

I don't think that's what the statement is talking about. I think the statement is referring to in-person comments in daily life.

Again, I always await further info, though don't expect any, but I don't think what's being described is a "I don't think what I said was interpreted correctly" situation nor a "I called someone a name or was curt with someone in conversation and regret it" situation or something like that.

I don't think it's a good idea to attempt to ascertain anything in more detail given scant information, but my impression is that what's being discussed is more a "saying things outside of one's control" situation. Just my impression of course.

I think the narrative (though not necessarily intentional) these past 20 years has been, "Brian has dealt with mental illness all his life, but now he's got a great treatment plan and even though he has bad days, he's so much better and productive, and living life, etc." Well, I think in many ways, even though we know mental illness is chronic and not usually "resolved," we wanted to think that Brian had mostly conquered his demons because we all like a happy ending. And of course, we all love him and just want him to be at peace. But of course, nothing's that simple. What I'm happy about is that he was able to say (along with his family), "I need to just stop working and do what's best for my health."

And once again, the honesty of his statement is totally disarming and also just...your heart goes out to him.

Very nice message. I love the sentiment that Mike and band will carry Brian in music.

You’re right. I apologize for jumping to conclusions. Please know it was out of love and concern, and not anything sordid.

This is a lovely takeaway. I am so glad that he is open about it and also knows when it would be impossible to push through something. My heart breaks for him, but I'm glad he will be taken care of with his family and friends and not have to add the billion uncertainties that touring creates into the mix.

Plus 1

All the best BDW

This was long overdue. Brian, being Brian, pushed himself to do all these shows in recent years, knowing that a lot of band members, family, etc, were depending on the paychecks. But even an unselfish person like Brian finally reaches the point where he has to stand up for himself to - well, whoever. Finally the man can rest, and recover. I don't care if he tours again, I don't care if he records again, I just care that he is healthy and happy. He's lived through enough hell in his life already, he deserves to be able to do whatever he wants to do.

Carnie on Twitter:

@CarnieWilson
 2h2 hours ago
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Sending love and healing light to my Daddy @BrianWilsonLive I hope you can feel all the love around you. You are safe and loved. You can do it Dad!!! ❤️

47 replies 22 retweets 278 likes

Best wishes Brian and get better!

Huge bummer about the cancellations, but you could tell Brian was "off" during the recent shows. That one festival in Redondo Beach or wherever you could tell it wasn't the same Brian we got on the last tour.

I hope it's nothing serious and he'll be able to hit the road again soon but if not, the big guy deserves the retirement that his brothers and dad never got. Brian has given us so much already....

I have enough great memories of seeing Brian onstage and music that he made to carry me through the rest of my life.

I hope will all my heart that Brian enjoys the rest of HIS life -- and realizes all the love he has earned and all the joy he's brought to the world.

Here is a piece I wrote about this subject, because BW is near and dear to my heart. I published it as a note to Facebook to my friends and such, because it's something I view as really important. Hopefully it reads okay...

Brian Wilson's Admission on Mental Health Was a Good Thing

As you all know, I'm a pretty big fan of the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson in general. As an active observer of the band's activities, it is very easy to indulge into deeper speculation and curiosities, be it in search for deeper connection and relatability, or for pure entertainment. Thus, this is considered a hot take on the subject matter at hand, and is not intended to be a gateway into deeper issues on the systemic nature of art and the relationships between the consumer and the artist.

This morning I woke up to the following message on Brian Wilson's website:

"Letter as presented on his website"

It is not an industry secret that Brian Wilson has been struggling with mental illness throughout his career. Numerous examples of depression, anxiety, and schizoaffective disorder are on the public record, and there are many stories that document his troubles contained in books, as well as various stages of social media. In 2014, a movie based on Wilson's struggles with his psychologist, Dr. Eugene Landy was shown to theaters around the world, showing a brief glimpse of the abuse and torment that has plagued the artist for many years.

It is all the more surprising that here he is in 2019, commenting on his situation at all, and the fact that he is admitting mental insecurity is unheard of.

