Brian Wilson, Beach Boys co-founder, to be placed under conservatorship, judge rules
May 10, 2024, 9:48 AM | Updated: 9:49 am
Wilson, pictured far left, was a founding member of The Beach Boys. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images via CNN Newsource
(CNN) — 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.
Judge Gus T. May of the Los Angeles Superior Court found “clear and convincing evidence” that a conservatorship is necessary, court documents said, noting that Wilson consents to the conservatorship.
According to the 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.”
Wilson’s conservators are ordered to consult with his children regarding all material related healthcare decisions, the court documents said.
According to the Wilson family, the decision to place Brian under a conservatorship came following the death of his wife, Melinda Wilson, in January.
At the time, Wilson called his wife his “anchor,” saying in a post on his website that “Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart.”
In a statement published in February, the 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 Melinda’s passing.
This decision was made, the statement said, to “ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household,” as well as making sure that “Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by (housekeeper) Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family.”
“Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses,” the family’s statement concluded.
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.
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