"Brian Wilson is a genius" is a line spearheaded by a 60s media campaign to rebrand the iconic Beach Boys' image after its' star songwriter, Brian Wilson, suffered a nervous breakdown, causing quite the ruckus. Wilson's battle with mental illness persists to this day. The Grammy-winning musician, 80, often deemed the most innovative and extraordinary songwriter of all time, was actively touring up until last year but has since ostensibly taken an unofficial retirement from his touring career as well.
Brian Douglas Wilson was born on June 20, 1942, in Inglewood, California. Wilson reported his unusual musical abilities were mostly innate, and gradually honed as he stepped into the real world. Wilson and his cousin, Mike Love, devised the idea to form the Beach Boys, consisting of Brian's brothers, Dennis and Carl Wilson, in 1961. The group peaked within a few years and became a monumental figure in music history, fondly known for their vocal harmonies, and the musical bridging of both R&B and rock and roll.
Inside Brian Wilson's Married Life!
It's safe to assume that Wilson's personal life played a huge role in the singer's musical contributions, considering some of Brian's most memorable hits came from his experiences with love. The Beach Boys star doesn't boast the most reputable dating record though. During his first married life, Brian played a detestable man who was unfaithful to his wife many times. The Warmth of the Sun hitmaker's relationship with his first wife, Marilyn Rovell, happened while he was still seeing a girl named Judy Bowles.
Brian and Bowles set on their romantic venture after meeting at a baseball game in 1961. Judy even inspired Wilson's songs such as Judy, Surfer Girl, and The Warmth of the Sun. The pair were even engaged at one point and the crooner allegedly promised to marry Judy in 1964. Wilson did become a husband in 1964 but to Rovell, who he had started dating as he romanced Bowles and even put a ring on her finger. The foundation of Wilson and Marilyn's relationship had begun with lies and secrecy, and so it turns out, soon the duo's nuptial had started to unravel.
The pair welcomed two daughters, Carnien, in 1968, and Wendy, in 1969. The legendary singer's two daughters and Chyna Phillips, daughter of Papa John Phillips, formed the pop group, Wilson Phillips, in 1989. Although the spouses remained low profile during their 15-year-long relationship, news of Wilson's infidelities and his recurring mental episodes often hit the headlines, warning fans about their imminent and inevitable split.
Wilson reportedly cheated on Marilyn with her sister, Diane Rovell, and a telephone operator named Debbie Keil. The Inglewood-born songwriter reflects on his turbulent marriage in his songs, Marilyn Rovell, and All Summer Long. Brian's straying behavior wasn't the only thing that eventually failed their marriage. Rovell once revealed that her famous husband completely backed down to fulfill his duty as a father to their daughters. Rovell even went on to reveal that the Beach Boys star encouraged her to indulge in infidelity.
The Truth About Brian Wilson's Second Marriage!
The legendary Brian Wilson has left his old ways behind and is happily married- so one would say as the songwriter has been laying it low and stable with his second wife, Melinda Kae Ledbetter, 76, a former model. Wilson and Ledbetter dated from 1986 to 1989 and reportedly had to call it quits due to the intervention from Wilson's psychiatrist. Ledbetter reveals Brian, who suffered from schizoaffective disorder and mild manic depression for most of his life, parted ways with his psychiatrist in 1991 and rekindled romance with her.
The pair tied the knot on February 6, 1995, in California, and have been going strong since then. "I remember meeting her at her dealership, Cadillac, and I said, 'God, she's a pretty girl. I just said to myself, 'God, I think I'll see her again sometime," Wilson says as he recalls his first meet-cute with the model. The pair are parents to five adopted children, daughters Daria, Delanie, and Dakota, and sons Dylan and Dash, all of whom keep their lives away from the spotlight.
Wilson and Ledbetter's relationship goes beyond the barrier of spouses as Melinda also looks after her husband's crafts and legacy as his manager and conservator. There have been several speculations about Ledbetter's relationship with Wilson over the years. While a section credits the former model for looking after Brian's mental health and his career, many believe that she is exploiting her husband and putting undue pressure on him to keep his career going.
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