UPDATED Brian and Melinda Wilson, Campaign To Change Direction News and Updates

[guitarfool2002]

Announcement from this morning:

Article in Rolling Stone:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-wilson-partners-with-mental-health-organization-books-benefit-20150917

Press release on the news wire:
http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/09/17/769069/10149737/en/Legendary-Musician-and-Co-Founder-of-The-Beach-Boys-Brian-Wilson-Partners-With-Change-Direction.html

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Campaign to Change Direction, a national initiative to change the culture of mental health in America, today announced a new partnership with legendary musician and co-founder of the Beach Boys Brian Wilson.

Launched in March of this year, the Campaign to Change Direction is a national initiative to broaden our understanding of mental health by encouraging all Americans to take a pledge to learn the Five Signs of emotional suffering and to care for their mental well-being just as they do their physical well-being.

"My wife, Melinda, and I are very excited to be a part of this important campaign, not only to bring awareness to the mental health issues faced by millions of Americans, but also to encourage everyone to learn the Five Signs of emotional suffering," said Brian Wilson. "It's time for us to bring the conversation of mental health in America out of the shadows, and the Campaign to Change Direction is leading the way."

As part of this new partnership, Mr. Wilson will perform a concert on November 4 at the Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center. Proceeds from the event will benefit Give an Hour, a national nonprofit organization providing free mental health services to the military and veteran community, and the lead organization behind the Change Direction campaign. Information about the concert and where to purchase tickets can be found at www.ChangeDirection.org/Brian-Wilson.

Change Direction is proud to work not only with Mr. and Mrs. Wilson but also with the producers and cast members of Love & Mercy, a biographical film dramatizing Mr. Wilson's life and love story with his wife. Together they hope to inspire even more Americans to take the pledge to learn the Five Signs of emotional suffering.

"Give an Hour is thrilled to welcome Brian and Melinda as new partners and showcase Love & Mercy as we work to change the direction of mental health in our nation," said Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, founder and president of Give an Hour. "By creating a shared mission to educate Americans about the signs of emotional suffering and using different tools and mediums to reach our audience, we can encourage awareness, compassion, and action to change the national conversation about mental health."

Joining Mr. Wilson at the announcement, made today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., was his wife, Melinda Wilson; actor Paul Dano, who portrays a young Brian Wilson in the film; and the film's acclaimed director/producer Bill Pohlad – all of whom participated in a panel discussion on how Hollywood can help change America's attitude toward mental health. The panel was moderated by former West Wing star Melissa Fitzgerald, now Senior Director of Justice for Vets.

About Change Direction

The Campaign to Change Direction, a national initiative to change the culture of mental health in America, encourages Americans to care for their mental well-being just as they do their physical well-being. Led by Give an Hour, a national nonprofit organization providing free mental health services to the military and veteran community, Change Direction addresses common barriers to understanding mental health and raises awareness about the Five Signs that may indicate someone is suffering emotionally and needs help: change in personality, agitation, withdrawal, decline in personal care, and hopelessness.

More than 150 partner organizations across the United States are using their unique skills and opportunities to spread awareness; this collective impact effort will reach more than 30 million Americans in the next five years. Organizations and individuals who are interested in learning more or making a pledge can visit www.changedirection.org.

About Brian Wilson

One of the world's legendary musical figures, Brian Wilson was the primary composer for the Beach Boys and was responsible for the release of a slew of hit singles during the early 1960s, creating music that would come to epitomize a generation. The Beach Boys released three albums in 1963 alone: Surfin' U.S.A., Surfer Girl, and Little Deuce Coupe, all of which cracked the Top 10. In 1966 they went on to release the seminal album Pet Sounds, one of the most treasured albums of all time. After years of seclusion and battling mental illness, Mr. Wilson revitalized his career with the release of several hugely successful solo albums including Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE, his long-awaited masterpiece, and, most recently, his album No Pier Pressure. He is currently the subject of a critically acclaimed biopic, Love & Mercy, which is based on his contributions to the music industry as a musical genius as well as the mental health struggles he has overcome. One of the most influential musicians and songwriters in Rock and Roll history, Brian Wilson has earned numerous awards and honors including membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, two Grammy's, and the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime contribution to the performing arts.

