Brian Wilson was part of the Beach Boys.
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 intended follow-up to Pet Sounds , Smile , was canceled for various reasons , which included Wilson 's deteriorating mental health . Love & Mercy (film) . The film , deriving its title from the 1988 song by Wilson , focuses on musician-songwriter Brian Wilson , co-founder of the Beach Boys , during the 1960s and 1980s , presenting the film in a nonlinear narrative . Smile ( stylized as SMiLE ) was a projected album by American rock band the Beach Boys intended to follow their 11th studio album , Pet Sounds ( 1966 ) .