I would listen to Little Richard and Fats Domino and Chuck Berry, and I would listen to how they played their riffs, and after I taught myself that, I taught myself to play my own kind of stuff. – Brian Wilson
It’s like when a guy gets a divorce from his wife. You part ways. That’s what I did with The Beach Boys. – Brian Wilson
The keyboard is my whole life. My life is centered around either sitting at my keyboard or driving my car. Those are the two most important things, more than anything else. Being at my keyboard, it’s the happiest time for me. – Brian Wilson
Every now and then I hear voices in my head, but not very clear. I can’t understand what they are saying. It’s a mental illness. I have been diagnosed as a manic depressive. – Brian Wilson
If there’s not love present, it’s much, much harder to function. When there’s love present, it’s easier to deal with life. – Brian Wilson
Summer means happy times and good sunshine. It means going to the beach, going to Disneyland, having fun. – Brian Wilson
I consider myself to be a crusader of love. I try to spread love around the world as best I can because I know I have a handle on love. – Brian Wilson
If you’re going to write a song, try to get together with a collaborator because it’s better to write with collaborators. – Brian Wilson
I have to tell you that J.S. Bach was easily the greatest musical innovator in the history of the world. He was so advanced for his time. There’s a spiritual depth to his music. You can listen to it and it’s like meditation. – Brian Wilson
Don’t get married until you’re certain that you’re marrying the right girl. How did I know my wife was the one? I’d seen her for a couple of months. I liked her. She was a very creative person and she had a very good grip on politics and business. – Brian Wilson
I think I’m a vocal genius, not a musical genius. I like background vocals. I consider myself a voice, not a singer. A voice is a sound, and singing is what you do with that sound. – Brian Wilson
My mother used to tell me about vibrations. I didn’t really understand too much of what that meant when I was just a boy. To think that invisible feelings, invisible vibrations existed scared me to death. – Brian Wilson
I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I’ve tried and tried, but I just can’t seem to find a melody. – Brian Wilson
I’m just a shy and retreating kind of person. Sometimes I get in a real talkative mood – but not very often. – Brian Wilson
Any article’s good. Long as it’s publicity, I think that’s all that matters. I think it’s advancement for my career. – Brian Wilson
I always do get a little bit paranoid when I get a lot of attention. But I get used to it. – Brian Wilson
Gershwin inspired me very much. The concept of ‘That Lucky Old Sun’ was inspired by ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ – not influenced, but inspired. – Brian Wilson
Pop music has been exhausted. The innocence has been exhausted. I think we’ve lost the ability to be blown away by music. – Brian Wilson