About "Love & Mercy"

The critically acclaimed film Love & Mercy defies conventional storytelling with the dual story line of Brian Wilson, the singer, songwriter, and leader of the Beach Boys. Set against two distinct eras in Brian's lengthy musical career, the film intimately examines his personal voyage from the period during which he shapes the early sounds of the Beach Boys to the time he meets his wife, Melinda. Golden Globe® nominee John Cusack (Best Actor, High Fidelity, 2001), in "one of the best performances of his career" (Hollywood Reporter), stars alongside Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, Looper) as the troubled musical genius Brian in two pivotal stages of his life—the 1960s, at the peak of the Beach Boys' fame, and the 1980s, as Brian reclaims his life after a mental breakdown. They are joined by Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games franchise) as Melinda Wilson and two-time Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti (Best Actor, Barney's Version, 2011; Best Actor, John Adams, 2009). To learn more, visit www.loveandmercyfilm.com.

About Bill Pohlad

Academy Award®–nominated filmmaker Bill Pohlad has been producing quality films for over two decades. As founder and CEO of River Road Entertainment, he has honed his ability to seek out compelling material and bring it to light and established his reputation as a filmmaker unafraid to take creative risks.

Mr. Pohlad makes his return to directing with the feature film Love & Mercy, which centers on Brian Wilson, the mercurial singer, songwriter, and leader of the Beach Boys. The film paints an unconventional portrait of the artist by interweaving seminal moments in his life, from his artistic genius to his profound struggles, and the love that keeps him alive. Love & Mercy, which Mr. Pohlad also produced under the River Road banner, stars John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, and Paul Giamatti. It opened to rave reviews and is considered among the top films of 2015 so far.
Having started out as a writer/director in the late 1980s, Mr. Pohlad has spent most of the last fifteen years producing such acclaimed titles as the Academy Award®–winning Best Picture Twelve Years a Slave, Jean-Marc Vallee's Wild, Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, and Sean Penn's Into the Wild.

About Paul Dano

Paul Dano first caught major national attention in 2006, when he played Dwayne in Academy Award nominee, "Little Miss Sunshine," for which he won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Young Actor. He later signed on the Paul Thomas Anderson historical drama, "There Will Be Blood," for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Dano also lent his voice to the big-screen computer-animated adaptation of the classic children's book, "Where the Wild Things Are," voicing the main character of Alexander. Paul also appeared in the Oscar nominated film "12 Years a Slave" before starring in "Love & Mercy" as a young Brian Wilson.

[guitarfool2002]

Information on the Nov.4  show and tickets:

http://www.changedirection.org/brian-wilson/#COStickets

http://www.changedirection.org/

Photos from the press conference this morning:

http://www.changedirection.org/buzz/

[guitarfool2002]

[SMiLE Brian]

Great work BW!

This is a very important issue that needs the public's support!

[bgas]

Announcement from this morning:

Great information/ Nice pics!  but I posted the info from Brian's FB 10 minutes prior to your posting, here: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,22778.msg539980.html#msg539980

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

Great work BW!

This is a very important issue that needs the public's support!

Agreed, good on you Brian. Very cool.   

[CenturyDeprived]

This is a very important cause, and it's brilliant to see Brian involved with it. There needs to be more of a focus on mental health that examines traumatic emotional factors (other than *just* drugs) that have affected Brian and others greatly, and not simple, narrow-minded thinking from the usual suspects that avoids such discussion, and solely just hammers in the easy go-to drugs, drugs, drugs angle.

[ontor pertawst]

This is a very important cause, and it's brilliant to see Brian involved with it. There needs to be more of a focus on mental health that examines traumatic emotional factors (other than *just* drugs) that have affected Brian and others greatly, and not simple, narrow-minded thinking from the usual suspects that avoids such discussion, and solely just hammers in the easy go-to drugs, drugs, drugs angle.