In the 1960's and 1970's, it was not an uncommon sight to sweep mental illness under the rug. Cases like Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd infamy springs to the public's minds that being mentally ill was an open gateway to supercharged creativity and In Brian Wilson's case, this narrative was pushed generously in advertisements for his next big project. When Brian Wilson stopped touring after a nervous breakdown in 1964, an unhealthy culmination of nonstop touring, producing, and composing, the press were quick to bury any mention of personal mental turmoil. In July 1967, as the anticipation for Brian's biggest project yet, Smile, was slowly fraying behind the scenes internally, press agents for the newly formed Brother Records label, falsely attributed Brian's eccentricities and outlandish behavior as the key to his genius. This classification would haunt Brian's mindset for the entirety of his career. Throughout the 1970's it was documented that the pressure led to career withdrawal and a spiral to substance abuse. As album sales began to dry up, Brian Wilson was eventually coerced back into the organization to produce records in 1976, with a fancy slogan to back it up: "Brian's Back." With the lead off singles, Rock and Roll Music, and It's OK to lead the charge into a new label relationship with Warner Bros. Records, it seemed Wilson was fully back into the fold.

Looking deeper into the situation however, leads fans to uncover an emotionally unstable creative circus bear, hopelessly being wheeled around by his band, forcefully controlled by the corporation demanding hits which stifled his own creativity, and being psychologically ordered around by his doctor, Eugene Landy, creating a toxic relationship that would last into the early 1990's. These unfortunate stops and starts were never documented in any way, save a few articles in gossip papers. Any interview was either well-scripted or extremely off-putting, showing viewers a truly lost soul in a sea of scrambled torment. In fact, knowledge of Landy's control over Brian Wilson's activities were not uncovered until a tell-all expose by Diane Sawyer revealed that Brian's personal will was illegally changed through his psychologist. To say that Brian Wilson's life was under control was a woefully misguided attempt to keep the band's image afloat in music circles. They desperately wanted to keep Brian's image as a genius intact, and to mitigate any oddities as mere faults of eccentricity, rather than reality. The truth was never going to come out, and it was only uncovered through an FBI investigation into the doctor's treatment of a different patient, that led to the discovery in the first place. After an eventual estrangement of the doctor and his patient in 1992, Wilson's recovery would truly begin, although not without periods of instability and sadness.

Wilson's resurgence in the 2000's was also not without troubles. During the sessions of the comeback album Imagination, Wilson began to admit that he flipped out, and that sometimes he was not enjoying himself. Later interviews would indicate that he was being pressured into these sessions due to contractual obligations, rather than personal satisfaction. While these interviews are hard to corroborate, fuel was added to the flame that things were still not okay in the Wilson camp, with no clear answer as to what was going on.

Going to a Brian Wilson show today can lead to two different outcomes. The first is going to an animated show, with a technically sound backing band backing up one of the most unique musicians of the 1960's. The latter outcome, and the most common these days unfortunately, is being faced with a disheveled Wilson, wheeled out in a wheelchair, backed by a nervous group of musicians, squeaking through his most critically acclaimed album, then quickly leaving each show, puzzling critics and fans alike. Does he really want to tour? Is he simply too old to tour? Is Brian Wilson happy? As a fan, the truth is completely open to debate as indicated through critics and Beach Boys circles, and with a new documentary promising to take a more intimate picture of Brian Wilson and his health, it is impossible to know for sure. However, to see this supposedly broken man up and admit to his fans that something is amiss, is a sight to behold.

With this admission, I think it is important to recognize that the stigma behind mental illness is abhorrible, and needs to change. In the music industry, a search for emotional perfectionism and unending positivity to satisfy employment parties, labels, fans, &c. can cause invisible inner turmoil, and without emotional checks and balances can lead to further problems down the road. Mental illness as a correlation for higher creativity output is dangerous to the end user. It is important to recognize that one's personal happiness and self-care should always be a priority in order to live a happy, fulfilling life. Your condition should not be stigmatized as cowardly or dismissed as eccentric. Mental illness is real and can be devastating, and should always be taken seriously. You have a right to health and happiness, and that should never be compromised through coercion or external manipulation.

Without commenting or speculating as to what is going on, I sincerely hope that Brian Wilson will get a chance to truly rest, put things into perspective, and get back to what he truly wants to do in a manner of his choosing.

I love Brian both the man and his music. If he decides to never tour or record again that would be fine with me he's givien everyone a lifetime of memories and joy. The main thing is to make sure he's healthy and can enjoy his life to the fullest. Good Luck Brian stay strong

The June 11th show now has a rescheduled date of October 2nd according to an article posted in the 2019 tour thread:

https://www.app.com/story/entertainment/events/summer-guide/2019/06/06/brian-wilson-beach-boys-pet-sounds-tour/3172883002/

I don’t think it’s out of line to point out that we’re all probably all wondering if the August/September (and now October) shows will be able to go on. I remain cautious about assuming anything, so I’m not going to say a rescheduled date means this is truly going to be only a short-term problem. But I guess rescheduling is a slightly better sign than not? I dunno, it may just be the venue deciding that it can’t hurt too much to give the show another nearly four months to sell more tickets (though it was also pointed out in the 2019 tour thread that while many June shows were not selling particularly well, this particular June 11th show actually *was* already selling very well).

