The Beach Boys had a leader in Brian Wilson.
Brian Douglas Wilson ( born June 20 , 1942 ) is an American musician , singer , songwriter , and record producer best known for being the multi-tasking leader and co-founder of the rock band the Beach Boys . The songwriting of American musician Brian Wilson , co-founder and multi-tasking leader of the Beach Boys , is widely considered to be among the most innovative and significant of the late 20th century . The Beach Boys . Following the dissolution of the group 's Smile project in 1967 , Brian gradually ceded production and songwriting duties to the rest of the band , reducing his input because of mental health and substance abuse issues .