Gee, I wonder what you're referring to.

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

I remember that interview... Yeah, I always thought that backdrop was in questionable taste! 

[Sheriff John Stone]

In interviews with Brian, when the subject comes up about his "problems", it is Brian HIMSELF who almost always says "I took too many drugs".

[bgas]

In interviews with Brian, when the subject comes up about his "problems", it is Brian HIMSELF who almost always says "I took too many drugs".

Right. it's simply easier to have people think you took too many drugs, than to confront the mental issues and have them think of you as crazy/demented

[CenturyDeprived]

In interviews with Brian, when the subject comes up about his "problems", it is Brian HIMSELF who almost always says "I took too many drugs".

Well, to say "I have emotional problems and have experienced mental illness" is not exactly an easy thing for anyone to point blank say. The fact that Brian is directly associating with an organization such as this one is an admirable thing for him to do. This isn't just some "Just Say No" anti-drug organization. It's not as simple as that; never has been.

I'm not saying drugs weren't part of the problem; they obviously were *part* of it. Keep in mind that there's also a hereditary factor to self-destructive behavioral patterns, like being depressed and staying in bed for long periods of time.

It's well past time that not every single solitary aspect of Brian's challenges be blamed just on drugs - don't you think?

[SMiLE Brian]

In interviews with Brian, when the subject comes up about his "problems", it is Brian HIMSELF who almost always says "I took too many drugs".

Is that you, Mike Love?

[rab2591]

In interviews with Brian, when the subject comes up about his "problems", it is Brian HIMSELF who almost always says "I took too many drugs".

Well, to say "I have emotional problems and have experienced mental illness" is not exactly an easy thing for anyone to point blank say. The fact that Brian is directly associating with an organization such as this one is an admirable thing for him to do. This isn't just some "Just Say No" anti-drug organization. It's not as simple as that; never has been.

I'm not saying drugs weren't part of the problem; they obviously were *part* of it. Keep in mind that there's also a hereditary factor to self-destructive behavioral patterns, like being depressed and staying in bed for long periods of time.

It's well past time that not every single solitary aspect of Brian's challenges be blamed just on drugs - don't you think?

Exactly, and through this program hopefully people like Mike Love will become more educated on the fact that drugs aren't the only factor when it comes to mental illness. And hopefully it'll also introduce a more open discourse on the subject so disinformation doesn't run rampant.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

In interviews with Brian, when the subject comes up about his "problems", it is Brian HIMSELF who almost always says "I took too many drugs".

Is that you, Mike Love?

Bet it is. Yes, Brian took drugs and myKe luHv made a fortune, but continues to bitch on. Loser.

[CenturyDeprived]

In interviews with Brian, when the subject comes up about his "problems", it is Brian HIMSELF who almost always says "I took too many drugs".

Well, to say "I have emotional problems and have experienced mental illness" is not exactly an easy thing for anyone to point blank say. The fact that Brian is directly associating with an organization such as this one is an admirable thing for him to do. This isn't just some "Just Say No" anti-drug organization. It's not as simple as that; never has been.

I'm not saying drugs weren't part of the problem; they obviously were *part* of it. Keep in mind that there's also a hereditary factor to self-destructive behavioral patterns, like being depressed and staying in bed for long periods of time.

It's well past time that not every single solitary aspect of Brian's challenges be blamed just on drugs - don't you think?

Exactly, and through this program hopefully people like Mike Love will become more educated on the fact that drugs aren't the only factor when it comes to mental illness. And hopefully it'll also introduce a more open discourse on the subject so disinformation doesn't run rampant.

Absolutely. It's about education, compassion, and understanding. There are grey areas and nuance, and more people need to understand that it's not a completely black and white situation. Brian taking this brave step by being part of this organization will surely help diminish such misinformation.