Anyway, just a bit of info to chew on. I guess we’ll see if they attempt to rescheduled any other June dates.

Absolutely wishing all the best to Brian and family.

Lovely sentiment from Mike, as well.

Looks like Al gave an interview to promote the tour that was published the day before the announcement. From the sound of it, the interview took place prior to any rehearsals, so the interview may be a bit older.

https://www.unionleader.com/nh/arts_and_ent/music/beach-boys-al-jardine-on-seminal-pet-sounds-album-and/article_f65cfcc1-97b9-5635-aede-c686dcae3b51.html

In classic Al fashion, he can't remember the title to "I Know There's an Answer" during the interview....

Sorry if this is a stupid, basic question that everyone knows, but Al said Sloop was recorded 2 years BEFORE pet sounds and then the record company put it on when they didnt hear a hit..is that true?  I always assumed it was recorded during the pet sound sessions?

I know HeyJude said earlier one show was rescheduled, but a couple now just say "Cancelled"
Baltimore
https://www1.ticketmaster.com/brian-wilson-presents-pet-sounds-the-final-performances/event/15005631A7F02C7E
Atlantic City
https://www1.ticketmaster.com/brian-wilson-greatest-hits-live/event/02005661CEA29192

Wouldnt be suprised if all of them end up cancelled...

If they had planned on postponing them it would say "Postponed...date TBA" or something. These saying "cancelled" means theyre already refunding tickets and they are 100% not being rescheduled. If they do then it means you wont be able to keep the same tickets, etc. My guess is all of them will be cancelled, or almost all

Riveredge Park in Aurora, IL had a disclaimer when purchasing tickets that if the event was canceled, no refunds would be given, only credit to other performances at their park. Thankfully they've gone ahead and offered refunds. I had tickets to both Aurora and Nashville, and I have to give props to their teams in quickly offering refunds, and the customer service rep with Riveredge was really patient and kind, and said that everyone there is just hoping Brian gets what he needs.

Wonderful thoughts, and I agree with you 110%. Brian's health is the most important thing; he's given us more than enough in his lifetime.

No, the track was recorded in July of 1965 and vocals were recorded in December of 1965 before the majority of the Pet Sounds sessions took place in the winter-spring of '66.  Sloop John B appears in a working track listing submitted to Capitol by Brian (I believe the same one that lists Pet Sounds as "Run James Run" and Let's Go Away For Awhile as "The Old Man and the Baby").  Zero evidence it was included at the insistence of Capitol.  It seems that Brian always intended to include it on the next studio album following "Summer Days..."

Yeah, it's difficult to say what might happen with these shows. I'm guessing venues/promoters can have a say in whether they want to try to reschedule versus just canceling. Apparently, at least one venue so far has chosen to already reschedule.

Last year, when a string of shows was postponed, some of them ended up being rescheduled while others weren't. (And in at least one case, the Nashville shows, they cancelled them and then re-booked new shows and started selling from scratch).

The same might be true of these June dates for this year. The caveat this year would be that there would probably be more skepticism and hesitancy from venues/promoters (and potential ticket buyers) as to whether dates later this year in Aug/Sep/Oct might actually still happen as compared to last year's date which involved a more potentially predictable/tangible recovery time due to a surgery.

I'm sure somebody has beaten me to it, but in case nobody has seen the Brian Wilson Facebook page just posted this:

"Brian, Melinda and the Wilson family would like to thank all of you for your wonderful notes and good wishes. Brian looks forward to feeling better and seeing you again this Fall. Love & Mercy."

So I think it's reasonable to think that maybe Brian's getting some much needed rest and maybe some kinda treatment and that he will be back doing what he does soon and back on the road in the fall.

I think I speak for everyone here that all we want is for Brian to be of sound mind and body, at least as much as a 77 year old man can be. If he doesn't feel up to touring and/or recording, so be it. And if he feels best still getting out there and touring and maybe recording some new stuff, that's wonderful too. He's given us so much over his life that just his presence in today's world is good enough for me.