Brian Wilson Was Kept From Writing the Beach Boys' Final Hit, New Book Claims Isabella TorregianiAugust 19, 2025 at 2:55 AM Brian Wilson Was Kept From Writing the Beach Boys' Final Hit, New Book Claims originally appeared on Parade.
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Isabella TorregianiAugust 19, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Brian Wilson Was Kept From Writing the Beach Boys' Final Hit, New Book Claims originally appeared on Parade.
When the Beach Boys were offered the chance to write a song for a major Tom Cruise movie in 1988, Brian Wilson was reportedly thrilled. The opportunity seemed perfect — a chance for the legendary songwriter to contribute to what would become the band's biggest hit in decades.
However, within hours, everything changed with a single phone call that would haunt Wilson for years. The heartbreaking story comes from entertainment lawyer John Mason, who worked closely with the band, and is now revealing the details in his memoir Crazy Lucky.
In the novel, Mason alleges that Wilson, who passed away in June 2025, was prevented from taking part in the creation of the group's final No. 1 hit due to ongoing struggles with mental health.
"Brian often said to me, as sad as it sounds ... 'I fried my brain. I took too many drugs,'" Mason told Fox News Digital. "Brian couldn't get up in the morning without somebody getting him up. He couldn't eat healthily without somebody giving him something healthy to eat."
Despite Wilson's enthusiasm and desire to contribute, his condition made collaborating difficult. The 1988 opportunity arose when the band was approached to write a song for the movie Cocktail, leading to what would become the massive hit "Kokomo."
The song went on to become a commercial success, written by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love and Terry Melcher — but without Wilson's involvement.
The Beach Boys pose for a portrait with a surfboard in August 1962 in Los Angeles, California. (L-R) Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, David Marks.(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Wilson allegedly showed excitement about the project when his bandmates approached him. "Mike and Carl came into my office and said to Brian, 'Hey, we have the opportunity to write a song for this movie, Cocktail," Mason recalls.
"'It's going to be starring Tom Cruise. It's really great. We'd love you to join us. And Brian was really excited. He said, 'Oh, I'd love to do that.'"
At the time, Wilson was under the care of Dr. Eugene Landy, a figure whose influence over Wilson has long been debated among fans.
"Later in the evening, Brian called and said, 'I shouldn't do that," Mason recounts. "'Dr. Landy said I shouldn't do that.' Well, that turned out to be 'Kokomo,' the biggest hit the Beach Boys had had probably forever. And Brian felt really badly about not working on 'Kokomo.'"
Mason looks back on Landy's influence, claiming that while it may have helped in some ways, it ultimately caused just as much harm. "So, the good and bad of Dr. Eugene Landy in Brian's life was that he motivated Brian to become a participant in his own life," Mason says.
"But the bad part was that, as time went by and years went by, Dr. Landy expected more and more to replace Brian in the Beach Boys. ... Brian wasn't allowed to do anything without a Landy handler being with him."
Brian Wilson Was Kept From Writing the Beach Boys' Final Hit, New Book Claims first appeared on Parade on Aug 18, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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