Ultimately, I hope this leads to more compassion, and a cessation of the "just drugs" talk, where one-sided (and frankly not-particularly-compassionate) points of view expressed in interviews such as the Lifestyles of the Rick and Famous will be widely regarded as outdated and misguided, with regard to drug-speak. There's more to the story than just drugs - and even if Brian himself has often in the past just focused on the drug angle, doesn't mean that there isn't room for careful deeper examination and reevaluation. I'll put it this way: Brian associating with this organization won't make it *easier* for Mike to just say the drugs, drugs, drugs thing in future interviews anymore. Maybe he'll still do it, but the public is gradually getting wiser to the full picture. Nature, nurture, and genetic predisposition are not to be dismissed as irrelevant.

[Wirestone]

Nearly every musician from the 60s took drugs.

But very, very few ended up like Brian. And he used far fewer drugs than most.

The stigma against mental illness is one of the biggest obstacles that people needing help face. It wasn't until Brian was finally treated by competent doctors, without immediate financial gain in mind, that he started on the road to long term health.

[Marty Castillo]

Nearly every musician from the 60s took drugs.

But very, very few ended up like Brian. And he used far fewer drugs than most.

The stigma against mental illness is one of the biggest obstacles that people needing help face. It wasn't until Brian was finally treated by competent doctors, without immediate financial gain in mind, that he started on the road to long term health.

Yeah, a lot of them ended up dead, too. It amazes me how many of you are so flip about drug use.

I applaud Brian and Melinda for their needed work and advocacy on this issue...how did we get derailed from what really matters here???

[18thofMay]

This is why the tour to Europe was cancelled!

[bgas]

This is why the tour to Europe was cancelled!

Because of Brian's mental health issues? Really?

[18thofMay]

No to promote this and the film!

"After seeing the movie, Van Dahlen reached out to Melinda Wilson. "We started talking and crying," she says. "We both said, 'We have to work together.'" In the coming months, Brian, Melinda and various Love and Mercy cast members will take active roles in the Campaign To Change Direction. "We're going to do some PSAs," says Van Dahlen. "We're going to screen the movie to various communities, sometimes with cast members present, and there will be additional interviews and articles to promote Brian's story."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-wilson-partners-with-mental-health-organization-books-benefit-20150917#ixzz3m3FJ66nt
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

[Pretty Funky]

This is why the tour to Europe was cancelled!

I would hope not. While a good cause, is it not something that could have either been delayed until after the UK leg or done through some kind of a video link?

As has been said here before, the UK venues were all wrong and were doomed to failure as soon as they were announced.

[Wirestone]

Nearly every musician from the 60s took drugs.

But very, very few ended up like Brian. And he used far fewer drugs than most.

The stigma against mental illness is one of the biggest obstacles that people needing help face. It wasn't until Brian was finally treated by competent doctors, without immediate financial gain in mind, that he started on the road to long term health.

Yeah, a lot of them ended up dead, too. It amazes me how many of you are so flip about drug use.

I applaud Brian and Melinda for their needed work and advocacy on this issue...how did we get derailed from what really matters here???

Just because an overdose of some drugs can kill a person -- in the same way an overdose of alcohol can -- doesn't mean that they somehow cause mental illness.

That's the point.

Drug use is a red herring in Brian's story. That's not being flip, it's just being informed.

[Mike's Beard]

Brian taking drugs to blot out his mental health problems was like trying to put out a fire with gasoline.

[Peter Reum]

Over  80% of seriously advanced cases of  chemical dependence, are  persons with serious mental health issues. These folks often use mood altering chemicals or activities  to escape their mental health issues. They drink, snort, shoot, copulate,gamble, overeat, starve, binge  and vomit---to escape the emotional  or terrorizing symptoms  they  experience. Chemical Dependency  treatment is only  the beginning of a  long  journey  to a balanced life. For example, Dennis Wilson's possibly going to treatment  is often  thought to have been the  remedy to his health getting better. Even if  he had gone to treatment, it would have been only the start of a long road that would  have taken years for him to finish.