Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 — June 11, 2025) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. After signing with Capitol Records in 1962, Wilson wrote or co-wrote more than two dozen Top 40 hits for the group. He originally functioned as the band's songwriter, producer, co-lead vocalist, bassist, keyboardist, and de facto leader. Wilson was considered a major innovator in the field of music production, the principal originator of the California Sound, one of the first music producer auteurs, and the first rock producer to use the studio as its own instrument. The unusual creative control Capitol gave him over his own records effectively set a precedent that allowed other bands and artists to act as their own producers or co-producers. He was a major influence on the retrospectively-termed "sunshine pop" and Flower Power music that proceeded.

Filmography

• 2024Bad Vibrations — Music
• 2024Mount Vernon and Fairway — Pied Piper (voice), Writer, Music
• 2015Love & Mercy — Self (Archive Footage), Songs
• 2006Tales of the Rat Fink — The Surfite (voice)
• 2004Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile — Self, Music
• Duck Dodgers — Brian Wilson (voice)
• Hack — Raymond Henley
• The Rhythm of Life
• 1994Food Rocks — Songs
• Later... with Jools Holland
• Full House — Brian Wilson
• 1987The Return of Bruno — Brian Wilson
• 1984Olympic Gala
• 1976The Beach Boys: It's OK — Self (The Beach Boys), Music
• 1965How to Stuff a Wild Bikini — Beach Boy

Appearances as themselves (86)

• Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes — Self - Former Member 'The Beach Boys' (archive footage)
• 2026Music is God Speaking – Brian Wilson — Self
• 2024The Beach Boys — Self
• 2023A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys — Self
• 2023Reinventing Elvis: The 68' Comeback — Self (archive footage)
• 2022The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's "American Pie" — Self (archive footage)
• 2021Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road — Self
• 2020Streetlight Harmonies — Self
• 2019My Music: A Classic Christmas — Self - The Beach Boys (archive footage)
• 2017The Beach Boys: Making Pet Sounds — Self
• 2016Brian Wilson - Live at Baloise Session — Self
• 2016The Beach Boys: A Long Promised Road - Volume 1 & 2 - 1962-1971 — Self
• 2015Brian Wilson and Friends - A Soundstage Special Event — Self
• Dr. Feelgood — Self (archive footage)
• 2015I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Song — Self
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self
• 2014Brian Wilson: Songwriter 1969-1982 — Self (archive footage)
• 2012Endless Syncopation: The Rising Fall of The Beach Boys and The California Myth — Himself
• 2012The Beach Boys - Live in Concert 50th Anniversary — Self
• 2012The Beach Boys: Doin' It Again — Self
• 2012…Sings Musicals — Self (archive footage)
• 2010Brian Wilson: Songwriter 1962-1969 — Self (archive footage)
• 2010Classic Albums: The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds — Self - The Beach Boys
• 2009Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun — Self
• 2009Going Home — Self
• 2008Beach Boys: Surfin' Success — Self
• 2008Mellodrama — Self
• 2008The Wrecking Crew — Self - The Beach Boys Co-Founder
• 2007Cease to Exist — Self (archive footage)
• 2007Musicares Presents a Tribute to Brian Wilson — Self
• 2007The Swinging 60's - The Beach Boys — Self (archive footage)
• Legends — Self (archive footage)
• 2006The Devil and Daniel Johnston — Self (Archival footage)
• 2005Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE — Self
• 2005Live 8 — Self
• 2005The Beach Boys: Wouldn't It Be Nice — Self
• 2004The Beach Boys - California Surfin — Self (archive footage)
• 2003Brian Wilson Presents: Pet Sounds – Live in London — Self
• 2003Brian Wilson: On Tour — Self
• 2003Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980 — Self
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self
• 2003Pet Stories — Self
• 2003The Beach Boys: The Lost Concert — Self (uncredited)
• 2002Jan & Dean: The Other Beach Boys — Self
• 2002Party at the Palace: The Queen's Concerts, Buckingham Palace — Self - Performer
• 2002Paul McCartney: Back in the U.S. — Self
• 2002Van Dyke Parks: An Obsession with Music — Self
• 2001An All-Star Tribute To Brian Wilson — Self
• 2000The Beach Boys: Endless Harmony — Self
• 1999Brian Wilson: A Beach Boy's Tale — Self
• 1998Brian Wilson’s Imagination — Self
• Behind the Music — Self
• Classic Albums — Self - The Beach Boys
• 1997The Beach Boys and The Satan — Self
• 1996The Beach Boys: Nashville Sounds — Self
• 1995Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times — Self
• 1995Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey — Self – Founder of The Beach Boys
• 1992The Beatles: The Making of Sgt. Pepper — Self
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — Self
• 1991Two Rooms: A Tribute to Elton John & Bernie Taupin — Self - Guest
• 1987Disorderlies — Himself
• 1987The Beach Boys: 25 Years Together - A Celebration In Waikiki — Self
• 1985Live Aid — Self
• 1985The Beach Boys: An American Band — Self
• Goldene Kamera — Self
• Champs-Elysées — Self - The Beach Boys
• 1981The Beach Boys 20th Anniversary Special — Self
• 1980Goin' Platinum Presents The Beach Boys — Self
• 1980The Beach Boys: A Celebration Concert — Self
• 1980The Beach Boys: Live At Knebworth — Self
• 1979Echoes of the Sixties: A Musical Trip — Self
• The Kennedy Center Honors — Self
• 1976The Beach Boys: It's OK — Self - Beach Boys member
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Musical Guest / Security Guard
• 1969The Beach Boys: Live In Paris, 1969 — Self
• The Dick Cavett Show — Self - Guest
• 1967Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution — Self
• Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution — Self
• Omnibus — Self
• 1965The Girls on the Beach — Self
• 1965The Jack Benny Hour — Self (uncredited)
• 1965The Monkey's Uncle — Self - The Beach Boys
• 1964The T.A.M.I. Show — Self - The Beach Boys
• 1962One Man's Challenge — Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self
• Bringing Her Home: The Story of Sloop John B — Self (archive footage)