Brian Wilson, Beach Boys co-founder, to be placed under conservatorship, judge rules

Brian Wilson, musician and founding member of the hit ’60s rock band The Beach Boys, has been placed under a conservatorship following a Los Angeles court ruling on Thursday. According to court documents, Wilson is “unable to care for his person,” has a “Major Neurocognitive Disorder” and “lacks capacity to give informed medical consent for medications.” The court documents said that Wilson’s conservators are ordered to consult with his children regarding all material-related healthcare decisions.

Wilson family said that after “careful consideration and consultation” among Brian, his children, his housekeeper, and his doctors, “longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian’s co-conservators of the person” following his wife's passing. Wilson said his wife who passed away in January was his "anchor" and helped him with his health and music career. 

Wilson has had a tumultuous relationship with the spotlight, having suffered from fame-induced stress, depression, and drug addiction in the past. He decided to quit touring with his band after a nervous breakdown in 1964, though he continued to write, arrange, produce, and record The Beach Boys’ music. Wilson and The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. Wilson has also won two Grammy Awards as a solo artist, for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 2005 and Best Historical Album in 2013.

For more information see Catherine Nicholls "Brian Wilson, Beach Boys co-founder, to be placed under conservatorship, judge rules", CNN Entertainment, May 10, 2024.